To suggest we storm the parks (armed with hand gel and cleaning wipes)

[TotorosFurryBehind]

Maybe light-hearted, maybe not. In the past week I'm increasing frustrated that children and their well-being are being left behind, as golf courses, garden centres etc open. But no timeline in sight for playparks, zoos etc.

I walk past the park most days on our walk and am increasingly tempted to snip the plastic ties holding the gate shut and take my daughter to play on the swings. I think the only thing stopping me is that is socially taboo and that someone will call the police.

I'm such a law abiding person normally. But I think the anxiety and depression of lockdown is really getting to me. I don't understand the logic of the way things are reopening.

Does anyone else feel like this?

Plenty of parks are open. Children can go with a parent and ride their bikes, run around, even have picnic.

Which is not peer social interaction, something that is absolutely critical in children and the absence of increases the risk of death. Don't give examples of what children can do when it's nothing about the actual problem that is faced by children.

I'd join you OP but I'd need bolt cutters for ours. Bastards.

Year 10 here won’t be starting in September to welcome in the new year 7’s.

As far as I am aware most schools always open first for new intake. Certainly my kids school have done it every year.
Fine for up to a week

Kids are just climbing over the locked gates here. The playgrounds are busier than they would usually be!

@Nihiloxica deaths and cases are down BECAUSE of the limitations that have been imposed during lockdown. Once those limitations ease, there’s a risk that cases will start to increase exponentially again.

The fact that deaths and cases are now looking like they are lower than they were pre-lockdown just tells us that the lockdown restrictions worked to reduce cases. But think about it - those low-ish numbers of pre-lockdown cases gradually rose to result in a peak of 1000 deaths per day. What do you think will happen if we all just go back to normal?! I’ll tell you - there’s every risk we’ll just gradually climb back up to 1000 deaths per day.

Make sure you wear masks and socially distance.

@TotorosFurryBehind could you contact the organiser of the mother and baby group and suggest a meet up in a park? Or do you know any of the mums on FB or anything? I think it would be a good thing to meet up with a few people.

Ok. As long as you think your kids playing is more important than protecting them and the other people you come into contact with from catching Coronavirus.

They might be back at school and nursery but they aren't sharing equipment.

Playground equipment will be touched by many many children when in use. I'd regard it as hygienic as lift buttons, cash point buttons, community door handles and petrol pump handles etc. None of which are clean at the best of times.

During a pandemic I'm not touching any of those things without washing my hands very thoroughly afterwards. Would you? Why do you want to take an unnecessary risk, particularly with your children?

Surely you can think of another safer activity for them.

Leisure stuff that old people like to do is available: golf, garden centres, car show rooms. Funny that.

Coincidencetly I am sitting opposite a play ground, the grass has been cut, the signs are gone, and there is an elderly couple sitting on the bench

If your old group can't help does your area have a FB page, could you put a post on there for mothers in the same position suggesting group of 6 could meet up in the park, children might have to play next to each other rather than in contact but it might be better than nothing. Obviously depends on the age of children.

@lljkk are you being obtuse? Those things are open because it’s possible to socially distance at a golf course, garden centre etc. They generally have plenty of space and people aren’t all touching the same things all the time. The opposite of playgrounds - confined spaces with all the kids in close proximity touching the same equipment.

There’s nothing more to it than that.

It’s almost as if some of you believe that there’s some conspiracy going on.

I want children to mingle, we are going to have to live or die with this.

And I don't mean that glibly

People are dying

But children need to live, and if we dont get back to work soon, we wont have jobs or homes

Big businesses are making plans to offload a lot of staff

Various animals have caught the virus so it could be why are holding off reopening zoo's a while longer, although you'd think the zoo's themselves would be concerned in that case.

There's some play equipment outside the fenced playground at our nearby park, the parent's aren't cleaning it and then see the little kids with hands in mouth & touching face so add in more families I think it could be more difficult to avoid transmission and is different to social bubbles for school. The cable ties gate to playground is cut regularly although I thought it was the teens.

golf courses, garden centres etc

Those things are all completely different to playgrounds. Adults are (generally!) able to social distance, not put their hands in their mouths after touching things, wear masks etc etc. Children are not and therefore rely on adults to protect them.

