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Original poster

Current covid rules hosting is hard work

97 replies

Orangedaisy · 04/04/2021 21:00

So just had my parents round in the garden for the day. Was wonderful to see them but was crazy hard work for me. Obviously first world problem but wondered if anyone else found this....??

Cleaned downstairs loo for their sole use (access through garage) so whenever I needed to go I had to go upstairs, also same when kids needed bums wiping.

No help with cooking or washing up or grabbing drinks or salt or whatever as they can’t come inside. And wanted to make a bit of effort with food of course as it’s a special day. So more to cook and more clearing up than normal (albeit I was kind to myself with the menu).

No help with kids up close (shoes and coats fastening, reading stories, playing games etc) as we’re sticking with the social distancing.

Kids not great at socialising or taking turns talking so on edge all day trying to temper their behaviour.

Weather extremes meant we needed everything from woolly hats and blankets to parasols and sun hats.

DM and DF tried their best but would usually be right in there helping. DP did help of course.

I’m wiped out!! Anyone else?

OP posts:
Alannathelioness · 04/04/2021 21:09

It is tough and still so far from normal, which I think is half the problem. But I'm just so glad to be able to see my parents in my garden and to be able to cook food for them.
Baby steps, soon we will be able to socialise indoors and this will seem like an awful memory. Or so I keep telling myself.

Hoppythehippo · 04/04/2021 21:33

Yep. Although I’ve concluded that to make it manageable I need to serve things I wouldn’t normally- so hot dogs or pizza that can be eaten with hands sitting on a bench, the garden wall etc, not things requiring knife and fork at a table, it’s just too much faff when eating outside in the cold under blankets and I don’t have sufficient patio furniture to all sit socially distanced anyway! I’m not bothered about making special food at the moment, it needs to be easy!

Also, we eat, we go to the park to play with the children or go for a walk, then we go home (or they do). A whole day in the garden is too long, especially when it was 7 degrees here yesterday.

Original poster
Orangedaisy · 04/04/2021 21:47

Yes we did burgers and salad with brownies and ice cream and did have a walk out so it was all very pleasant. I just didn’t stop! Put the boat race in mid afternoon and the dc watched that (with granny and grandad watching through the French doors) so that calmed it a bit. Just need to keep going until
they’ve had both jabs and we’re allowed up close again 🤞🤞🤞

OP posts:

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Hoppythehippo · 04/04/2021 21:54

I just also lack “social stamina” I think. It’s like I need to work back up to having long conversations with people who aren’t my kids or my husband. I find social occasions, driving places, days out etc much more tiring - I was like this for a few weeks after the first lockdown as well. Just readjusting again to more normal life, except it no longer feels totally normal!

CuthbertDibbleandGrubb · 04/04/2021 22:01

Yes it is hard work I agree.

Think of those people though who cannot host their parents, because either they live abroad, or because one or other of them died of Covid over the last year.

RoseRedRoseBlue · 04/04/2021 22:06

I have to admit I would have no issue whatsoever with them going to grab something from the kitchen or using the same bathroom. In all honesty, how much impact will this really have?

Sstrongtn · 04/04/2021 22:09

I agree but because I’m panicking I have organised a couple of “garden” social things in the coming week as for once I’m off work and I owe the kids some fun.

Now it’s going to be utterly freezing and possibly raining and I have no idea what to do because cancelling could affect their friendships when they desperately need to build them!

So tempted to think “oh fuck it” let the kids play inside as they will be at school on Monday and have the adults socially distanced in the large kitchen with the patio doors open...

Brokenrecord3006 · 04/04/2021 22:10

We hosted in the garden recently with rule of 6 but social distancing went out the window pretty quickly if I'm honest, so it didn't feel stressful.

What I find difficult is trying to decide which friends can visit with the spaces limited! I feel awful choosing from a bunch of friends, the majority of whom don't really understand the stress because they've been throwing big parties regardless...

