AIBU to not want to go for a social distancing walk with a friend and her children

[Pombeary1]

Dilemma! My friend, who lives on the road as me suggested to go for a social distancing walk with both our children. I said yes initially as she’s a widow and gets no help and one of her daughter is in the same class as mine. Beside we live in the countryside where you barely see anyone while walking. However, she later told me that she’s sending her daughter ( in year 5) back to school as she’s becoming restless and emotional at home during the lockdown. I understand and sympathies their circumstances. They have had a rough year (the girls dad died unexpectedly 8 months ago) so perhaps being school gives her daughter something to look forward too. Anyway, the girls had a zoom class lesson this morning and my daughter told me that she saw my friends daughter was sitting right next to another girl (close friend)no social distancing whatsoever! That girls mum and dad are working in the hospital and mum is front line! I am not sure if I want to go for a walk with my friend now because her daughter is becoming more at risk at catching Covid 19! AIBU to not going for a walk with them??

I think YANBU to be worried.

But I think you need to empathise more with your neighbour. She's crying out for face to face company.

Thanks for all the comments. It’s good to listen to different opinions and see things at different perspectives. I read my post I did think perhaps I was being OTT. I think I will still go but ask the children to be more mindful in SD. Thanks folks

I’m assuming no one in your household is returning to school, nursery, work or goes to the supermarket?
Tbh I think your being a bit silly and as long as you ensure your child distances from the other family during the walk, there is no increased risk to you. Especially given you’ll be outside the entire time.

Social distancing is still 2m apart. If you can go for a walk, perhaps the two girls in front where you can see them, and keep you're distance, it should be ok.

You are being totally risk-averse. It’s time for us to start moving towards getting back to a normal life. I fear we never will because of attitudes like yours.

Good choice OP. She must feel terrible and you'll be helping

I’m adverse risk & don’t apologise for it.
Husband has suppressed immune system,lifetime tablets after cancer & younger d is disabled & lives to hug .
I think people can be judgemental but my family wellbeing matters too much

I'm shielding and I would do this for sure.

You can choose what you want to do but I think you are being unreasonable and unfair to your friend.

Seem to be reading the odd thread on here that is treating keyworkers and their children as outcasts. As an NHS professional who has worked throughout this tough time it reallysaddens me.

Keyworkers don't seem to be 'heroes' (not by phrasing by the way) but now almost leper's and people to be kept away from socially. More for the kids than anything. You can guarantee some will be bullied due to parents reactions of keyworkers. It's ridiculous. We wear PPE and practice good hygiene. There will be a hell of a lot of people to avoid: supermarket workers, delivery drivers, council workers, nhs staff and carers to name but a few.

This virus will still be around when everyone is back to work or the children back to school full time. Maybe not as widespread but who knows really what will happen? Good hygiene is the key. Social distancing will decrease to 1m soon.

Children don't socially distance in their bubbles or so I'm told from school staff friends that I have. It may be different in some schools though. That would be more damaging to them than the virus in most cases.

Personally, I would go- unless I or anyone you live with/care for was high risk.
Obviously, the choice is yours.

YANBU to decline an invitation for any reason YABU to think that going on a socially distanced walk will place you or your children at risk

^ That sums it up nicely.

If you aren't particularly vulnerable then there is no reason for you not to go.

I'm glad you've decided to go.

You need to make a proper assessment of risk. You seem extremely over-cautious.

I'm not a statistician but the risk to your or your DC from a SD outdoor walk with a kid who sat next to a kid whose parents are NHS must be so minuscule as to be non existent.

At least NHS are provided with PPE and trained how to don and doff it properly, and I'm sure they have no wish to bring the virus home to their DC any more than you have to catch it.

I'd hate to think I or my DC would be treated like lepers because I'm NHS and have been working in the hospital throughout, let alone a kid who sat next to my kid being avoided as too risky!

Maybe time to consider how to ease yourself and DC out of panic mode, coronavirus isn't going anywhere and I'm really getting worried about the skewed ideas of risk which are around at the moment.

The risks are very minimal and in quite a removed chain of transmission. Plus it's a low risk outdoor space.

Children NEED to socialise, especially a child coping with the recent trauma of losing her dad and the disruption of months of pandemic.

On the couple of occasions my children have seen others since 20th March, I have encouraged them not to touch others, but not rigourously enforced 2m. They need to be allowed to be children and have sacrificed so much already so I'm not going to force unnatural interactions upon them and then have to retrain a child with ASD how to interact in a real "normal" way again and risk him developing long-lasting social phobias long after Covid fades from the headlines.

We're only meeting up with people who can distance, so so far its been older children or single children.

I'm happy for it to sometimes be 1.5m or similar when running as it is in some countries and we're outdoors. But we haven't met up with people who cant distance. I haven't worked out how we will say no to those people...

Disgusting. It's ok for keyworkers to work their backsides of, exhaust themselves and risk their own health and mental well-being, but good forbid we come anywhere near you and yours. Would be a different story of you needed medical care I assume.

DontStand have you read the thread? Its not disgustig, she said she would go.