I don't think there is an easy answer.

Normally they start a day earlier, and the next day gcse years start. Following week all in.

My son however sees the government model at the moment and how primary are being phased in. Each week he goes through a mountain of calculations on that basis. It will be a set amount of year 7 and 11’s because that’s all the school have space for.

Going my primary model he calculates year 9 based on the layout. Then either 10 or 8. Because of the number of students in the school and the building itself he is convinced is would be year 8 because when it comes round to school application process it makes more sense.

Of course Noone has agreed with this. But realistically if it continues as it is, he’s correct. Schools round here are scrambling around trying to prevent this from happening.

For him it’s about the experience of having a “normal” education. Gcse he has some already he chose to do. He could have finished now. He wants to experience it with his peers. No he doesn’t tell them his calculations he agrees with their few days/weeks delay and it will be day one crack on with the work.

Of course we tell him once the first two years are fully in things will quicken. He still worked out the fucking delay.

Anyone who has knowledge of this thinking knows we have whiteboards, blackboards, note pads, post it’s, stuff on the computer etc.

Normally he would go out with his mates and play football to cope when he’s like this. Or play tennis, I’ve got him a slot booked for in 2 weeks time.

Cannot go to the parks.
Dogs shitting and adults in their bubbles doing whatever. Go to another one and even in a bubble get shouted at so need adult supervision. The rest are closed completely as access is through a play park or adult gym.

Everywhere else no ball games. Not that I can play tennis or football. I have dizzy spells, muscle weakness, bone joint damage and more.

As a teen all they have is stay home and play or walk around the streets. Get the scooters out get moaned at by adults. Two of them outside together get moaned at. Wear a mask and oh fuck it’s one of those thug teens.

Canigooutyet, I hope you aren’t referring to vulnerable children when you speak about the lucky few in school. Because many of them are there as they have social work involvement. Do you know how high the threshold is for social work involvement? These children are far from lucky.

Oops forgot to say young males in bikes are often stopped and searched here as they are normally drug runners.
He knows this as he has been previously stopped. Doesn’t bloody help he looks at least 16.

Leisure stuff that old people like to do is available: golf, garden centres, car show rooms. Funny that. I'm old and I don't play golf, have only developed an interest in gardens since lockdown and that is basically getting my lawn looking better since I ruined it and I don't spend my leisure time in car showrooms, in my 60 odd years I've bought one car from a car showroom. On the other hand I spend a lot of time in playground with GC.

Is that chip on your shoulder very heavy.

at car show rooms being open for “old people”.
I doubt many people considering viewing a Toyota Yaris as an exciting activity but if you want or need a new car, it’s one of the ways you do it.

Well compared to those under 18 everything that is getting opened is for older people

1. Kids won’t be able to social distance, will parents actually watch their children to make sure they do?
2. The virus can live on surfaces
3. There are no facilities to wash hands, not sure all parents will take stuff, and kids will touch their faces

It’s closed for a reason, but hopefully will open soon

Let’s all just carry on doing what we are asked to do, and hopefully put this nightmare time behind us

We’ve never stopped going to them. There is a couple near me that haven’t got gates around them.

I’m in the North west and still don’t know any one that has had it.

Baffled that so many on here question why playgrounds need to be closed. The level of Covid deaths even with the restrictions we've had in place is ridiculously high.

And the comparison with golf courses simply doesn't stack up - you can only play with one other person outside your household at a distance of 2m and rules have been changed to stop contamination at holes (I'm not a golfer btw).

I have a 9 single child - lockdown has not been ideal for her but she understands it's for the greater good.

Feel like I live in a parallel universe to most mumsnetters at times.

And play parks aren’t just used by toddlers who need constant supervision.
Many of these are usuall full after school by unsupervised 9+ year olds. Usually around year 7 they start to go less. Then it’s onto youth clubs etc still closed.