How many of you have broken lockdown rules?

[vulvic]

I'm just wondering. I thought the vast majority had stuck to it but seeing more threads and hearing more stories, it seems there is a lot of people still seeing close family.

Anyway, I'm in the Channel Isles. Still in lockdown but slightly easing.

I'm not interested in shopping, garden centres or more exercise. I'm not even interested in socialising or catching up with friends.
I just want to see my mum.

I think it's badly affecting her mental health now as she was depressive anyway, and my DS is struggling having not seen her for 2 months.

So, I'm just wondering, have any of you still been seeing close family? Or were you sticking to it and now given up and started visiting? Or are you encouraging to stick firmly to it for as long as possible?

I've been a firm sticker to the rules but now starting to feel the negatives are outweighing the positives but still completely paranoid.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

I’m in vulnerable category and not been out whole time. Hubby hasn’t broken the rules

[Vicbarbarkley]

-we’re not supposed to be social distancing in general. We’re only supposed to be observing social distancing when it’s essential that we leave the house and so contact can’t be avoided I.e. at the supermarket.

This is exactly the point I was trying to make, but explained better while I was still faffing with examples.

That all depends on your interpretation of essential.
I think it is essential to visit, and, walk with my dad.
I think it is essential that my dogs are driven to their exercise.

I observe social distancing, always. But I observe it in situations that others may not deem necessary.

I behave responsibly and safely and take great care, but will not adhere to the 'only when essential' line, because it is too subjective.
I have a brain. I can work out what is safe for me and others and what is not.

[Givenupno]

Interesting (to me) that Op is Channel Isles. I am Isle of Man.

We are allowed to visit friends and family in gardens now, not enter houses, no more than two visiting and keep social distance - so am now seeing parents again.

Also no limit anymore on hours out of the house or essential or non essential journey.

Slowly feels like we are getting back to some sort of “new normal” was definitely busy out and about today

[PrincessConsueIaBananaHammock]

Real ones? Just shopping for food quite often and still driving(5 mins away locally) when going as a family to have a walk/play in the fields before they said it was ok anyways.


Made up ones? All of them.

[CoronaMoaner]

Yes stuck to them. At least I will have a clear conscious that I protected my family.
Same here.

[Menora]

It’s not up to you to decide what’s essential the government told us what was essential. It’s not supposed to be open for interpretation

Food
Medicine
Working
Exercise

They do not include ‘seeing people for their mental health’ which seems to be a big one on this thread.

[bettertimesarecomingnow]

Once at the start. I went to see my dp but I haven't seen him now for a very long time ☹️

[ElizaCrouch]

They do not include ‘seeing people for their mental health’ which seems to be a big one on this thread.

It can include those people if they are vulnerable and at risk.

[Serin]

Not a chance would I go to see my Mum, even though its killing me.
She is 87 and I work with Covid positive patients.

[Elmerrrrrrrr]

They do not include ‘seeing people for their mental health’ which seems to be a big one on this thread.

Um actually providing care to vulnerable people was listed as an essential reason. HTH.

[Unravellingslowly]

I’ve stuck to the rules.

My neighbours, all 4 that I share a boundary with, have not stuck to the rules and have multiple visitors.

I’m NHS & I am working wearing mask, visor, gloves and apron.

[Vicbarbarkley]

@Menora so not bothering with an 84 year old, who lives alone with nearest neighbours half a mile away is fine. Because his mental health is of no consequence.

Okay.

My mam died 2 months ago. My dad is on his own. Their are no neighbours.

But sod him. Let him rot eh?

[isabellerossignol]

I broke lockdown to help a friend who had a sudden death in the house and didn't want her child to have to witness the ambulance, police and general chaos that followed it. So her child came to me.

I don't feel guilty about it at all.

[Idontbelieveit12]

Yesterday I took my grandad some shopping, I went in through his back gate and sat at the far end of his yard for a while, it’s the first time I’ve done that. Mental health is still so important. He lost my grandma 2 years ago and has dealt with that by being out and about all the time, lockdown is tough for him. I’d never forgive myself if he committed suicide because he was lonely.

