Chickens Against Dementors!

[psychomath]

New thread!

Chicken ads for anyone who missed them.

Anyway have fun everyone, I'm off to sit in the park now that it's allowed.

Just hug your mum unless you have been treating covid patients is my advice.

I’ve just come off 3 shifts from the epicentre of death (NHS hospital , half empty if anyone is interested) and DD and I took a walk into town. Busiest I’ve seen it. We went to M&S and 2 cafes for takeout. On the way back there were people sat in their front gardens (!) having visitors !!!
I did think FGS get all the well young back to work and school now.

just my mum is literally trying to sound out the neighbours to see if anyone would report us to police if I visited.

I just feel so terrified that our government have done this to us.

LilacTree1

Cite the reason that the visit is for health and welfare for somebody who is vulnerable...it's not a lie really is it?

Lilac, that is so sad. My children live locally and have all been round to visit on their daily exercise. They sit in the garden and the grandchildren play (in fact I probably see more of the GC as they are not at school). We don't hug (yet), but I think they want to save me, iyswim. All my neighbours know and think it's lovely - and I don't think it's just because my lovely daughter shops for them as well as me.

Jourdain11
Hope you feel better pdq.

Anxious thats bloody lovely. What a fab birthday present. It teared me up tbh thinking such a 'normal activity' made them cry with happiness. Wtf are we doing to our entire society?

Alex yep. I know MN has always been that "nest of vipers" but recently its just any excuse to kick a poster whatever the topic. Perfectly reasonable posts are pounced on by self satisfied people who wouldnt put up.with whatever it is themselves in a million years but it makes them feel superior to pile on with a lynch mob to tell op they are wrong/to blame. Its like the dementors are not just sticking to covid stuff they are enjoying sticking the boot in for any pathetic excuse they find. Society is going down the pan in so many ways.

Interesting article in one of our local papers. I don't think that people bleating on that this is no time to care about "the economy" appreciate that this is nothing to do with bankers with lives far removed from their own and everything to do with the services they rely on day in and day out, and the livelihoods of their own family and friends, even if they do harbour some fantasy of not caring if they end up homeless and destitute because covid.

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/half-newcastle-city-centre-businesses-18248656

We had a scare with our ancient cooker, last night. 2 of the gas jets are blocked and an attempt to clean them created a leak. Thankfully, we found a video explaining how to blow the blockage out, rather than shift it around and the leak was fixed. Clearly the muck has become trapped in a valve. It need replacing sooner or late, anyhow, as the door doesn't close flush. Our thoughts were no of the cost, as we already had that earmarked, but of who the hell would be willing to deliver a 90cm range oven and take the old one away, right now? (and how the hell could I cook the regulation lentil dust soup with no working hob?!)

Welcome all newcomers! Gosh this thread moves so fast we're halfway to full before I even got a chance to post on it again!

Jourdain I'm so sorry you can't go out at the moment, that must be really crap. If I lived anywhere near you I'd be straight round with ice cream and market food soaked in Dettol obviously for a chat from a safe distance. Unfortunately I'm about 150 miles away, and even in my optimistic worldview I reckon I'd have a hard time arguing in court that taking the train to London to buy an ice-cream counts as essential travel

It's very heartening to see so many people on that weird AIBU thread defending us using the 'dementors' label and saying it's not about making fun of anyone with genuine anxiety, including lots who I haven't noticed posting here. I was a bit worried when I read the OP that it might be a majority of people who had that misconception about the purpose of these threads, but it seems not

This is changing the subject entirely but I've recently got into Minecraft, of all things (as recommended by my lovely colleague from a few threads back, if anyone remembers him!) Not normally into gaming at all but I've found it so relaxing, and it's been a very effective distraction from all the gloom and doom on days when I'm not feeling so great - after playing for a few hours last night I realised it was the first time in weeks that I'd properly forgotten all my worries about what's going on with work and when I'll ever be able to get closer than 2m to another human being again. Might be worth a go for anyone who's alone and/or has too much time on their hands - it costs less than £20, which is a lot cheaper than I thought.

We've just had an email from the school head saying she doesn't think they'll get KS1 back to school this school year at all (this being the head who has been ignoring DD2's declining mental health and telling us there's no leeway to allow her back or even to refer her for any support). Once they're back from their grandparents I'm going to raise merry hell if school don't support this child's vulnerable mental health.

DD2 - didn't sleep much last night - drops into tears at the drop of a hat, can't fall asleep for a nap because her brain won't let her, speech planning and structuring ability has gone through the floor blowing a good year+ of intensive speech therapy support out of the window - she NEEDS some social interaction to begin to support and rehabilitate her - I'm not wanting her in school out of some Tiger Mum aspiration - it's so she doesn't go so far down the road of being depressed we end up with a 7 year old on anti-depressants (which is looking like all the world can offer her at the moment).

