So that's it then, France is off! Quarantine from Sunday 4.00am

maddyone- so sorry I missed your reply re Italy- thanks.

I’m glad we’ve chosen to have a holiday in this country. Couldn’t face the uncertainties of going abroad any time soon.

Jaxjaxy ..enjoy..

Celticbod agree, the no hugs, no kiss night night will be/is very hard, same as with their Mum..no hugs, or my son, but to have these two wee souls eating their tea, shouting Grandma is magic!!

Maddyone I certainly do understand but it can be difficult for others to relate to, understandable, I suppose... I don't think people understand (sorry, too many 'understands' but I am not at my best today) the sheer volume of hours worked, let alone the content. I do 'bang on' here if someone raises the 'doctors are sitting all day twiddling their thumbs', type comment!

We had a family conflab early today to agree whether we should tell them (and spoil their holiday with the thought of further quarantine) or let them enjoy their holiday blissfully unaware.

We made the decision to tell them (who are we do deny them choice?) but having checked ferries it was all academic anyway as they were fully booked.

I wish your family a restful Norwegian holiday. Good choice!

Jax...fair point...still technically not able to give them a hug I think but ours being 1 and 3 ...3 year old is brilliant and cant wait for the "sickness to be over"...are in need of somewhat closer care maybe.
Our daughter and husband are sharing some work days to cover so not exactly fully supporting the economy which seemed to take centre stage at one time. I just have the feeling that the point of single or couples in the area of grandparents/parents and childcare has been overlooked for revision.

Celticbod depends how old GC are, ours are 7 and 12 and understand SD, here for first sleep over tonight. If they were not old enough to understand, we wouldn’t be having them.

Oh Candelle thank you so much for your post, and for understanding how exhausted our doctors are. Our daughter and her husband are both doctors too, and they are absolutely on their knees with everything that’s happened, and like yours, they’ve had to keep the balls up in the air with three young children to care for and educate. Your daughter and family have also had to contend with building work ongoing as well. Our grandchildren’s school did provide key worker childcare but only reluctantly, they threatened to stop it at one point, and my daughter had an unpleasant and stressful time arguing with them via various emails, why they needed to provide the care, as instructed by the government. And then they did little in the way of teaching, arguing that their teachers had to stay at home to teach their own children (nothing like my son’s child’s school which was wonderful all through.) Consequently my daughter’s children are starting a new school in September, so all that had to be sorted out.

I didn’t know doctors are not expected to quarantine, that tells us how crucial they have been in this pandemic, but the children would be required to quarantine which would mean one parent would need to be at home with them, and they couldn’t start their new school.

Anyway, they’re going to Norway now thankfully.
I’m so sorry yours have had the further stress of finding out about the quarantine whilst they’re on holiday. Doctors have suffered more stress than most during this crisis. As I said before, they need to be well enough to look after all of us again this winter.

I’m definitely with merlotgran on this one. I am shocked people didn’t see these things coming. Virus is still around so we were warned things can change within hours.

Show me how to socially distance care for a grandchild and maybe I would understand...but sorry cant see how you can call it care without contact...Fully awarexwe can visit etc. But the phrase socially distance means just that...nonsensical maybe...but should we all decide which rules we ignore...
It may well be that we do change our decision to stick to the rules but we will know we are breaking them not try to hide it by altering their meaning.

Actually reading the guidance, it’s clear, two households are allowed to meet indoors but are required (asked but it’s not law) to socially distance. I’m sorry, but I don’t understand why that’s difficult to understand.

As you said in your post, the guidance says

Celticbod
The members of two households can now meet indoors. Therefore if the grandparents look after their grandchildren, providing the grandchildren are all from the same household, they would be two households in one house. You do not need to be in a bubble with each other, you just need to be two households. So if you were looking after two grandchildren, and your cousin arrived, your cousin should not go into your house, but could go into your garden with you and the grandchildren, so long as there were only six of you together. However these are guidelines, and the law says groups of up to thirty people can meet outside, socially distanced. I know this because my son is a barrister and reads the law carefully. The guidelines are different to the law.

So a straight answer, yes you absolutely can look after your grandchildren in your house, or their house, so long as only the members of two households are indoors. You are recommended to remain socially distanced though. But that is a guideline.

Can grandparents provide childcare for their grandchildren?
Despite some confusion over this due to Boris Johnson's comments on Friday 17th July, grandparents are only able to provide childcare if they are part of a bubble with their grandchildren's household. As one of these bubbles needs to be a single adult household, this can only apply to bubbles that comprises of a single grandparent or parent.

