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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

The clapping, please make it stop.

546 replies

orangejuicer · 09/04/2020 20:02

Is it just every week we are in lockdown or is that it forever and we have become a nation of clappers? Do I need to move?

OP posts:
BeingATwatItsABingThing · 10/04/2020 08:27

DH and I are both key workers but both working from home at the moment because I’m in an ‘at risk’ group. Neither of us use the designated shopping hours because we can shop at any time of day.

Macncheeseballs · 10/04/2020 08:29

2 people in my street have been in hospital with the virus. Are they allowed to clap?Hmm

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 10/04/2020 08:30

Posted too soon

We don’t want people to clap for us. The NHS are doing much more of a vital role for the country at the minute and I would rather everyone focus their attention on them but in a practical way. Donate money, support them practically (food runs, volunteering, etc.)...

hannabarbera · 10/04/2020 08:34

I’ve not been clapping and certainly won’t start.
Wales is singing the National anthem on Monday at 8pm. I’m a proud welsh woman but WTF? I aint singing and looking like a twat.

Original poster
orangejuicer · 10/04/2020 08:38

Hanna, I'm also in Wales. Can you guess what I'll be doing? Grin

OP posts:
CanICelebrate · 10/04/2020 08:47

I think it’s great. My area is probably considered a bit posh and quiet and most of my neighbours are usually very reserved. It’s lovely to see them all out clapping and cheering. Mine are the only young dc on the street and they loved it to. 3 of their aunts are front line nhs staff and the dc feel like they are cheering for them, which is touching as we can’t see them at the moment.

Livingoffcoffee · 10/04/2020 08:47

I thought it was so cringe when I first heard about it, but I'll admit the first night I found it really emotional and loved how it brought so many people "together".

But every Thursday? Come on now.
What's that achieving?

I'm American now living in the UK so I really really really appreciate how amazing the NHS is. But support them by voting for parties which will fund them. Support them by donating. Support them by not taking advantage and going to a&e for a stubbed toe.

Not banging pots & pans once a week to try and absolve yourself from doing anything productive.

Menora · 10/04/2020 08:48

I’m NHS and I don’t clap I hide indoors cringing
It’s a nice gesture but I feel uncomfortable about it and don’t join in or much like it

Umnoway · 10/04/2020 08:50

I’m largely just ignoring it, I don’t think my area is partaking really so it’s just the internet.

cologne4711 · 10/04/2020 08:54

t’s wonderful you have such high opinions of yourselves but maybe think about removing the stick from your backsides and do something nice for others

So it's fine for you to force your views on others, but not ok for them to decide to do what they want to do. Might actually be a bit more useful to donate money to an NHS or foodbank charity if you can afford it. If you can't afford money, but are well, maybe go and donate blood. Also more useful than clapping.

If you want to clap, clap. If you don't, don't.

This is just like the poppy thing where people are shamed for not buying a poppy. Bog off with your virtue signalling and trying to twist things so the people who don't clap are the selfish unreasonable ones.

exLtEveDallas · 10/04/2020 08:55

I hope nobody on this thread has called out the police on their neighbours' parties - without clapping for them too!

On of my neighbours did a ‘leaflet drop’ asking more people to get involved in the clapping. Very passive aggressive, and “such a shame that people aren’t getting involved and are even turning off their lights and pretending they are in bed”

  1. It’s an elderly neighbourhood, every other house on my street has at least one 80-90 year old living there. Yep, they may well be in bed at 8pm and if they aren't, they might not want to stand on their doorsteps clapping - I know I don’t.
  1. Same neighbour has called the police, twice, because they have seen “two people breaking in to a neighbouring house”. The two people are carers, attending twice a day to our lovely elderly neighbour. They then come to our house and give me/DH a list of anything that he needs (we asked them to do it). Police came and spoke to us about it. I firmly believe it’s because both carers are black and the Policeman did the “mmm-hmm” nodding without agreeing thing when I said that.

Tossers.

EricaNernie · 10/04/2020 09:09

www.facebook.com/theguardian/videos/214499209811321/

see this though

LonelyFromCorona · 10/04/2020 09:19

Mixed bag on my estate. I did it first two times for NHS, but not this week. My street only has about 3-4 houses out of the 15 or so in visible sight doing it. On local FB groups there are vids of some streets where seemingly almost everyone is doing it.

One lady commented that on her street the shared ownerships turned out but nobody else. What a strange thing to observe? A couple other comments and vids suggesting the social housing are more committed to the cause

Thehop · 10/04/2020 09:21

@Thuglife the irony that they’ve disturbed a nurse who needs to rest whilst cheering for the nhs will be lost on them.

