Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Be honest.. how many of you have seen family during lockdown?

289 replies

VodkaCranberry2 · 10/05/2020 13:43

Family from other households... and why? No judgment here!

OP posts:
KeepWashingThoseHands · 11/05/2020 07:23

No

milkysmum · 11/05/2020 07:23

Yes. I'm working full time ( nurse) and my DCs primary school is only open Monday- Wednesday so I've had no option but to send the kids to my sisters on a Thursday and Friday. Realise this is a breach of lockdown but I really don't know what other option I had?

TorqueWrench81 · 11/05/2020 07:36

I’ve not seen family but I got my hair cut by a mate whose house I literally have to drive past to pick up my prescription. Neither of us had seen another human in weeks as we both live alone so I wasn’t really worried about the risk and certainly not what the moaners would say.

yearinyearout · 11/05/2020 07:36

Oh and I’ve ran into my grandad while he’s been walking his dog and I’ve been walking mine, stopped to have a socially distanced chat because he loves alone, but not organised and again respected the 2m distance!

Doesn't make any difference whether it's organised, texting him to say you'll be at the park at 10am isn't going to spread the virus so why not do that? A walk round the park having a chat might just be the thing that keeps him going.

snowybean · 11/05/2020 08:05

Yes. My cousin lives alone next door (yes, my cousin lives next door to me!) so we've been going through lockdown as though we live together.

I saw my brother + sister in law in their garden a few weeks ago. I went around the side. We maintained a good social distance. I had to drop off a car seat amongst other baby things as their baby is due this week.

I've also seen my parents for a socially distanced walk around the neighborhood. That wasn't as odd as I thought it might be.

Other than that, it's all Zoom, Houseparty, Skype and the phone.

Animum2 · 11/05/2020 08:06

I haven't seen my immediate family (mum sis and bro) since 18th March probably just before lockdown, we haven't seen dh family since lockdown started either and there is a bunch of birthdays coming up which will involve travelling but dh family has 2 people with underlying health issues so probably have to leave that

This year just seems to suck

Bargainhuntbore · 11/05/2020 08:13

Yes. My dad.

supadupapupascupa · 11/05/2020 08:21

Yes my in laws collect their shopping once per week from the porch and we have a quick catch up 2 meters apart. On her birthday we did cake for half an hour outside keeping apart

Angel2702 · 11/05/2020 08:21

Yes but only dropping shopping or passing on walks. We haven’t had any social gatherings or visited houses. Other than chatting from end of driveway when we have dropped off bits.

ChocolateTea · 11/05/2020 08:30

My mum and I have delivery/click and collect slots with different supermarkets at different times of the week, so do shopping for each other. We see each other once or twice a week for a few minutes social distancing to drop groceries off. Last week she sat in my front garden in a chair, my kids sat in the porch in a chair, and they chatted. I was worried about her mental health (still am) and if she is wanting to see the kids 2 meters apart for a chat, then I will let her (they're teens). We are all self isolating, no supermarket trips, I'm the only one working out of both households, and I've worked from home since the 23rd March, so our risks are low. And having seen my mum have a mental breakdown before I'm very aware of what's best for her right now might not be full avoidance of each other

DoTheNextRightThing · 11/05/2020 08:40

My father has stopped by the garden a couple of times to drop things off, but that's it. However I'll be seeing a lot of family at my grandmother's funeral this week...

Livingtothefull · 11/05/2020 08:41

No. I see my elderly parents and siblings by Zoom and phone but haven't seen each other since Christmas. I have a disabled DS who cant go to his special college as usual and can't have the carers whom we normally rely on, have been left to get on with it caring for him whilst working from home on a demanding full time job.

There are people in our street who I know are not social distancing and socialising as normal. I regard them in much the same light as I do drink drivers tbh, they are putting others at risk as well as themselves.

Harriett123 · 11/05/2020 08:45

I saw some of my DP family. We were at his mothers funeral which was a week or so into lockdown.
We only had a graveside service with no wake or anything after. We all observed social distancing so no hugging or anything either. Was all a very weird experience.

Astillbe · 11/05/2020 08:48

I see my dad at least weekly when I drop his shopping off (I do click and collect for us both). I go into his house as I carry the shopping in. I also took my youngest dd in with me once as I didn't want to leave her in the car.

