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Original poster

Are your teenagers still meeting up with their friends?

161 replies

Rollergirl11 · 10/01/2021 16:10

I know that you can meet one person from another household for exercise but it is apparent that a lot of DD’s friends are just taking that as an opportunity to meet up with each other. Then meet up with someone else new the next day. I see that as completely bending the rules and is just unnecessary mixing of multiple households. Luckily DD doesn’t agree with it and hasn’t asked to do the same. Obviously lots of parents are allowing this (DD’s friends parents that I know included) so please can someone who thinks this is okay explain their reasoning?

OP posts:
theliverpoolone · 10/01/2021 17:17

Dd(13) went for a walk in the park with her friend yesterday. There's only me and her at home, and trying to persuade her to come for a walk with me is painful Grin so I actively encouraged it, as she wouldn't leave the house otherwise. I'm also trying to encourage her to meet up with another friend, I don't think there's any rule about walks having to be with the same person all the time. She's very good about making sure that if they see someone else they know, they don't join up with them, so keeps to one person at a time - unlike a lot of groups she said were in the park yesterday.

ImperfectTents · 10/01/2021 17:20

My isn't but is wish she would as she is sinking ever deeper into depression. Transmission outdoors is unlikely if both parties are sensible.

Watermelon999 · 10/01/2021 17:20

My oldest dc is running with a friend once a week, I prefer this from a safety perspective, plus they are old enough to distance.

The two others are interacting mainly online with theirs as they would not distance well.

I think anyone meeting up with multiple friends - one at a time on different days- is not really in the spirit of lockdown.

I have an adult friend who sees herself as an avid rule follower and will frequently remind people of the rules and post them on Facebook. The thing is she is meeting a different friend every day to walk. Perfectly legal, but definitely no 2m distancing and to me not really in the spirit of the rules- plus make her look a bit of a hypocrite!

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 10/01/2021 17:21

No. Because they are decent human beings and understand how to follow rules. They've kept up their social lives online. Helps that we live in the arse-end of nowhere so they would need lifts to go anywhere, but they've not asked even once...

lockeddownandcrazy · 10/01/2021 17:21

Teens in local College certainly hanging around in groups.

RedskyAtnight · 10/01/2021 17:22

But if everyone carries on having this amount of interaction with other households what is the point in being in lockdown?

It wouldn't surprise me if the "meeting one other person outside" gets removed. The problem is for every person who has regularly met a friend to walk their dogs and is continuing to do this , there are many others who are using this to meet as many friends as they want, albeit one at a time, for what is really socialising, just pretending to be exercising. The case of the 2 women fined at the reservoir being a case in point. Yes, they might have been going for a walk, but their primary reason for meeting up was to socialise. I don't think this is what the guideline was intended to be for and, if people stretch it as much as possible, it's just leading to multiple households mixing.

christmasathomeagain · 10/01/2021 17:23

No. We are all staying in and not meeting anyone. They are keeping in touch with friends via technology and seem happy enough with that.

moostermum · 10/01/2021 17:23

Yes DD(12) had a walk with best friend today for her mental health for 10 mins until they got too cold.

Hairydilemma · 10/01/2021 17:24

Only to walk/run with one other friend.

In each case this has always been the same friend - I’ve only just realised this and it hasn’t really been intentional but I guess it’s a good thing from a lowering-the-risk POV than swapping about with a different friend each day.

Clymene · 10/01/2021 17:25

My local town is full of teens meeting in groups, not socially distancing. I suspect many of them are telling their parents they're meeting one friend to go for a healthy walk, when actually they're crammed onto a single bench in the park, eating chips

EwwSprouts · 10/01/2021 17:25

No. Just online. I dragged him out for a short walk with me this afternoon as he hadn't set foot outside since Monday.

PrincessNutNuts · 10/01/2021 17:25

Mine chose their "designated friend" very early on, and only see them IRL in whatever way the rules allow.

They're all very good at maths and science so they know that multiplying contacts means multiplying opportunities for the virus to spread.

They have contact with other friends and randoms virtually.

murbblurb · 10/01/2021 17:26

thank you to all who are trying their best to shorten this.

for all those meeting in groups and lengthening it - may you get what you deserve. And if you do, there will shortly be fuck all chance of any medical treatment at all.

Candleabra · 10/01/2021 17:27

No. They've been brilliant.
I'm very proud of their attitude to all of this to be honest. I'm not sure I'd have been this rule abiding as a 16 year old.

Confuzzlediddled · 10/01/2021 17:29

No, b/g twins 18 in a few weeks, only speaking to friends online.
DS however will be going to college one day a week, as he needs additional learning support and that needs to continue despite online lessons. He normally gets 2 buses each way, so I'll be driving him.

Original poster
Rollergirl11 · 10/01/2021 17:29

@RedskyAtnight

But if everyone carries on having this amount of interaction with other households what is the point in being in lockdown?

It wouldn't surprise me if the "meeting one other person outside" gets removed. The problem is for every person who has regularly met a friend to walk their dogs and is continuing to do this , there are many others who are using this to meet as many friends as they want, albeit one at a time, for what is really socialising, just pretending to be exercising. The case of the 2 women fined at the reservoir being a case in point. Yes, they might have been going for a walk, but their primary reason for meeting up was to socialise. I don't think this is what the guideline was intended to be for and, if people stretch it as much as possible, it's just leading to multiple households mixing.

Yup. And precisely why I wish they would do away with this.
OP posts:
Fembot123 · 10/01/2021 17:30

No, they haven’t asked but if they did I’d let them. My DD’s have each other though and my DS has to go to school so I can work in a school so he is seeing people.

Watermelon999 · 10/01/2021 17:33

@Clymene

My local town is full of teens meeting in groups, not socially distancing. I suspect many of them are telling their parents they're meeting one friend to go for a healthy walk, when actually they're crammed onto a single bench in the park, eating chips
I really wish the police would clamp down hard on this and fine the parents. The media are making the police out to be heavy handed and going after the easy targets when some people are doing worse things unpunished.
justaweeone · 10/01/2021 17:35

Just wondered if anyone else is aware of this
Screenshot



Oblomov20 · 10/01/2021 17:36

No.

schnubbins · 10/01/2021 17:36

No and its starting to take its toll.

thefallthroughtheair · 10/01/2021 17:37

It is within the law in England to meet up with one other person outdoors and I am encouraging 12 year old DC to do so as it is important to stay fit and healthy.
The legacy to both the physical and mental health of the nation's already overweight and unfit children of spending even more time indoors and online will be terrible and I want my child to remain fit and healthy with a normal and nuanced attitude to health.

KarmaNoMore · 10/01/2021 17:38

No, they play and laugh everyday in... the Xbox

Fembot123 · 10/01/2021 17:42

What about the kids of 7/8 who are too young to meet up without a parent and too old to not count as a person, I feel for them.

RedskyAtnight · 10/01/2021 17:44

@Fembot123

What about the kids of 7/8 who are too young to meet up without a parent and too old to not count as a person, I feel for them.
It's shit for everyone. At least a 7/8 year old will happily go out for a walk with their family; your average teen wants to be with their friends.