to think that children aren't people...

[BumpBundle]

My son is 11mo. We were planning on having a birthday party for him inviting my parents, my sister and BIL, my SIL and her husband, four godparents and MIL and FIL. We're thinking a picnic so we're outside, can bring our own food and maintain social distancing.
Obviously this is too many people - only being allowed up to 6. However, it would work quite well to do three separate picnics.

1. My mum, my dad, my husband, me, my sister, my brother in law = 6 people.
2. Four godparents, my husband, me = 6 people.
3. My sister-in-law, her husband, my father-in-law, his wife, my husband, me = 6 people.

Unfortunately, this perfect plan is somewhat scuppered if we allow my son to attend his own first birthday party. AIBU to have seven people if one of them is only one year old, from our household and obviously will be socially distanced from the others?

Please remember that your DC is only a person when you want them to be. So in this case, he isn't a person. Neither is he a person when booking flights, reserving tables in restaurants, attending weddings etc. The only time he becomes a person is when someone asks you to keep his noise down in a cafe, when he gets in someone's way in the supermarket or when faced with any 'no children' rule that you don't particularly like. At these times, he automatically becomes a person with the same rights as anyone else.

Was there not some vague caveat somewhere about not going mad and meeting too many different households in quick succession?

Oh God is football back? I hate it with a vengeance. The beginning of the second wave unless they can keep the drunken louts away.

Are you Dominic Cummings?
Do the rulz not apply to you because you're speshul?

Do what you like...everyone else is now

Tbh, in my own garden, I'd have one gathering of the family - 10 people plus baby - and then do something with the godparents separately.

If it's in a public park, the whole lot of you could all coincidentally happen to be in the same park at the same time and happen to put your picnic blankets down near each other.

Probably safer in your garden where you've got access to running water, non-public toilet and hand wash.

Yes I think it's okay. The only thing I'd query is the godparents - to me that just seems unnecessary in these times and would potentially be exposing yourself to up to 4 extra households? I'd stick with your parents and sister and then your DH family.

Sounds fine to me. I can’t believe some of the sour grapes. Op is finally able to allow her extended family to see her baby and wants to celebrate this with a party for him.

As for 3 parties, I imagine if there weren’t rules, you’d have one party.

The baby is an extension of you, so doesn't really count.

Like on an aeroplane or at the theatre. Babies in arms don't count.

Here in pedantsville they count when it comes to fire regulations about maximum capacity in a room misses the point of the thread

I agree. A child doesn't count. That is how I'll be interpreting the 'rules'. Anyway you probably won't be able to see them without your glasses on.

I think the spirit of the rules was to meet one other household with up to 6 people (humans so includes children) at a time. What you are suggesting for one of those picnics is 3 sets of adults from 3 different households I assume. It's stretching the spirit of the rules.

The baby is an extension of you, so doesn't really count.
🤣🤣

I guess the only unreasonable thing to me is making such a fuss over a baby's first birthday, but hey... I guess from an epidemiology perspective the infant wouldn't significantly raise the odds of infection, given his infectious state is probably (at worst) identical to his parents.

Just make sure you don't play pass the baby... (how are you planning to socially distance a mobile baby from the rest of the party, by the way? He could become a super-spreader if he goes and pats everybody and puts everything in his mouth...)

Just do it OP and don't over think it.

It's strictly against the rules but I'd do it because I can't see the reasoning behind 6 as opposed to any other number.
If you were over the border in Scotland you could have 8 without breaking the rules but it's not inherently safer or riskier, just a different set of rules.

Why are you asking? Because you think it’s ok and want us to tell you its ok so you feel justified enough to do it? Or because you don’t really think it is but wanted to check so your not giving yourself a harder time potentially unnecessarily? You must have some gut feeling about if it’s ok or not?

of course theyre not people what next give them the vote

Loving how you bend the rules to suit.

Children ARE humans - or am I missing something? I’m pretty sure I have’t given birth to two reptiles 🤔

Your thread title is offensive....but crack on

Didn't BoJo add a caveat that while 6 people can meet, you shouldn't mix with too many households

I think this is the issue tbh. I would only invite people from one household at a time at the moment.
However, we have an issue that our household is made up or 5 people....so if we want to invite grandma & grandad in our garden, we would technically be breaking the rules🙄

Your thread title is offensive

Seriously? You’re actually offended by the title

I think that for a 1yo BDay party the chances of everyone staying socially distanced are miniscule (I bet they'll be using the toilet in the house...), so three parties, even if over 3 weekends does rather increase the chance of spreading any virus. It seems a bit too much, too soon to me.

YABU. Of course your child counts as one of your allowed six.

@TeenPlusTwenties We'd be meeting in a grassy area in a forest local to our houses, everyone is local so no one would use our bathroom. I said in my post that we would be socially distancing so a response based on the assumption that I'm lying isn't really a response to what I asked. By your logic no one should meet up with anyone outside the house because no one can socially distance...

Crack on OP.
Nobody really gives a shit what you do.
If one of your 3-day-party-picnic members passes a killer disease to another...well, I'm sure they've had a good innings except your 11mo, who frankly won't even know what day it is!

I assume all the pious posters here aren't planning on meeting up with anyone from another household then... Hypocrites much?
To everyone who actually read what I wrote and responded a genuine opinion or concern, thank you. I'll definitely consider how much to spread out timings, who to invite and households as well as just pure numbers.