No social bubbles

[octoberbundle]

Reports are looking like there won't be social bubbles any time soon. Just needed to vent, have been focusing on this to get me through, the idea that my mum could come visit and stay with me, both to see her and help look after my baby and three year old so I can work easier. Absolutely gutted that it looks like this won't be happening any time soon 😢

Social bubbles would be a nightmare to be fair, they'd cause so much stress in regards to who you ''allow'' in to the bubble. & worry for people like me who don't have family outside of my household but do have friends (some of whom I am very close to) but their 'bubble' would be their family members (rightly so!).

I feel it would be much easier if we were allowed to meet in groups of up to 10. Or maybe even meet 1 other household at a time.

I thought it was groups of 10 people?
Social bubbles will be a nightmare... what if you pick ‘Tracy and Allan’ but they pick ‘Vicky and Steve’

There is no reason she can't come and stay as long as she isn't going back and forth. Could you merge households when you go back to work?

Social bubbles would cause so much aggro. Like picking teams for school sports.
What if you have no people for your bubble?

I was thinking today how convenient it is that CV lockdown coincided with nice weather.
All this ‘meeting one other person outdoors’ would be a bit different in December. 🥶

Why are you waiting for the government to tell you what you can do? They clearly have absolutely no idea!

I am seeing my daughter and grandchildren from this week because my daughter is a teacher and apparently has to go back to work so will need childcare which my OH and I are happy to provide. Do your own risk assessment and decide if you both think it's safe to see each other - there's no magic 'safe' time that the government will let us know about

I think social bubbles are hard for the police to monitor

Have you thought about getting your mum to move in? (Unless she's shielding )

I'm allowing my mum (71) to sit in my garden only at 2 metres away to socialise with me, also my dad who lives alone. If my parents need the toilet I literally disinfect everywhere first before they're allowed in. They don't go to shops, only for walks.
I've been seeing my sister throughout but not hugging her, as we both shop, work (although I'm now signed off) & live alone, I have serious MH problems so she likes to keep an eye on me. We both feel that the benefit to each other outweighs the risk.

I'm meeting a work colleague for a socially distant walk and sit in the park on Friday. Her suggestion.

I went to my uncles funeral last Wednesday & didn't hug my aunt or my dad although I wanted to. As I've been out shopping etc. and they've been self isolating.

I feel happy with what I'm doing whether it's a social bubble or what I have no idea.

The press are being disingenuous with this.
On page 36 of the 50 page document it says it’s going to be strictly one other household at first when it’s allowed. There’s a star next to it and on the page or second page below it’s really clear it’s only going to be household A and B, and B cannot then mix with a household C.
So it’s really going to cause problems! I read the 50 page document because I was so sick of the media giving false hope

Is that not happening now then?

Social Bubbles make no sense - but you're right in that the lack of any explanation of when and how family and friend groups can meet and in what circumstances is appalling. You're just wrong to fixate on "social bubbles" as that solution, it's really not a solution.

The government narrative is just so bad, and supported by a media looking for fixes and hacks has led to this.

As to moving your mum in to help, why not, you are entirely within the law and spirit of the lockdown to move her in with you until the "lockdown" ends, that can't be that long now.

Sorry should of elaborated it says on page 36 it’s going to look to allow people to extend their household group to expand to include one other household in an exclusive group. This is in phase 2 which starts in June

Maybe not social bubbles but parents are now free to relocate to seek childcare like Cummings did so I guess you could go and stay with your mum or vice versa.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/27/parents-free-to-relocate-to-seek-childcare-like-cummings-did-says-minister?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Gmail

I visited a friend in her garden yesterday as it was her birthday. She had already socially distanced her garden chairs , I took a bottle of water to drink, and stayed for a couple of hours it felt naughty !
Came home when I needed the loo 😀

I wouldn't like social bubbles - impossible time choose between close family on each side, and just doesn't work if you try to take into account the wants of your whole household.

Small groups outside, rather than just one at a time, would be better.

ThoughI am looking forward to when we can stay over somewhere as then I can visit family.

Though I am breaking the rules this afternoon as both my parents are visiting, and they will come for a walk with me, dh and teen Dd. They'll also have a drink in the garden and share a bbq with us. They've been at my nana's funeral this morning and had to drive 3 hours to do so. So figured an extra half hour drive to us is worthwhile. I'm
The one most at risk as clinically vulnerable and they're under 70, and I'm willing to take the risk myself.

We've a downstairs toilet and if my ostentatious want to use that 5'theu can

Bring your mum to stay with you now. It's for childcare, it's ok.

We had 3 family members over at the weekend for a bbq in the garden. Two of them are vulnerable (in terms of mental health) and DH and I used our instinct and best judgement, which is apparently now ok, and decided that the benefits for everyone's mental wellbeing including ours, far outweighed any risk. I felt far safer in my own controlled environment than when I go shopping in Morrison's.

Just wait for an announcement , the press coverage is just a series of speculations at the moment and they often get it wrong

My mum came to visit me this morning, sat on the garden wall while I sat on the doorstep so over 2m apart. She even brought her own cup of tea in a travel mug and we had a lovely long chat. I feel happier than I have in weeks.

If my parents need to use the toilet they can use the downstairs toilet. I will clean it fully when they've gone. The rest of us can use the other toilets today.

We've all been pretty good during lockdown and have been social distancing throughout. When we've met with anyone previously it's been at a distance too.

But it's the day of the funeral. This is the second funeral we've dealt with during this time. It's bad enough we can't attend today's but I am not going to not see my parents when they are so close!

Just do it.

It is essential child care

Do your own risk assessment and make it is as risk free as it can be. If she is staying with you then it is a merge of households anyway and is allowed

Unless you have total aresholes for neighbours - no one will care at all.

I think they think that policing social bubbles is too difficult so one they open the door, everyone will just rush out and socialise wildly with as many people as they life.

I understand this concern. But frankly, right now I'm struggling to see how that is our problem. I think they have to give us some guidelines and hope for the best. A potential solution to me seem to be:

You can only see one other family/friend group at a time and, possibly, you have to have at least a few days between visits. Still hard to police, obviously, but assuming most people want to be compliant, it's manageable.

Social bubbles would be a nightmare, I was thinking about this earlier (I'm shielded so won't apply to me anyway I guess) but I don't really see much family, husband has a large family but not all would be people we would see. My best friends are the people I would choose to see but they rightly would choose family.

I would just like to be able to sit in my garden with social distance and have a good chat and natter, the shielding guidelines say I can sit on my doorstep as long as I am 2 metres from the neighbours but I can't sit outside in my garden 2 metres away from a best friend. Its so confusing and I just can't see the difference at this stage. (my best mate lives 30 seconds away so can use her toilet)

If your mum has been shielding and very careful, can she not join your household for a while?

I am not seeing my mum as she is older and lives in a house with other vulnerable people so it wouldn't work for us, but I don't need childcare like you do.

I think the gov't basically said if you have children you have to do your best to comply but if you can't you can't, I would risk assess your mum and you and then make a decision.

We’re looking after our grandson one day a week. Both his parents have to go back to work but both work alone at their respective jobs. I’m not going anywhere other than walks outside at the moment.

DH is back at work but can socially distance.

The government have shown themselves to be utterly untrustworthy when it comes to risk. I’m not a conspiracy theorist in the slightest - I just think they’ve exaggerated the risk. Possibly to counteract the percentage of people who bend the rules to suit themselves. Who knows.

I won't be adbiding by this and will socialise with anyone who wants to socialise with me. This ridiculousness needs to stop.