People should give young kids a break?

[Hottoddy1]

So I work as a healthcare professional 3 days per week, husband has an office job he is now having to WFH 4 days per week. We have 3 kids age 6, 3 and 1. We’re now trying to work around having no childcare or grandparent help so I’ve switched to working 1 day in the weekend and husband does other day + working early mornings and late evenings. We have little family time due to this. It’s been tough and I had (swab confirmed because of my job) covid early April, quarantine period and straight back and am only just starting to feel energy levels return.
Anyway we live in a city but luckily near a big wood/nature reserve where one of us takes the kids every day. Although many people are nice and smile some people are really difficult and it’s getting me down. Minor examples are tutting at 6 year old sitting on the grass looking at ladybirds and asking my husband to “get your child away” Most of the people tutting are older and presumably in the vulnerable category.
Yesterday Dh was at an area where the path is relatively narrow and the 3 year old was lagging behind so he was waiting. A woman came past the 3 year old and he pulled the buggy into the side as much as he could but she asked him in an angry way to move on because her husband had cancer. She wouldn’t have had to walk right next to him but it would have been about 1.2 m distance I guess, not the full 2m. He politely pointed out he couldn’t leave the 3 year old and she huffed and puffed and then walked by.
I get that the women and other people are terribly stressed by this and it’s a horrible feeling. We have explained to the children and they try and the 6 year old is really very good. But you cannot expect kids to remember and follow all the rules all the time. If you really feel you are in terrible danger if a child comes within 2m of you why come to a nature reserve in the city in the middle of the afternoon? It’s light until 9.30pm around here; if I’ve been working I often pop out for some air at 8pm and it’s quiet, just one or two dog walkers who as adults are fully able to social distance. It’s shit for little kids this, my 3 year old was in tears when I left for work as he’s worried I’ll get “the virus” he picks up on a lot but doesn’t really understand it so it’s tricky to explain stuff, people ostensibly dashing away from him doesn’t help. So if you’re vulnerable, you have my sympathy but AIBU to say in the middle of the day, give the kids some space and cut us a bit of slack.

Very few. Fewer than 200 people under 40 have died of COVID in the U.K.

Excess deaths in some of the younger age groups are actually lower than usual, presumably due to a reduction in accidents etc.

Well what’s the rush then? They can step back to a safe area stand back and wait until the toddler has looked at the ladybird. Don’t try to paint me as the meanie. Being worried about something does not give you the right to be snippy or downright unpleasant to innocent strangers.

4dcs we have been staying home in the garden for this reason. We have been out three times in the last 8 weeks. Adults are very impatient. There is a little footbridge you have to cross. It's the only way. We were on the bridge crossing. Took maybe 30 seconds and the lady waiting at the entrance for us had a right grump face on and huffing and puffing for waiting literally 30 seconds so we could pass. We got there first. She mumbled something as she went past. So I have her the death stare. We then continue our walk and we encountered 15 cyclists some in pairs on the WALK way. Not social distancing some nearly going into others. People not controlling their dogs. Some one on our local fbook posted yesterday that someone let their dog off and it went for her 3 year old. The lady told the woman to fuck off because her dog has the right to go for a walk. So now.... We stay home not to get away from the virus but to stop ourselves catching stupidity

Op- ignore the people who think you can make a toddler social distance, when even grown adults don't follow it or move out of the way for other people

If other people are vulnerable it is up to them to try and avoid other people and protect themselves, not for other people to protect them. Yes, it would be nice if all people did it but personal responsibility.

When I go on walks, I am conscious of people and I am avoiding thin trails in the woods or cutting through alleyways where people might be coming the other side and you can't maintain social distancing. When I am walking in the street and people are coming in the opposite direction I am forward planning to where I can move to, ie up a drive, cross over road, central reservations in order to not walk past people and I'm not even in a vulnerable group but because of jobs both my dp and I do we aren't able to social distance at work.

TeensArghhh, if you were on that path waiting for your dog to do it's business and this woman walked towards you telling you to move when you were already as far into the side as you could be, then walked past you at a 1.2 metre distance, who you think would have been in the wrong

I wouldn’t be on a narrow path, with or without my dog, if there were other people walking with no room to pass, as per social distancing guidelines.

Had I been with my 2 year old DGS and saw someone heading our way I would have taken his hand, moved him out of the way and allowed him to go back to stand looking at ladybirds when everyone had passed and he was no longer creating an obstruction. Or moved him on to look at something else. For his sake, as well as anyone else’s.

My dog wouldn’t have been crapping on a public path. She uses her toileting space in our garden before I take her out. If I were in the situation you describe I would move the dog on. I would not stand and wait for her to crap if there was someone walking behind me with no room to pass if they needed/wanted to.

I wouldn’t be saying or thinking, “Tough Luck Lady. You’ll have to wait for as long as it takes for my dog to decide to move. Dog is unlikely to get Covid 19, so I don’t care”. That would be very selfish wouldn’t it?

Only on Mumsnet would you find a dog that uses its own private toileting area before going for a walk.

Only on Mumsnet would you find a dog that uses its own private toileting area before going for a walk

Newsflash - Dogs crap in gardens, usually at the same time and in the same place if they are trained to go there. Mine goes as soon as I let her out at 5am. We walk at 6am at the moment so yes she goes before we walk. Problem with that?

If a child can’t social distance what the hell are the parents doing letting her roam around unrestrained? You need to get reigns or at least keep a good grip on her. These aren’t ordinary times - this cute kid may well end up infecting someone else.

My goodness the claws really are out today aren't they?
I have a 3year old and a 10 month old. It's not as easy as people are making out.

"Put 3 year old on reins "- so while I'm holding those reins, how do I hold the buggy with the baby in? I've tried that, absolutely cannot do both at once.

"Put child in buggy" - already got one in there. Soz...

DS absolutely knows the rules, sometimes he does forget and when I call him back he does so.
We already have a buggy board but that defeats the point of exercise in the first place which he desperately needs as he's a ridiculously active boy with no off switch. Keeping him indoors 24/7 would be tantamount to neglect in his case.

None of us are in an ideal scenario. We as all have to muddle through as best we can. None of us are perfect. So let's stop expecting perfection from everyone else.

Also I agree with a previous poster in that if you are in a vulnerable group, you should be the one keeping yourself away from risk. Not necessarily staying in but something like OP said. Going out at quiet times. You can't expect a 3 year old to go out and get their 'exercise' an hour after their bedtime.

I took dd for an epic bike ride this morning, we left at 7.30am and did 8 miles. The last part was up a steep hill and there were lots more people out, I was relieved that for the first time dd practiced social distancing while I made her walk with me (I refuse to cycle up steep hills)!

Yanbu the 2m rule along with everything else is a guideline. There are places where you can’t keep 2m.
Just tell them to jog on and ignore them.

We are surrounded by the unfriendliest people too where we live.
Good luck OP x

Only on Mumsnet would you find a dog that uses its own private toileting area before going for a walk.

Guide dogs are trained to do this, so I'm guessing it is not unachievable for other dogs.