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

[VodkaCranberry2]

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

No. One visit to vulnerable mother in law, back garden, more than 2 metres apart.

I haven’t posted this to give anyone a ‘good kicking’. I too have ‘broken the rules’ and now feel really bad about it. New mum to a 4 week old and my family have been isolating and have no symptoms. High risk for PND and have been struggling. Had been isolating from 34 weeks and had a complicated pregnancy and csection. Partner goes back to work in a supermarket full time next week. Spoke to my health visitor as was really struggling and she advised us to see family now before partner goes back to work, so we had one visit to my parents and sat in the garden, and one visit to my in-laws and sat metres apart as they have a huge field as a garden. Feeling awful and anxious about it now and wish we hadn’t even though we’d been encouraged to do so. Going back to isolating now because it’s just not worth the anxiety and feel bad for breaking the rules but my partner and I felt like we needed some support because we were both cracking.

No, some are not in the UK and those that are here are not local (at least 1.5hrs away)

I have been to the farm where I keep my horse daily (allowed) and have seen the other liveries at a distance and spoken to neighbours over fence. Those are the only face to face interactions we’ve had (all shopping delivered).

My DH’s grandmother died and he’s not even seen anyone from that side (no funeral).

Yes, my mum dropped some shopping off at our last week so she sat in her car and chatted to my kids who stood in the doorway for 15mins and this week we dropped some shopping off at hers so we sat in the car and she stood on the other side of her garden gate

Nope, haven’t seen parents in law even though they live 500 metres away - DC are at key worker school so don’t want to risk infecting shielded FIL.

I don't want to be an exception and have tried to stick to the rules in order to do what can be done to avoid spreading the virus too quickly.

However, not all systems have been in place for the vulnerable - so I have delivered food to my parents (45 mins drive away) when they were unable to get deliveries (this was despite their 'shielding letter').

They had been managing for some days on odd combinations from left-over tins and this did not seem reasonable or healthy.

I now take food to them whenever they can't get a delivery slot. (The rest of the family works at booking one of these for them.)

@FeelinFagin
That's so sad, hope you get to spend time with your dad soon.

Yes have seen family as we work together.

Nope, neither DH or I have seen our families since the lockdown began.

Don’t beat yourself up OP, cut yourself some slack. Being a new parent is hard. It’s uncharted territory and there is no handbook in normal circumstances let alone this one. I think what you’ve done sounds sensible, doesn’t sound like there is much cause for concern re corona as you sat far apart. Congratulations on your new baby

No. I haven’t seen my elderly parents for 2 months now. Dad has dementia and my mum is clearly very lonely and stressed caring for him with no respite or really company. We speak on the phone several times a week but it’s not the same.

Though having now seen streets full of unrelated people apparently maintaining 2m from each other just to have a sing song I really don’t see why I shouldn’t go and check on my parents and sit in their garden for a chat. I suppose the difference is I will have to drive to do so. But then you can drive to exercise according to some police forces. It is a dogs breakfast of a policy and so inconsistently enforced that I am sick of being the good guy and leaving my parents on their own like this

Hi @1Wildheartsease I just wanted to let you know that I managed to get online deliveries as a vulnerable person when I was pregnant despite not having a letter, by emailing Mike Coupe, the CEO of Sainsbury’s a couple of times explaining my situation. His email is on Google. Sainsburys called me a couple of days later and set me up as vulnerable home delivery, and I’ve been able to get weekly slots. Might be an idea?

No but they live over 400 miles away. I would normally be about to visit them for half term and would have seen them at Easter though.

Nope

Seen my dm couple of times a week but we sit outside her window while she sits indoors (we also take her shopping).

My parents, FIL and Sister as they all live within walking distance and I've observed social distance each time. I cant accept that I can go to the supermarket safely and socially distance but cant do that with loved ones.
DH is cleaning and shopping for FIL so is having to go into the house, I have stayed in the garden as have DC.

We have seen one adult DC and their family and chatted outside. We were at the front door and they were on the drive. That's happened 4 or 5 times. Two DS have dropped shopping off and we've had a few mins chat. No one had been in the house or garden. The other families re not local so we have used the portal to keep in touch.

We have spoken to both neighbours over the garden fence. DH hasn't been out at all I've have been out for a few walks when it's quiet.

No, 8 weeks now. mum is about 80 km away. If she lived nearby I would probably have gone once and stood at the end of the driveway or something, although I'm not sure as she is over 70 with underlying health issues so Im not sure I'd doeven that.I definitely wouldn't judge people if they feel they need to, there was a lady on here the other day and she definitely wasn't coping, and I'm lucky to have anti social children(honestly!!!), I think for some people their MH has to come first

Vodka Even during normal times a new baby would be fraught enough! I do empathise - but as I see it everyone is making more or less a reasonable trade off. I queued way more than 2m spaced apart to get into the supermarket earlier this week but once in people were behaving as though social distancing didn't exist. Even during my walk a day many runners crossed paths with me and I've read they do leave a trail of particles in the air. So whilst I think most people aren't breaking the rules, the way things are set up it would be nigh on impossible to literally be locked up inside 24/7 till it's all over.

To pick up essential supplies I have briefly once every 2 weeks

Yes. Daughter visited our large garden. Came straight into garden, not through house, brought her own glass and drink, went for a wee at

end of garden behind tree, and sat on a garden seat that no one else uses and at a distance of more than 2m. She was only in the garden. She was dropping off shopping at same otime. Yes, it broke the rules but seemed sensible enough. Other than that we are hardly leaving the house as can exercise more safely at home.

Not seen in laws or newly born neice.
I see my parents once a week when I drop off shopping. Them at the door and me standing at the top of the driveway.

I do agree with the lockdown but when you read on here about people not seeing parents who haven't got long left or those that are really suffering due to isolation it does seem tempting when there are others who are acting like everything is normal5

No, as we'd have to drive to get there, albeit only half an hr. Getting increasingly fed up with neighbours who have family driving over and staying overnight after VE day parties, when we don't feel we can visit our elderly parents. On a close of 5 houses, the 2 which have a constant stream of family/mates visiting are the 2 owned by the NHS workers

No, but we have no family locally. My parents live very rurally a couple of hours away and have a huge garden and lots of land, and if we lived a short distance from them we probably would have gone to 'see' them, as in spend time at a safe distance in the garden, more than 2m away.

Just rtft OP congratulations and and . You did what you had to, everyone's situation is different. Hugs