I've seen my PIL and SIL three times when they've done a doorstep drop off with Easter eggs and my dd's birthday presents.

My brother once for same reason as above.

An elderly aunt and uncle once, on the doorstep, when I dropped shopping off.

Other aunt and uncle a few times as they live near my dad. Been into their house once (with my children) on my aunts birthday.

My husband has been meeting a friend for daily walks and sees his parents regularly.

I've had to call in to work a couple of times and so have also seen a few work colleagues.

All of the above family live within a 5/10 minute drive away. I feel no guilt about it and I'm fairly certain none of us have or have had Corona. We've been doing this since the start of lockdown and will continue to do so.

Siameasy · 11/05/2020 08:52

Haven’t seen my family since Feb but ILs live minutes away so have seen them whilst walking in the fields and as we are shift workers, occasional child care.

Poppy2807 · 11/05/2020 09:05

No.

Haven't left the house since March 17th, I have heart failure and asthma but not classed as shielded. Don't think my family and friends would have agreed to meet up if I suggested it, they would just have told me it was a bloody stupid idea. 🙄

Sallycinammonbangsthedruminthe · 11/05/2020 09:27

No I havent seen my mum since mothers day ...or my son since then too... I miss my family so much like everyone else and I amdesperate to see them.

mamaduckbone · 11/05/2020 10:21

I've dropped groceries off for my mum as she is 87 and not going out at all. I've stopped for a chat in the garden with her at a distance as she lives alone. Dh also went into her house to change a lightbulb once but she was outside at the time and he didn't touch anything apart from the light fitting! Figured that was a safety issue and essential.
We haven't seen DHs family at all as they are over 2 hours away (they live at the coast so can't wait to be allowed to go.)

thatmustbenigelwiththebrie · 11/05/2020 11:32

I have. Stood two metres apart in our gardens a couple of times.

Raaaa · 11/05/2020 11:35

Yes my mum has had my daughter whilst I WFH and attend antenatal appointments

Neverender · 11/05/2020 11:38

Nope. No one at all..

Moose42 · 11/05/2020 12:06

MIL has dropped some birthday cards round on one occasion, and dropped round something that belonged to DH that he needed on another occasion. She had her DGS who lives with her in tow. They didn’t knock on the door, just let us know when they were coming so we could open the door and get what was left on the drive, and then stayed outside for 10 minutes for a 2m+ socially distant chat. No real visits and none essential trips out (on both occasions they were on the way to do essential shops).

I haven’t seen my family since late February/early March. They aren’t local so even with exercise restrictions relaxed, we won’t be meeting in parks for a chat. I imagine it’ll be a long time before we can :(

wheresmymojo · 11/05/2020 12:10

I haven't

In laws live around the corner and DH has seen them at a distance when either dropping stuff off to them (shopping, things we've borrowed and they wanted back) or picking stuff up (he picked up a power washer).

Roomba · 11/05/2020 12:33

I haven't. My parents are elderly and shielding due to their many health issues. They live over 100 miles away and I've not seen them since Christmas (usually see each other at least once a month where possible). My sister lives nearer, and had a major operation before lockdown began. She's had to recuperate at home, alone. Her MH issues also make it very hard for her to be alone. She's really struggled with things, but has kept well away from anyone else for the sake of her (and their) health.

My next door neighbours' kids and grandkids live on the next street. They can wave to each other from their windows or yell across from their yards. But they've been in and out of each others' houses for the last month at least. Next door have actually had coronavirus! They all got it, but she told me over the fence that she wasn't worried about it at all, as 'everyone we know who's died of it had cancer or bad lungs anyway, so we'll be fine...'

WriteronaMission · 11/05/2020 12:52

Only through Skype/WhatsApp. But we live in another country so not that difficult for us.

I've only got my godparents and a close family friend close by and we haven't seen them since lockdown. Both godparents are elderly with underlying health conditions. Their daughter did move in with them to become one household to look after them though since she wasn't out at work. The family friend is taking lockdown very seriously as she's in the older age group but not health conditions.

We've actually not left the house except to take the dogs for a walk, do the grocery shopping and for DG to go to work. Our rules have been as strict as the UK (nothing about amount of times we can exercise) but even though none of us have felt I'll there's no point risking others in case we are carrying it.

Swipe left for the next trending thread