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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

‘Treating isolation like a holiday’

253 replies

Theyearofthestress · 28/03/2020 16:01

Everyone is so angry and it’s doing my head in! Taking the mick out of people ‘treating this as a holiday’ because they’re doing their house up, or some gardening or god forbid have a bbq when the weather is nice.

Why are some people so keen to pounce on everyone and tell them they aren’t doing quarantine right? Haven’t we got enough to worry about? It is shit times for everyone, lots have lost their jobs, have huge changes to routine, worried for their health, kids are confused, adults are scared- why is it so wrong to try and make the most out of a shit situation?

We can’t go outside, so people are doing the right thing by staying in yet online everywhere are people complaining ‘Dave next door is treating this like a bloody holiday, with his gardening’ even a news article I read today condemned people who would have a bbq right now.

It’s like we should sit inside in silence in order to be doing this right.

I wish everyone would shut up moaning about other people, if you are staying inside you are doing the right thing. So AIBU to do whatever I can to pass the time, be it gardening, bbqs, painting... anything and tell others to mind their own business?

OP posts:
SamSeabornforPresident · 28/03/2020 16:02

YADNBU

TiredMum10 · 28/03/2020 16:05

Wow who do you know that's telling you this??
I hear the exact opposite- that it's time to do all the things you couldnt do, family time, sort the house out etc.
You must know some very odd people.

mayandjuniper · 28/03/2020 16:07

I've not seen that, but how ridiculous! As a single parent I cried when lockdown was introduced, knowing I wouldn't speak to another adult for weeks, and knowing isolation has been an issue for my mental health in the past. Decorating is at least giving me something to focus on!

MulberryPeony · 28/03/2020 16:10

A b&q/wickes worker on here I think told everyone to stop shopping for paint for one thing. Other people are being told off for ordering clothes etc.

browzingss · 28/03/2020 16:12

I haven’t heard anything like that

The BBQ thing may stem from social media, a police force posted how they broke up a BBQ and dispersed a large gathering of guests and how the police were shocked people could be so stupid (paraphrasing).

Summersun77 · 28/03/2020 16:13

Totally ridiculous OP, I agree with you. Things are really rubbish at the moment so being productive or doing whatever fun things we can will keep you going! Although there’s currently another thread saying nobody should ever had a bbq because it’s selfish and inconsiderate so you’ll always have people moaning and being negative Grin

Yellowbutterfly1 · 28/03/2020 16:14

There were a couple of people on a local Facebook page laying into people who had ordered a pizza to be delivered.
To be fair they were complaining that they were having to wait so long for the delivery but they were laying into them saying that they should have never ordered a pizza as it was not ‘essential’.

Some say we should order things online to help the economy and keep people in jobs and others say you shouldn’t as it’s not essential

ilovecakeandwine · 28/03/2020 16:15

As long as your staying home you can do what you want .
I could do with some painting but I'm not going to b &q

Hollybollybingbong · 28/03/2020 16:16

Absolutely do whatever makes the time bearable, why not learn something new, enjoy a hobby, the sunshine, being healthy and fortunate enough to do things you enjoy.
Also, don't, if that makes it more bearable for you, no one has the right way or wrong way to get through this, we have to do what's right for ourselves whilst following the advice given.
I'm working from home so am as busy as ever, whenever someone mentions using the time to learn something new I feel a pang of jealousy, then give myself a bloody good talking to because there are many thousands that wish they were still working.

ElaineMarieBenes · 28/03/2020 16:29

Me & DH are in lockdown (in another country where rules are much stricter I’m pleased to say). I have a DC living in the centre of Madrid and another in London who has lost his job. We are all enjoying life as best we can in the circumstances - don’t see it helps anyone not to?

UnaCorda · 28/03/2020 16:30

I think it's extremely inconsiderate to use noisy power tools at the moment when everyone is mainly stuck at home with cabin fever (or coronavirus fever), but otherwise if people are keeping themselves busy and not hurting others what's the problem?