Official guidance since the 4th July stipulates that (in England) two households of any size are now able to meet up in any location. However, unless they are one of those in a support bubble (single adult households only) then they are still required to socially distance.

Maddyone, our doccy daughter and family finally escaped to a family-owned beach 'shack' set in the dunes in Holland, last Monday, arriving Tuesday morning. It is extremely remote but of course, they would mix with locals when they shop for food.

I think you understand the need for people such as these to rest - they are absolutely worn out.

There were flurries of message this morning to see if we could (extremely reluctantly) ferry them back to the UK in time to beat the embargo but the ferries and tunnel route were all fully booked, so there they stay - which pleases me in one respect as they need a battery-recharge but they have had their holiday spoiled with the knowledge of all that is entailed on their return: the children will miss some school, the holiday courses paid for are non-refundable and sporting events they participate in, now unavailable.

Doctors are exempt but the family not. This will be their second quarantine as my daughter caught a virus back in March (now not thought to be Covid but awful at the time as no testing was available). Her poor husband will have two children to care for and oh, they are living in a building site as work on their house stopped because of Covid (supplies and personnel).

They will just have to get on with it and we hope that at least momentarily they will have some rest and recuperation.

I tell them that they look back at laugh at all of this in years to come but... now I am not so sure!

I have mentioned before that we like to go abroad for our holidays. This year we understand completely that it’s not a wise thing to do. We’re grateful to be healthy and have a pleasant home. However I don’t agree with those who suggest a “staycation” instead. Yes the UK has some beautiful places but you’re very much at the mercy of the weather. I know some people seem happy to go out in the rain but not us. We like to be outdoors and warm and dry. Then we can really relax. Hotels in the UK can be overpriced and variable in quality and I won’t consider a self catering option as for me there wouldn’t be any rest from the daily routine. I would also feel too isolated. We will stay at home and get on with it!

Taken from lead page on this site....

Official guidance since the 4th July stipulates that (in England) two households of any size are now able to meet up in any location. However, unless they are one of those in a support bubble (single adult households only) then they are still required to socially distance

Maddyone, please tell me where the rule changed from a single grandparent, or single parent family forming a bubble, to it being okay to look after grandchildren and have direct contact presumably, if you are looking after them.
Key workers may indeed have a rightful exemption but as on this site it is still only single parent families or a single grandparent that is allowed direct (as in hugs and proper care) contact.
We would be over joyed to be wrong but have checked,rechecked and written letters in this regard and keep finding it's still not allowed.

I think it is childish of France to hit back the way they have, it’s not a game of tit for tat. Their infection rate is rising and we have to protect our people and country.
It is of course not a great surprise that they have done it, I would’ve thought however that they would be grateful economically for tourists.
Personally I feel these ‘air bridges’ have contributed greatly to the spread of the virus. Surely we can do without going abroad for one year!

Ellianne no online shopping here in rural France. Larger towns/cities have some click and collect services.

Like many others we had 2 holidays to France booked before Covid started. The May one was cancelled but we kept the booking for early September in the hope things would improve. Sadly that has not happened and we are just so pleased that so far we don't know of anyone who has had Covid. Obviously it is disappointing not to go away, usually to better weather, but this year the weather here has been pretty good and we're just glad to be at home, safe and healthy.

Agree Mellow Yellow. Lots of us are disappointed by cancelled or rescheduled holidays, but appreciate it’s for the best this year. Let’s hope next year will be better. I am also grateful I can afford a holiday and to be able to defer claiming money back, many people and families will not be able to afford holidays very shortly!

To cancel, in my mind, is the right thing to do. Just why people have to go abroad for a summer holiday or break this is beyond me. We usually have several trips away, here and abroad a year but this year is a no no. Just stay home and stay safe. There will always be next year

Grandparents can look after their grandchildren because two households can meet in a house. We’ve been looking after our grandchildren since the school holidays because their parents are key workers and there is no key worker childcare provided. In fact I think the two households at any one time was probably put in place because of that situation.

biba I replied up thread but maybe you didn’t see it. There are no quarantine requirements when returning from Italy at the moment. Italy is in our ‘air bridge’ arrangements so no quarantine when you arrive there either. At the moment.

what is the situation with Italy currently?

HurdyGurdy- fair enough. But it is nice to have the choice no?