They've now gone off with my parents (whom I hugged) to spend a bit of time at their house - to try to make it like a "holiday" for them and actually get some of my "child" back before we lose her completely.

Then I come on the fucking internet to see the sort of arseholes my kids' future is being thrown under the bus to protect - and I won't even put the thoughts I have into print after the way they've gone on.

We had the chalk "jail" image being put onto a thread in Primary earlier by one of the usual MN teachers to stop people sending their kids back - and it's working. Was talking to my step father and his school have 2 out of 70 potential children whose families have said they'll be coming back. Apparently the virus has "go away" in its diary for September 1st.

I've just been into town for a birthday card (for a child - essential!) Noticed a local bakery has opened up after installing some perspex screens. In the spirit of trying to support whatever shops I can, I had to purchase something. A tray of caramel shortcake seemed to fit the bill. Have eaten 2 slices - will have to get out for such a lot of exercise to work those off!

I've been on MN for about ten years (under various names and I rarely post much) and until recently never knew what people were talking about with all the "it's changed, people are so nasty now" stuff. Even all the Brexit twattery seemed more like a reflection of wider society than anything. The sheer nastiness towards people struggling with the lockdown was a real eye-opener More than once I wanted to start a post asking for support with mental health stuff and was to scared in case I got jumped on by people telling me I was selfish.

This thread is lovely and I think we all have slightly differing opinions on some stuff and yet we are not ripping eachother to shreds? Imagine that!

It seems the rest of MN is pretty vile at the moment and it's allowed. Unless of course you're giving your opinion out on teachers and then it's definitely not allowed and you get banned and ignored for 24hrs im not bitter

My DS (11) loves Minecraft and plays on it for hours, they can meet friends on it also and build 'worlds' - I like it too.

I'm so sorry about your dd, Domina. I have a 13 yo ds who is not getting his usual help from school and is struggling with his mental health at the moment. He is afraid he will never be able to learn again.

MN is fucking vicious now. It's like you can be as vicious as you like as long as you're with the hive mind kicking anyone who dares differ. Mental health they hate - it was trendy to virtue signal and #be kind for about a week so they were all over being kind but then the coronapocalypse happened and the knives came back out.

We had the chalk "jail" image being put onto a thread in Primary earlier by one of the usual MN teachers to stop people sending their kids back

But that’s not what’s being planned for English schools, is it? I didn’t read the guidance in much detail but I thought they weren’t planning to get nursery/primary children to stay socially distanced from each other, but were cutting down to smaller groups instead? So why share an image of some other more brutal setup?

making fun of anyone with genuine anxiety

That's a weird take. I think we're all pretty much aligned in this thread that we're incredibly worried about people's anxiety. Especially those who are not at risk (e.g. children) but are now scared of leaving the house. The dementors are the ones giving everyone anxiety with their doomplopping about literal murderers and bring your own body bag.

Oh Domina I'm so sorry I'm getting genuinely anxious checking my work emails at the moment in case we get something similar.

The only thing I'd say is not to lose hope just yet. There's still a couple of weeks to go before the proposed re-opening date, and things are changing so fast at the moment, I very much doubt that even heads really know what's going on. Tbh the government almost never changes anything based on what the education unions want, so I'd be a bit surprised if they do this time.

Domina i hope you get a good break now the DC are at your mums. Maybe could be a plan to look at something else if they are getting to you- I find it hard too but it is all just speculation on the schools stuff and listening to some of their negativity can be so draining.

I had ti too, I got really upset when one was going on about no PE and stuff this morning..

The BBC for example has some stuff on there about schools including a video from Denmark showing how things might work if that helps having a look at those kind of things might put it in perspective a bit.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-52649919/coronavirus-inside-a-reopened-primary-school-in-the-time-of-covid-19

Getting a few nice stories on here which is refreshing- recovery stories from the virus www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3907855-Oldest-person-recovers-and-other-positive-recovery-stories?pg=3
if anyone is interested in such stuff

That's a weird take

The whole thread is weird! But reassuring to see that the OP seems to be in a minority of one, judging by the responses they're getting.

We are allowed out now (not UK) after 8 weeks indoors - apart from solo food shopping.

Today we have pre-ordered our fish and chips from the van and will be taking our camping chairs, some cold beer, cutlery and our own salt and vinegar to sit and eat them in the supermarket car park.

Rock and Roll

I'm planning how I'm going to raise hell if the school are still being like this when they come back to be honest - I know the class teacher is pretty much the same view as me but hands are tied. I'm not one you want to cross when it comes to not following the guidelines and trying to pull crap and I'll win. I've been known in the past to send copies of the relevant guidelines with sections highlighted to organisations that needed a gentle reminder to pull their head out of their arse and start doing something properly. I get knocked right down and really battered but then I come back in full on arse kicking mode very very rapidly - the Head has not met this side of me yet.