Are you still clapping for the NHS/key workers every week?

[Emcont]

Yabu - No
Yanbu - Yes

No. I've never done it and I never will. Not because I hate the NHS, I don't. I used to work in it and while it is full of idiot dickhead managers, the trust I worked for also had a lot of lovely medical staff who've taken great care of me. But I feel a bit hollow clapping and seeing people like Nigel Farage doing it, along with the curtain twitching and fireworks, put me right off. Some of my friends in the NHS appreciate it. Others don't.

I do like the idea of singing a Cornish song though.

@ArriettyJones There's a similar principle in Judaism, how the best kind of charity is one where neither the giver nor the receiver knows each other. And is done without fanfare.

The thread title, "Are you still clapping for the NHS/key workers every week?", makes the false assumption that I ever did give the NHS clap. A bit like "Have you stopped beating your wife?", there's no yes-or-no answer to it.

The woman organising it round here, with rallying messages in the street's WhatsApp group, is careful to let us know that one of her kids work for the NHS (not in an at-risk rôle) so she is claiming her place as Mother of A Hero.

Yes, we do. Its the highlight of our week. Most of our road comes out. Its the about the only time my DS and I see other people. We all wave, clap and cheer. The children absolutely love it.

We both come back in buzzing. It may not help the NHS but it is bringing the community together and makes us all feel good for a few minutes a week.

I'm not. I'm NHS and still seeing patients, and I and the vast majority of my colleagues find it very awkward. We're not the only people still working and I'm incredibly grateful for the food shop workers, bin men, people who are keeping Netflix running, etc. too.

I also strongly object to the creepy curtain-twitching thing around clapping (thank goodness not on my street) which is seeing people get letters through their door and snarky comments if they don't participate.

I love the NHS and will do all I can to keep it healthy, from professional and personal perspectives. I'll do anything for the NHS, but I won't do clap.

We have tried to where possible but it falls not long after we put our DC to bed so we actually spend that time sat outside her room ready to pounce on the dog and keep him calm as where I live it's become a bit of a thing with people banging pans, blowing trumpets (yes unfortunately the trumpet is next door ) and whooping.

It started out nicely clapping but now the excessive noise sets the dog off barking which then sets the DC off crying. Once she has woke up crying it then takes us the best part of half and hour to an hour to settle her again and usually results in a very fidgety night for her. It's my most anxious moment of the week by far, I hate Thursday evenings now.

I loved the idea of clapping and it was great when people were just clapping, we took the dog outside on his lead with us and he was fine but as it's escalated it's become quite hard work. It's probably exacerbated by the fact we live in a fairly small cul-de-sac so the sound just rattled around the houses.

I don't think we are alone in not joining in, neighbours across the road have a 4 week old baby and they haven't joined for the past couple of weeks (not that I blame them at all, it would have taken more energy than I had to get me clapping at my front door with a 4 week old baby)

@ArriettyJones There's a similar principle in Judaism, how the best kind of charity is one where neither the giver nor the receiver knows each other. And is done without fanfare.

I thought so. Very wise rules to live by.

No I think it was a nice gesture once. Now it makes me cringe.

My friends in the NHS hate it because they have seen a lot of the clappers flouting lockdown rules.

Nope. And I am an NHS key worker. The first week I did find it quite moving. Not as a sign of appreciation, but as the community coming together in the early days of the crisis when on the most part, my local area was like a ghost town, so to hear other people was a little emotional.

It should have stopped that week. Now it's just a bit cringe and really has very little to do with keyworkers or the NHS. Now it seems to just be something to do, make as much noise as possible because it's fun.

And I loathe the judginess inspired by it. Either being judged for not engaging or worse imo, the sneery posts from people saying things along the lines of 'my NDN claps every week but they smoke/drink/are obese, so they're hypocrites' 🙄

No just did it the first time

No. As much as I appreciate the NHS and support in other ways. My teething 10 month old DD is woken every week and refuses to go back down. Couldn't even if I wanted to as I'd have to leave her to cry the whole way through. Which would then wake DS.