[Menora]

I wasn’t specially talking about elderly bereaved parents, there were multiple comments about seeing friends ‘for their mental health’ that i actually had in mind when I posted. Not elderly vulnerable people who probably can’t go out

[Elmerrrrrrrr]

Menora

So you think younger people who have mental health problems don't matter because?

[Vintagevixen]

I have moved house during lockdown - not against the rules.

Have been delivering DD to see her Dad every two weeks or so, via public transport - not actually against the rules either.

Also sat on a bench in the park many many times eating sweets with DD, metres and metres from anyone. Possibly against the rules, but I can manage my own risk assessment. Often go out the house more than once a day for a little walk.

Been to the supermarket 3-4 times a week - I don't drive so can buy only what I can carry on my back.

[InvisibleToEveryone]

I've had my daughter and 2yo grandson coming round since about week 3/4?

She's a single mum in a 4th floor flat, no outside space.
She'd had enough.

So yes, they've been around a lot now, using the garden and having someone else to play with little one.

And I've been taking them shopping, as she doesn't drive.

[FizzAfterSix]

I think it's pretty awful not to see depressed family members and friends who are on their own.
There are other health threats we must be aware of but nobody seems to care about mental health or other illnesses that are being ignored.
Where is the commonsense?

[Fio2020]

I've stuck to it. But i'm lucky with a garden and walks on my doorstep. I must admit if i saw a family in a park children passing a ball (not playing football) i think if they're being sensible then it's ok. I must admit i fear for those who are at any age isolated in a rented room, having to eat, sleep and survive in the one room. Mental health is very important and there by the grace of god go i with my garden and partner. There is some very silly people out there and if you give them an inch they will take a mile. They are like petulant teenagers.

[AnxiousElephant77]

I've stuck to the rules although I went to Home Bargains today for a spray bottle which couldn't possibly be considered essential. However if you saw the state of my lockdown hair you might forgive me thinking it is.

[notalwaysalondoner]

We’ve stuck to it in that we’ve not gone out except for the four reasons, but we’ve kind of (but not technically) broken it in two respects:

• gone out for long long exercise (walks/rides) or gone out for 2 exercises a day (before anyone shouts, there was never any actual law that said you could only go out once a day or only for an hour, this was people’s interpretation)
  
• my Aunt and separately my cousin came over once each to sit about 5m away in the garden. You could argue this is for their mental health though as my cousin’s little boy was diagnosed with cancer about two weeks ago.

[Lovelydovey]

I’ve sat 2m away from my parents in their garden and had a cup of tea while dropping stuff off for them. Other than that, only out for exercise. Have been working from home, online shopping so very low risk. Was happy to take the risk to see my parents, given that all of us have been very careful and had stayed apart for over 4 weeks so very unlikely to be infectious.

[Ethelfleda]

There have been a couple of days when I went for two walks. And once I went to a shop to get something not essential (masonry paint)

I haven’t seen anyone outside my own household since mid March.

[Straycatstrut]

Me.

Because after a month of isolation I was becoming suicidal stuck in the house with 2 boys, eldest has autism, youngest loves to high pitch scream every 2 minutes, and no other adults. I have no friends so no social media contact either. I almost set the house on fire twice with the kids upstairs due to rushing about doing 5 zillion things, and forgetting about cooking, and I cut myself twice (by accident) doing the washing up, and was seconds away from passing out with stress and fatigue last week. I had to sit outside on the step and bring myself back into the world. I felt so flipping ill and sick it was so scary. 7 and 3 year old boys literally depending on me and my care every second of the day. Light to dark, light to dark. I've already been recovering from all kinds of abuse from my ex, and was doing really well. I was about to start college. This all caused a big U-turn.
I'm a human being and I need protecting too. My boys need a mum since their dad is selfish and all kinds of other disgusting things. My parents come over (we're around the corner) every other day now, for a few minutes at a time 10-15. Mental health is as important and serious as any other illness.

REALLY gets me when people go on about how "easy" it is to sit at home all day. Maybe if you have 2 adults there to help, no kids, 1 kid, or easy kids.

BJ really needs to recognise how masses and masses of vulnerable are at risk here too. We deserve protection as well.