LittleOverwhelmed · 04/04/2021 22:16

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

Remmy123 · 04/04/2021 22:21

Slightly extreme regarding the bathroom situation - sounds like you were making extra work for yourself.

KurtWilde · 04/04/2021 22:34

I just let them use the bathroom and get things from the kitchen, pointless making more work for myself when we're already mixing, some have been vaccinated and the rest of us have had covid already.

KihoBebiluPute · 04/04/2021 22:43

The ban on socialising indoors doesn't mean that visitors can't go indoors at all. They can still pop in to fetch the salt or take a stack of dishes to the dishwasher. Just not hang out indoors together.

Bluntness100 · 04/04/2021 22:47

I respect your Desire to totally and utterly comply with the rules but personally I would not have went to these extremes and would have used the same loo and let them come in to help/grab stuff etc. It’s about balancing risk really. We know enough about the virus to know that popping into to get the salt isn’t an issue and if you give the look a quick wipe there’s no issue there either,

ruddynorah · 04/04/2021 22:51

Your approach sounds extreme. Not sure many people would host like that.

Bluntness100 · 04/04/2021 22:51

Did you really make them sit in the garden under a blanket to watch rhe telly whilst you all sat inside though?

RevolutionRadio · 04/04/2021 22:52

Some people only have 1 wc, they're still allowed to have people round and let them use the wc if required.

You wash your hands after using the loo anyway and I'd just clean the taps etc after everyone had left.

Hoppythehippo · 04/04/2021 22:55

Well this is eye opening. Like you op, we’ve been using separate toilets and staying outdoors and socially distanced. No “popping in for x, y and z” etc. Not because I’m especially worried about covid but because that’s the rules and guidance given and I am generally a rule follower. It’s interesting how many people are just doing their own thing.

aretherereally4Hs · 04/04/2021 22:55

Your approach doesn't sound extreme to me but that's because that's what everyone here does (and did last time we were allowed outside socialising before Christmas).

The loo is cleaned and then used by the visiting family (those families with one loo leave cleaning stuff). This is the new normal here

Bluntness100 · 04/04/2021 22:57

@aretherereally4Hs

Your approach doesn't sound extreme to me but that's because that's what everyone here does (and did last time we were allowed outside socialising before Christmas).

The loo is cleaned and then used by the visiting family (those families with one loo leave cleaning stuff). This is the new normal here

How would you possibly know that, do you survey your whole town?
KurtWilde · 04/04/2021 22:58

It says in the guidelines that people are allowed inside to use the toilet. As long as hands are washed then what's the problem?

KurtWilde · 04/04/2021 22:59

Also not all of us have 2 bathrooms Hmm

Hoppythehippo · 04/04/2021 23:01

We know enough about the virus to know that popping into to get the salt isn’t an issue and if you give the look a quick wipe there’s no issue there either,”

Do we really know that? Does the virus know you’re only breathing in the same air as the other people in that room because you’re bringing plates in not chatting? And potentially there is an issue using the same loo, especially in quick succession. It’s not wiping stuff and washing hands that’s the issue, it’s air and aerosols. Is it better than weeing in the garden if you only have one bathroom? Yes. Is it really so hard to use a separate loo if you have more than one? No, not really.

aretherereally4Hs · 04/04/2021 23:04

@Bluntness100 I see you suit your username 🤣🤣

Ok everyone of my friends around here and my neighbour actually when we were chatting they talked about what they did (discussion came up due to cold weather tomorrow). Sorry I'll do a survey of the rest of the village when I get a chance 😉

Mammyloveswine · 04/04/2021 23:06

My children are 3 and 5, I will not stop them from being close with the grandparents. Young children cannot socially distance and IMO should not he mate to.

Did your husband/partner help out at all today op?

KurtWilde · 04/04/2021 23:10

I think some people seem to be quite enjoying making this harder work than it actually is. Covid safe gatherings will become a competitive sport. Seriously, our children are mixing with countless other children on a daily basis, people are at work mixing with tons of people say after day, and yet some are still fretting over the possibility of Uncle Bert needing the loo during a bbq Confused