Breaking rule of 6 over Christmas

[SarahSinuses]

Hi, so in my family we will have to break the rule of 6 as there's me, DH, DM, DF, DB, DS and DD (who is only a baby so don't understand why she counts).

We had planned from ages ago to rent a big house so we can spend a week together comfortably because since DD was born we don't really fit in my mum's house.

I was saying to my mum that we have to cancel the rented house stay because there's no way the owners won't ask if we're all from the same household, and just be a little uncomfortable and cosy at her house.

Other option I suppose is to go to Wales where children don't count.

So, what should we do?

1. Go as planned to the house already booked
2. Cancel and stay at my mum's (very crowded)
3. Cancel and book in Wales where children don't count (lose lots of money probably)

Thank you!

@RockingMyFiftiesNot
Then isn’t that all the more reason that everyone tries to stick to the rules?? To try and get out of Tier 2/3 by Christmas, and not advertise that they are planning on doing so others think it’s ok too?? Do it if you must, but don’t tell everyone!!

FFS!
Just stick to the rules and have Xmas separately this year.
Not because this shabby shitshow of a government have set the rule of 6 or whatever rule is in place by then, but because you're actually exposing yourself, your DF and your entire family to a much increased risk of transmitting CV to each other.
I think the spread of CV will be much worse by Xmas, and the risks will be much higher by then.
It's quite likely that many people writing their intentions here to break rules and spend Xmas crammed in with countless other relatives, will actually be too ill to celebrate Xmas at all, or will have seriously ill relatives. or even be recently bereaved as a result of the virus.
Just to say, I'm usually an optimistic and pragmatic person who isn't dogmatic about adhering to 'rules'. In this current climate however, it just seems common sense for us all to be very cautious in the short term.

Actually it's worse for most people - if you're in Tier 2 or 3 you can't meet with people from other households indoors at all. I assume the OP is in a tier 1 area?

Exactly. A member of my family passed away a few weeks ago. So this Christmas is the first one without them. And the rest of the family can't see eachother. Those in tier 1 complaining about the rule of 6 should think themselves bloody lucky.

i do hope the people who are planning on breaking the rules, don't complain when schools shut again.

It's the Rule of six. Not the 'it doesn't suit me and my family circumstances so six doesn't apply'.

Many of us are missing out on precious time with people who may not be here for long. However the point of these blasted rules is to try and make sure that we are all around for a little bit longer.

It's starting to really annoy me. Why don't people get the reason why the rules are there and why, if we don't follow them, they'll be around for longer and more people will die? It is pretty straightforward.

It could be any one of our last Christmas. In fact it could be any one of our last day on earth today, tomorrow, the next day.

Having been told last October that I had likely a year max before I would deteriorate and have to go on to the transplant list I have thus far beaten those odds by doing everything the cardiologists have asked of me. But I can’t be certain that next year will be any better, and that if I deteriorate a suitable heart will be found before I die.

Certainly it hasn’t made me stop living my life, but I’m damned if I think that everyone should do what the hell they want because it might be someone’s last Christmas.

As the virus keeps spreading it will be thousands of peoples last Christmas if people don’t help to do what it takes to bring this virus down.

And people need to stop blaming all of this on the government. Every time someone says “I don’t care what the rules are,” they’re the ones spreading the virus.

Wow. All you people who think sticking to the rules will fix this are in for a whopper shock when you see that cases will keep rising and rising and rising despite you not seeing your family. Have you not seen how things are going in liverpool? Having one extra person for dinner isnt the cause of this going south.

Maybe if half of Liverpool hadn’t gone out on the piss the night before the rules were tightened the figures wouldn’t still be going up there.

@SqidgeBum Dont bother, it's falling on deaf ears.

@SqidgeBum

Wow. All you people who think sticking to the rules will fix this are in for a whopper shock when you see that cases will keep rising and rising and rising despite you not seeing your family. Have you not seen how things are going in liverpool? Having one extra person for dinner isnt the cause of this going south.

I don't think anyone had said that it will fix things. However the reason the numbers are going up is in part at least because of the vast majority of the population don't follow them to the letter. If people actually kept 2m apart always it would be much harder for the virus to spread. Not impossible but much harder. Is there any evidence that in Liverpool people are sticking to the regs? Anecdotal evidence from threads on here would suggest not.

I often wonder why people come on Mumsnet to ask these type questions. The only people are reply are the “stick by the rules” types whilst everyone else quietly flexes them accordingly. The government knows this but are hoping that enough of the officious/ scared types can volunteer to be locked away to keep infection rates low enough.

I’m not sure why you couldn’t split the day and let your dad see you and you husband and child at one point and then your sister and brother at a different point?

And what exactly is the point of that? If everyone is just seeing everyone else at different points in the day, the covid transmission risk is much the same as if they all get together at once.

We are a family of 5, so to join with anyone at all, even just my parents, we would break th erule of 6.

Normally, I would say OK fine, we will just be our family of 5 for Christmas. But this year we have spent months and months just being a family of 5 and I am so bored of it (my family are lovely, but...) I would love to see my brothers and their families, but we can't as we ar e5 and they are 5 or 4. So we can't even go to visit them Christmas or not.

I am pretty law abiding. I have been pretty strict with my 18 yo ds who would love to party more etc But I just cannot see anyone abiding to the rule of 6 over Christmas. It just isn't going to happen

I would wait and see what happens but in your situation would also break the rules.

How much room does the baby take up?!

Check with the owners and go if you can. If they say no, just stay with your mother all together. Babies take up no room at all.

Just go. I would

Can you book a travel lodge type place walking distance from your mums for some of you? We are simply waiting until nearer the time to decide

It's one year. Just do it separately and meet up for a walk in a country park to walk off the dinner.

You dont have to break the rule of six thats a choice you are making right there. Im sure one christmas without you all together isnt going to kill anyone.

Wales doesnt want you lol

You're not suppose to hop country because you want a nice holiday + Wales and Scotland often have stricter rules... this is how its spreading (even medievil people long before science knew the 'pest maiden' spread diseases through travel)

I also find it pretty shocking that people have this 'have too' attitude, you dont have to break anything and while come people have complex situations such as being a family of 5 (2 parents 3 kids) with a 2 widowed parents that would be alone and no other family that could have them etc... thats not your case at all

I would go to the house as planned, or go to your Mums.

I wouldn't make any effort to go to Wales just to be adhering to the 6 people rule.
Just because someone says you should only be in groups of 6 doesn't mean that you have to follow the rules. It's not "breaking the law" as people are suggesting.

No way will I be staying away from my family (if everyone is happy to meet) over Xmas!

Do what makes you all happy :).

In Scotland we don’t even have the rule of six. No one is allowed in anyone else’s home. How many people will stick to that? Can I leave my widowed MIL and DM alone at Christmas? They can’t both be in a support bubble with us!

So dd shouldn’t count because she’s a baby but she’s also the reason that you would be overcrowded at your mums? really?

Leaving aside the whole thing about breaking the rules, I wouldn’t be making ANY plans fit the time being in case things go really tits up with the pandemic as winter arrives.

I hope your dad is ok. Is it really a good idea for him to go away at all if he is very ill?

Can I leave my widowed MIL and DM alone at Christmas?

Course you can, it would be incredibly selfish to even consider having them over for Xmas dinner. Covid is king, screw everything else.