Current covid rules hosting is hard work

[Orangedaisy]

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?

Weather extremes are the worst.

We are supposed to have friends coming over today for drinks in the garden as it's DD's 19th birthday and she's back from
university.

We've woken up to a covering of snow! ❄️

Looks like it might be a birthday walk and maybe a hot chocolate en route now.

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

Barring the shoes and coats none of this is impacted by covid or SD.

We've hosted people every day of this long weekend and it has been a bit harder work than usual - on Friday when the weather was crap we were all chain-drinking hot drinks, no one has come in to help with the washing up - but my god has it been worth it! I am a bit tired (though the 2 year old and 7 week old are probably more to blame than the hosting) but I am so unbelievably happy to be able to see people that I feel on a total high

@CuthbertDibbleandGrubb

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.

Or, indeed, died of something other than Covid over the past year. Other deaths still exist.

Hosting according to the absolute letter of the rules is difficult. I didn’t host to the absolute letter of the rules, so it was fine. People came into the kitchen to serve themselves food and drinks. We all used both toilets. Neither of those things is really a big risk, IMO.

We aren't as strict as you, people go in and out to pick up food with back door open, one at a time, need to go in for loo anyway. We all brought food so shared load. My parents have had the vaccine, I've had it, and the kids are young. I really am not caring too much any more, our risk is incredibly low.

We only have an upstairs toilet. It's not really that big a deal going upstairs to use the loo.

Incidentslly my parents came over and just used our same toilet, I didn't bother with cleaning it between uses just wash your hands afterwards (which you would anyway?)

I think you have made life harder for yourself by enforcing social distancing between adults and kids. We haven't done this. Kids want to play with their grandparents, not sit and chat with them. No wonder they were bored.

Meh, you can bet hundreds of thousands didn’t bother being so careful. Especially today as it’s flippin freezing.

Next time tell them it’s their turn and sit there all day and do nothing .
I know exactly what you mean as it happened to me yesterday . 💐

Hands up here as someone who's not stuck completely to the rules this weekend. By DB and his DP came over this weekend and accessed the garden via the house, as the alternative involved us clearing out the garage for a route through.

They used the same downstairs bathroom as the rest of us. We let them go back in the house to collect drinks and I laid the food out on the table by the patio doors (just inside) rather than outside so everyone went into collect what they wanted, then we went to the park for a while, and dc2 wanted fun uncle to push her on the swings. He didn't refuse.

It was tiring though, because we last had guests (them actually!) for Halloween before we changed tiers. My house was a mess, id forgotten how to do a guest clean and I didn't even need to touch the sitting room!

We need the weather to improve before we'll see PIL, they will want to stick to all the rules but can't sit outside for long if its cold.

Schools have very strict rules about toilet use, limiting use of certain toilets to particular bubbles. They are also cleaned more frequently than they used to be.

We have a downstairs loo, unfortunately broken at the moment. Once fixed that will be designated for visitors once we start having them.

If you let people pop into the kitchen to get stuff, it then becomes much easier for people to start congregating in there.

@ineedaholidaynow

Schools have very strict rules about toilet use, limiting use of certain toilets to particular bubbles. They are also cleaned more frequently than they used to be.

We have a downstairs loo, unfortunately broken at the moment. Once fixed that will be designated for visitors once we start having them.

If you let people pop into the kitchen to get stuff, it then becomes much easier for people to start congregating in there.

There’s still 60 odd kids (or more) potentially using that loo in a primary school (more in secondary) and I’d hazard a guess GPs hygiene is better!

Schools have very strict rules about toilet use, limiting use of certain toilets to particular bubbles. They are also cleaned more frequently than they used to be.

Yes, but school toilets are (in normal times) used by hundreds of pupils each day, many of whom won't bother to wash their hands, or if they do, they won't do it properly.

You can't compare the situation in schools to that in a regular family home.

If you let people pop into the kitchen to get stuff, it then becomes much easier for people to start congregating in there.

People have to go through our kitchen to access the bathroom - our (only) bathroom and toilet is downstairs and the only door to access it is at the rear of the kitchen. Lots of houses have similar layouts.

If someone wants to get a drink from the fridge they're passing anyway, what harm do you think it will do?

Our kitchen is also a galley kitchen and you definitely can't fit enough people in there to congregate - you can fit two adults at a push, and you can barely squeeze past each other either!

I think some people on this thread don't really understand that millions have families just don't have the luxury of multiple bathrooms, multiple entrances into the house etc.

We are having a bbq next week and definitely won't be doing all of that, does sound exhausting!

It would appear that were in the minority @Orangedaisy. I was beginning to feel like we were the only family sticking to the rules.
I’m fortunate enough to have a second toilet, so we also keep the downstairs bathroom for visitors only. That is the only reason anyone is allowed inside. We have seen a noticeable shift in attitude this week and I have an awful feeling that we may see a rise in cases and a pause on restrictions being eased by the end of the month.
People may hate the restrictions, ignore them etc but they’ll be the ones who complain when businesses collapse and they can’t go away this year.

Hosting according to the absolute letter of the rules is difficult. I didn’t host to the absolute letter of the rules, so it was fine. People came into the kitchen to serve themselves food and drinks. We all used both toilets. Neither of those things is really a big risk, IMO.

You did host to the absolute letter of the rules though. Everything you did is permitted.

You did host to the absolute letter of the rules though. Everything you did is permitted.

That’s good to hear, I must admit I lose track of what’s actually allowed when people go above and beyond.

It’s been lovely and the weather has been a huge bonus. It’s different but not harder, from my perspective.

Saw the children who are all capable of doing their own thing.
Went to friends for a shared takeaway - outside, so earlier finish than usual, lots of blankets and a wood burner inside the marquee. It’s set up semi-permanently, so no extra work really.

Then we had a lingering coffee in the garden with two sets of friends yesterday. No difference to usual really but lovely to see people properly.

@tink09 - to be fair, waves have been predicted from the VE day celebrations, the beach photos, the BLM protests...

If you want to make your life harder to follow all the rules, plus some extra ones you've put in, go for it. But accept few people feel the same anymore.

We went to my parents yest,had lunch inside then sat in the garden

@MargosKaftan I’m not adding any additional rules, I’m sticking to the guidelines that are set out, although not asking people to wear a face covering if they have to go inside my home (so not following 100%)
I’m at a point where I just worry about what we do as a family and just do us. That means the less others follow the rules, the more important it is for us to follow them, so we stay safe. Especially as we don’t know what other people who we meet up with are doing.

Totally agree. Really hard work. No one talks about all this, do they?

We have seen a noticeable shift in attitude this week and I have an awful feeling that we may see a rise in cases and a pause on restrictions being eased by the end of the month

Based on what, exactly?

Because didn't see additional cases last Easter. Or on VE day. Or when everyone flocked to the beaches. Or when shops re-opened and everyone stormed to Primark. Or after the BLM cases. Or Eat Out to Help Out.

Or are you just here to doom-monger?

You had to walk upstairs to the toilet, sorry op this gave me a chuckle because honestly that’s hardly like climbing Kilimanjaro. Sounds like you had a nice day. When it became obvious that this was a long haul issue we built a patio and bought garden sofas and a full size table. We always follow the rules 100% so guests did stick on a mask to use the loo and they have to walk through the kitchen but we all have masks in our pockets and are used to them so it’s no hardship.

I do love hosting and never want help in the kitchen when cooking as I can get on with it better anyway.