Thank you to you and all your colleagues you’re amazing. (I’m not a clapper but I am very grateful)

Bakingbaking · 10/04/2020 09:24

It's the BBC. They are telling people at 8 o clock to go outside and clap. They put a section on TV at 8. It's fine it's nice but it's a bit hypocritical that now there's a pandemic we have to clap. Yet if you don't clap you are criticised too.

MigginsMs · 10/04/2020 09:30

You don’t have to partake but it’s only a few minutes once a week, it can’t be that disruptive .

1forsorrow · 10/04/2020 09:30

There are NHS workers on this thread telling us how much they love it, feel appreciated by it and people are still saying it’s pointless. And some NHS workers are on saying they don't like it, don't do it, find it cringey. Each to their own. Two of my kids are frontline and they say they don't like it and they think Tory voters are hypocrites when they have kept them short of money and resources for years, they are also entitled to their own opinion. They also tell me that none of their colleagues like it. On the other hand my DIL, also front line NHS, does like it. You can't please everyone can you.

So if you want to do it for the NHS workers who like it then great get on with it but accept that some NHS workers don't like it and people who don't do it might be doing things to support the NHS without needing to stand outside advertising the fact.

AuntieMarys · 10/04/2020 09:32

Our local neighbourhood's FB group are getting very arsey with people who don't do it.

DoTheNextRightThing · 10/04/2020 09:36

This is probably so petty, but my next door neighbours (through the wall, semi-detached house) are total arseholes and I just don’t want to stand in the garden with them giving them the opportunity to unleash their arseholery at me.

Lindy2 · 10/04/2020 09:39

We went outside and clapped.
We waved a some neighbours (including the family of an ITU nurse).
We smiled.
We felt a bit happier for a little while.

It's 1 minute once a week. I feel sorry for those who can't feel a little uplifted by a small gesture of appreciation.

I agree clapping alone isn't what the NHS needs but it isn't the only thing communities are doing is it. In my area people are 3D printing visors, sewing masks and scrubs, making sure the vulnerable have food, donating anything they have that others say they need. It's a community coming together and clapping together is part of that.

BirdandSparrow · 10/04/2020 09:49

People who say it's cringey, I don't really understand that. What makes it cringe? People displaying emotion? I'm in Spain and it's every night. Granted, where I am at least, there's no pot banging or fireworks. It's a bit of music one of the neighbour's speakers, usually the Spanish version of I will Survive, a minute's clapping and, now it's Easter and all the religious parades have been canceled, Easter procession music after for a bit. Nobody is out mixing because we're not allowed out, haha. Next week I expect it'll be I will survive, clapping for a minute and pop music.
I don't always do it but I think it's a lovely way to feel connected to others when we can't even go for a walk. It makes me feel emotional. All those people dying alone except for the Healthcare workers looking after them.
How is that cringey?

Greenpop21 · 10/04/2020 09:51

@1forsorrow what if the clappers are Labour voters? Stop generalising. Some people love to feel superior. I clap because I feel pretty useless. I also vote Labour and donated to the NHS charity fund. I felt it was a nice thing to do and it was lovely to see my neighbours coming together and giving each other a wave. I don’t judge anyone that doesn’t come out, they might not agree, be busy, be working , be clapping inside or have forgotten.
I think that’s probably what the majority of clappers are feeling.

fascinated · 10/04/2020 09:52

Experience shows that the shared housing on our street is generally less bothered about not making noise!

Menora · 10/04/2020 10:36

I don’t know why it’s cringy but I find it very cringy.
We all appreciate and support our colleagues and I just find clapping them patronising perhaps? Each to their own. Clap if you want, or don’t!

peaceanddove · 10/04/2020 10:41

*If you really want to support the NHS, do so now & in the future. That means stay in now to avoid spreading the virus, and while you’re about it get healthy- give up smoking, lose weight, eat healthily, cut back on alcohol. Lifestyle choices cost the NHS a huge amount & the money just won’t be available now.

Adopting a better lifestyle now will be a lot more helpful than clapping. It just doesn’t have that feel good factor .... and no applause.*

This is exactly right and so true. But making healthy life choices, exercising more and losing weight all require a lot of effort and commitment so people can't be arsed with all that. But they're very happy to stand on their doorstep and yell and bang saucepans because that actually requires piss all effort but allows people to fool themselves that they're helping.