To still not let kids play out

[tortoiseandtomato]

Just that really. I feel like a totally miserable unreasonable old grumpy woman because just about every kid in our street is out playing with each other. They're a mix of preschool/primary age, from at least 5 or 6 households and being kids social distancing is not exactly top of their agendas. I have a preschooler and have told them that they can't go play. Others are openly laughing at our pearl clutching and I feel like a completely overzealous idiot. Just looking for moral support really. Is anyone else still not letting their kids out to play with other kids? Have I got this totally wrong?

I don't have any DC that age any more but if I did I would be keeping them in too. Hopefully not too much longer.

I have 3.5 year old twins who I have opted in for June 1st school opening...... I have not and will not be letting them mix with other kids up until this point

Social distancing is still advised so I will not be letting my kids play with others as they would just forget the rules in 5 seconds flat.

Do people seriously let their pre-schoolers play out anyway??!

My 15 year old isn't getting near his mates unless school opens so no, I wouldn't be letting him out to play if he was younger either.

You are doing the right thing.

Children can be spreaders, even if they are not as severely affected by the virus as more ancient adults!

Are there other people in the street the sort that have been ignoring the rules so far anyway? If so their children will be spreaders.

I'm not sure my kids would remember to keep 2m apart, so no.

Yanbu. My toddler hasn't seen a single friend all this time and my street is regularly full of children mixing. I know my son isn't at the age where he could 'play out' anyway but it still takes the piss! The parents are all aware. You're not alone.

Mine are playing out, but we have a rota in the street so the kids aren't mixing with other house holds

Mine aren't out and I don't know anyone else who is allowing theirs out either.

I don't think you are wrong, exactly...
(And this situation is making us all grumpy old women).

My kids are older and our (US) rules are different, so it has been possible to do play dates one on one and properly social distanced. The weather has been co-operative, thankfully.

My answer to your question would be, How long do you plan to keep your child from mixing with other children?

How can preschoolers play out do you mean in each others front gardens with adults supervising or something like that?

Thanks all for making me feel slightly less insane, I am feeling very lonely here, guilty about DC and very much doubting myself. @DamnYankee good question. Not forever I hope! I'm working on the assumption that once we get to the next stage in June and nurseries and schools return that the kids can play out again. Really hoping that's not wrong, it's really hard for the DC seeing other kids playing out, I don't want them to have to be alone for much longer.

I didn’t know kids still played out. We used to in the eighties, but I don’t know of anyone who lets their young kids out alone.

Why do they need to play out? Can they be trusted to social distance?

@LettuceP yes, that's what I mean. Quiet cul-de-sac that the kids play in, with supervision.

I thought we are still not to let children mix? I have been keeping mine in.

I didn’t know kids still played out Mine played out every night after school and all weekend. Is that unusual?

@tortoiseandtomato
Please stick to what you feel is right. Children shouldn’t be mixing anyway!
Lots of people were when we kept DC off school a week before lockdown began....and then look what happened- schools closed, full lockdown, thousands of deaths
I remember at the time feeling awful for keeping them off but looking back I’m so glad I stuck to what I thought was right for them

Mine have been out the front occasionally, for very short periods of time to ride a bike/scooter (it’s tricky to take them for a walk as such as you can’t get anywhere without cycling on a very narrow path by a busy road and I also have a toddler in a pram). Our cul de sac is mostly elderly or teenagers so no problems yet. Today another child came out on a bike but I was watching from my front garden, and his parents were watching from his, and they stayed well apart. It was nice actually - the first time they’ve seen another child in 7 weeks! I do realise that the curtain twitchers were probably cursing us though...

I was under the impression they should not be mixing. None of mine have, even the teens.

@SellFridges We live in a village and before Covid my kids played out every day after school and most weekends, unsupervised but there’s a big gang of kids that hang out together and it’s a close-knit village so the community watches out for each other.

No op, you are completely right!

Today another child came out on a bike but I was watching from my front garden, and his parents were watching from his, and they stayed well apart. It was nice actually - the first time they’ve seen another child in 7 weeks!

Exactly. There is a sane way to do this with our school-age kiddos! Nice story!

Children should not be mixing and mine are not going out yet, but I have seen children from different families playing out on our street today, definitely not 2 metres apart!

We are in Ireland and my dd age 10 hasn't been out since lockdown began except for the odd walk with me. There is a girl from her class on our (quiet) road and i think from tomorrow i will let dd play out with her and her sister. Their parents are working from home and are taking social distancing just as seriously as we are do i think it should be safe.