BruceAndNosh · 28/03/2020 16:32

I wish we'd had at least 24 hours notice of lockdown.
I would have bought paint, and garden plants, and a 5000 piece jigsaw

Sapphiresunrise · 28/03/2020 16:32

Exactly. People will always, always find a reason to moan, whinge, criticise you or have a go. Always.
As long as it isn't breaking lockdown rules (which it clearly isn't), just literally tell them to do one and mind their own f'ing business. If it's on social media, just block them.
One advantage of this is that it's easier to distance ourselves from certain people.

adaline · 28/03/2020 16:33

YANBU at all. I've seen it on here a few times.

What's the point in sitting about wallowing? It won't change anything or make the situation go away. Best to make the most of it imo.

GabsAlot · 28/03/2020 16:33

course theres nothing wrong as long as u dont make trips out to buy all the stuff

Sapphiresunrise · 28/03/2020 16:33

I think the whingers want us to just sit in bed and stare at the wall the entire time.

BelfryBat · 28/03/2020 16:35

What are we supposed to do, sit in and bite our nails? I'm spring cleaning. Next week, when it's warmer, I'll be gardening.

peachesandclean · 28/03/2020 16:35

This is not directed at you, or people having bbqs in their garden, or sunbathing in their garden, it's directed at the continuous groups of people who are BBQing and hanging out in public, and not doing what they're being told to do

Makeitgoaway · 28/03/2020 16:36

Yes I don't know how me painting the bathroom ceiling is more likely to spread disease than being miserable on the sofa.

Or why I can't enjoy my daily walk. Does smiling mean I'm more likely to spread something?

watermelongalore · 28/03/2020 16:37

My only beef is that my work have put 60% of staff on furlough and topping up the 20% and expect the rest of us 'essential' staff to pick up the others' work and keep the buisness going.

I have been run of fmy goddamned feet. And I earn £19 k a year. I am expected to do my regular job, plus take on the jobs if 2 colleagues as much as possible,

So- yes, i get a little shitty at the idea of some colleagues facebooking about the movies they are watching when i am truly knackered. i said to my line manager on Thursday 'will we get say extra annual leave or a bit of a bonus for these weeks / months? ' I would be happy happy with just some additional annual leave to be honest. My line manager said that he was sure our MD and CEO will be very grateful to us, but not to expect anything concrete.

GuyFawkesDay · 28/03/2020 16:38

Yes, there's nothing wrong with spending time and energy enjoying your own home, surely.

Frankly, my garden is my sanity saviour. Planting seeds, potting on etc is giving me a sense of purpose, and it's a very mindful and hope filled activity. It's good for the soul.

As long as you are obeying the rules and not pudding off the neighbours having loud music on etc, then people need to do what works for them

StarUtopia · 28/03/2020 16:41

I'm probably just jealous. I would love to be doing up the house or the garden, but we have lost nearly all of our income overnight. I'm merely worrying about how I will afford the direct debits and food over the next few months.

There will be a lot of people who are genuinely annoyed by people bragging about doing their house up!

Mysterian · 28/03/2020 16:44

I noticed at work just before lockdown that it really made the separation between positive and negative people extremely obvious. I was talking about entering a writing competition and learning a new language with my involuntary time off, whereas some could only talk of bad things happening. And the more positive I got the more it annoyed them. Screw them. Veg plot weeded. Script started.

Buenas noches! x

randomer · 28/03/2020 16:44

Anybody that can find the motivation to do something, anything ,deserves praise.

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 28/03/2020 16:45

We jet washed the decking (ready to be re-painted) neighbour came out shouting... we were wetting his garden.... it was raining Grin he's never been in his garden for the XX years have lived here

I've also decorated ds bedroom (no option we had a burst pipe which ruined his bedroom)

DH is going to paint the hall way, and regrout the whole bathroom... Clear out the loft and cupboards, also this weekend we are going through all the drawers to declutter.

We are not a family who just sits on there arses doing nothing.

We will also be having a BBQ, why not, should we all sit awaiting death because MrDoom says we should... Hmm