Really cant make my mind up about the clapping. I love the community spirit of coming together and appreciating all our key workers. Maybe it could be done earlier so that it doesn't disturb young children.
Or maybe we could all just do something kind for a keyworker. Come on neighbour's how about dropping off some tea and coffee to a local nursing home.
Personally I nice gin and tonic on my door step at the end of three exhausting days would be good. Or perhaps some deodorant as all that PPE makes you sweat. In the meantime be safe and kind

Yes we are - it's become a bit of a community thing where I live. It's nice, but nobody should be shamed for not doing it.

Whoever had their letterbox rattled - that's vv unreasonable. I'd be out there pointedly rubbing it down with alcohol afterwards!

Nope. I'm a nurse who can't bloody stand it, I think it's an empty sentiment.

If we value key workers we would pay them properly and give them adequate PPE. Clapping counts for nothing if those things aren't done.

Writing to your MP is a much better show of support than clapping.

@JemimaShore, it was me who had the letterbox rattled and yes, I did go out & clean it afterwards! 😆😆😆

**I am speaking to a poster who believes it makes her better than her neighbours who don't. To a poster that believes unless you clap in a public place you don't care.

Thats incorrect. As above, if you only care when people are looking, you don't care**

@Peggysgettingcrazy

Wrong. I don’t think I’m better than the neighbours. I assume they are busy/working etc...

I said I find it sad that people are proud to say they’ve never clapped, as it is someone kind of political stance and they won’t be dictated to by the state.

It’s 1 min of your time 🙄 No one sees us FYI- but the people on the estate say it’s lovely hearing the claps etc... so it’s nothing at all to do with self certification, it’s about being part of a wider society and all acknowledging a thank you.

I’ve just clapped in my house. Does that count? DS randomly started clapping too saying he’s clapping for Birdie Friend! 😂

Clapping does nothing. If you want to clap that’s fine. I don’t think that people who clap are “sad.” I think it’s sad that people who think I’m sad for not clapping!

🤷🏻‍♀️

Never clapped for them. And I certainly ain't starting tonight. Its tedious now.

Tomorrow is military spouse appreciation day so I’ll clap for myself.

I’m not anymore. It was a nice idea at first but it feels like too much to do it every week, plus I’m pregnant and normally half asleep on the sofa by 8pm. Everyone else on our street seems to, so hopefully we aren’t being judged too harshly.

@BirdieFriendReturns

Really?! Me too 🤣🤣

No. I found it sincere at first but now I do think it has morphed into virtue signalling.

Quite aside from that my neighbours are about 2 miles away so it would seem a bit pointless. I do appreciate the work the NHS do, despite my non clapping stance.

Did it week 2&3 but then forgot 4 and didn't see point in continuing. I do find it a bit cringe but appreciate others don't. I am a nurse and am secretly glad if I'm on a late shift on Thursdays so I miss it 🙈

@Hunnybears Wrong. I don’t think I’m better than the neighbours. I assume they are busy/working etc...

Do I find it a big shit when no one in the street bothers? Yes. Does it look like they don’t card? Yes imo.

You absolutely do judge. You judge how much they care, by public clapping.

I said I find it sad that people are proud to say they’ve never clapped, as it is someone kind of political stance and they won’t be dictated to by the state.

Nobody is proud that they don't clap. They just aren't ashamed. You said you would rather be proud to clap, than proud not to. Theres no achievement in clapping or not clapping. It just is.

Again, why would you be proud of clapping?

It’s 1 min of your time 🙄 No one sees us FYI- but the people on the estate say it’s lovely hearing the claps etc... so it’s nothing at all to do with self certification, it’s about being part of a wider society and all acknowledging a thank you.

Oh iys only a minute....that changes my mind. Nope.

You are in public. They can hear you and praise you. All your posts say one thing. That unless other people know you are doing it, it doesnt count.

You do it because of how it looks. Thats not showing appreciation. Thats not caring, thats pregendimg to care so you look better.

Not sure why you are pretending you didnt say these things.

Then of course you tried to claim I am against clapping. Which I am not.

You cant rewrite what you said. Its there in black and white. But the back tracking, is at least a sign that your recognise you are wrong.