Am i breaking lockdown rules ?

[1ForAllnAllFor1]

Hi all,
I live in a flat with a 2 year old. We previously used to go out everyday to a playgroup where him and another girl got on and played every day. He asks about her every day.

I have been self isolating for almost a month now due to my DH having flu symptoms earlier in the month whixh he recovered from. My son, is absolutely bored at home.

This morning I decided to take him out on his scooter next to our block of flats, towards a Tesco (which I wasn’t going into). It’s a little forest walkway where there is runners and I was respecting all social distancing.


I happened to bump into his friend who he has been asking for everyday, he pointed her out and ran towards her. She was on her scooter too. So me and the mum kept 2 meters apart and we let them run the scooter alongside each other. They didn’t touch or anything.

Part of me felt irresponsible but I was overwhelmed with emotion as this was his normal and it broke my heart to end his happy moment as he has been so lonely and bored at home, but I wonder whether I wasn’t following guidelines?

A man saw us and was loudly swearing and cussing and saying how people like me are behind lockdown not being effective and stricter rules.

It has put me off taking my son out at all. But then I feel confused as this is part of the guidelines.

Am I unreasonable

[LoveFameTragedy]

Look for the Julia Donaldson and Axle Sheffler updates to explain social distancing to your child. It is tough but necessary.

[T0tallyFuckedUpFamily]

There was absolutely no pint in you and the other mum staying apart if you let your children mix. Good grief!

[T0tallyFuckedUpFamily]

*point

[whitedogpoo]

It’s hard but no, they shouldn’t have been anywhere near each other.

[BikeRunSki]

Were the children 2 m apart all the time?

[PurpleDaisies]

This was irresponsible. Mixing households is how the virus spreads. If the children weren’t 2m apart, you broke the guidelines.

[Monty27]

How long had the other people been isolating OP?
There's a huge difference between isolating and social distancing by the way. Your dcs' did neither. Back you go to isolation. 😡

[1ForAllnAllFor1]

They weren’t 2m apart at all times but they were most of the times as they were on their scooter but they did pass each other few times.

[PinkFlamingo888]

You know you broke the rules. Why are you asking? Have you seen that a 5 year old died? Why would you risk it? If anyone comes on here to try to ease your guilt then they’re just as stupid as you are. Was it essential? No. Stay at home if you can’t socially distancing yourself or your child.

[PurpleDaisies]

Why does the op need to go back to isolating monty? She made a mistake but I don’t see why she needs to do anything other than actually observe the social distancing rules from now on.

[user1473878824]

Oh ffs.

[Wilmalovescake]

Fuxake.
People are DYING.

[Daphine2004]

YABU as everyone including children must also keep their distance. That man was right, but the way he handled the situation was poor.

Here are the Julia Donaldson things PP mentioned, nicked from Facebook.

[AlexaShutUp]

The rules are really quite simple. If your child is not old enough to understand them, you need to take appropriate precautions to ensure that he follows them anyway.

Yes, it's difficult that ordinary life is on hold, but we're in the middle of a pandemic, so we all have to suck it up. Letting the children mix was irresponsible and directly contravenes the rules of the lockdown.

[PurpleDaisies]

Have you seen that a 5 year old died?

That’s utterly tragic, but it should be pointed out that that child had underlying health conditions.

[Lucindainthesky]

Fgs, how hard is it for people to observe the 2m rule?

Yes, you've broken the rules. Well done

[HeddaGarbled]

By the way, you didn’t need to isolate for a month because your husband had symptoms. 14 days, unless you have symptoms yourself.

[CallMeRachel]

Yabu.

You may think it was harmless fun between toddlers but imagine if everyone allowed the same thing to happen.

Ffs, it's a killer pandemic, many many people are dying. NHS workers are risking their lives and are begging us to stay home and then there's people like you....

Bring on the army. It's the only way the message is going to get through to people like you.

[PinkFlamingo888]

That’s utterly tragic, but it should be pointed out that that child had underlying health conditions.

Yes they did but the 13 year old who died, didn’t. We also don’t know what health conditions the OP’s son’s friend may have. And if their allowing their children to interact how many other children are they also interacting with. It can’t be assumed that everything’s ok as long as her child is healthy.

[Serin]

The guidelines are perfectly clear. Stay 2m away from each other.
He is 2 FGS, they adapt quickly to new "normals".
The passerby was right to give you a wake up call.
I'm impressed your boy can ride a scooter at 2 though.

[Yellowshirt]

@PinkFlamingo888 stop scare mungering. The child had underlying health issues.
Have you kept 2 metres apart at all times because I think its virtually impossible unless you impose full lock down.
Are you also going to walk down the street and tell all smokers off tomorrow after today's advice.
People like you are causing panic when mistakes happen and people come on mumsnet for help and advice.
It's a very confusing time and stressful for everyone

[1ForAllnAllFor1]

I’m slightly shocked at myself because up until this point I have been the one observing the strictest guidelines even before lockdown started.

I feel quite shit about how irresponsible I have been. But it was really a combination of being so sleep deprived, taken by surprise and pressured by the other mum.

I do realise it was a mistake now. But I reallr didn’t think I deserved the abuse that man gave me.

I’m not saying I should be excused but I really jusy wasn’t thinkng straight.

I feel like I don’t want to take my son out anymore, people are quite nasty it seems.

[bert3400]

Stop being so hard on the OP, her son wanted to see his friend. She tried her best to keep them as far away as possible. Yes she may if broken the rules but you posters don't have to be so fucking rude. Btw I have been in isolation for a month but I don't know how I would of handled it with a two year old .

[Anoisagusaris]

In fairness, those Julia Donaldson pictures have no relevance to this scenario. In fact the Gruffalo and the Mouse are keeping social distance despite not living in the same household , not running away from each other.

[1ForAllnAllFor1]

Thank you for all suggestions on way to explain it to my child. I will look into Julia Donaldson