Are you still social distancing with close families?

[Kaj29]

Above says it all? Those you don’t live with..

Haven’t actually seen my family in 3 months now. Have been over to in laws but social distancing in garden so they can see grandchildren. They are cool with that as one of them is vulnerable (not shielding but vulnerable) is all happy to do this.

Thinking of going to see my family soon. I’m very happy to sit in the garden social distancing - not a hugger anyway 🤣 But my mum insists that social distancing isn’t important anymore as most families are meeting up like normal, going in each other’s houses etc.

Firstly, I don’t know who my family have socialised with and they probably haven’t social distanced from them. My dad and brother both work with the public. My mum has been socialising throughout.

Secondly, I’m trying to teach my son about social distancing before he goes back to school - he has asd and has been told about social distancing and I think he understands but putting things into practise really helps. Plus he will be confused if he has to social distance at school but not with family, easier to do it all around, he likes rules and regulations. The school have actually said that children can lose their place at school if they find out families aren’t obeying social distance guidelines.

Also, my mum is caring for elderly relatives so I’d much prefer to social distance from them just in case we were carrying it without knowing and spread it around.

Feel like it’s safer for everyone.

Aibu?

Yabu - social distancing isn’t happening with families.

YANBU - insist on social distancing.

Still strictly social distancing but feel like we are being judged for doing so with all around us. Family and friends all back to normal meeting up indoors, playdates, dinner parties etc
Then criticise our decision to stay at home and away from everyone and on the rare occassion we do see family its in the garden with even more than 2m between us
But we have a vunerable child
Everyone saying to us 'dunno why you worried hardly any kids have died'

Well it was as a result of previous normal viruses that don't make people very sick that has landed our DC with long term health conditions, so don't try to tell me that there's not a likelihood that Covid will do the same

I think you are doing just right OP and for your son its good to be consistent

Most (non- shielding) people I know in real life are all behaving as normal.

In-laws have a BBQ planned for this weekend and next, for various family birthdays with different households involved.

I'm not comfortable with it at all, but it's difficult when everyone else seems not to be bothered anymore.

Apparently I'm the one in the wrong and even my own family are making constant digs about me wanting to socially distance.

Yes still SD....in wales. I hate it. Single parent desperately waiting to form a bubble with my family
Not sitting having a coffee or being held/hugged by another adult for 14 weeks is soul destroying

@DisobedientHamster

No. I'd rather be dead than live like that and all my family feel the same. Life is too short to be like that with people you love.

Except its not just you and your families decision is it !? you might all rather be dead than live like that but the person who serves you in the supermarket maybe doesn't want to be dead as a result of your inability to maintain social distancing and mixing with others ?

But my mum insists that social distancing isn’t important anymore as most families are meeting up like normal, going in each other’s houses etc

A logic free argument. We might as well scrap speed limits then, given how many people break them.

Yes still socially distancing here. My parents are vulnerable so being very careful. I take them food a couple of times a week and have a chat from 2m away. We've been and sat in their garden a couple of times as they were desperate to see their grandchildren. They've also been and sat in our garden. FIL is shielding so we've seen them a couple of times and stood on the pavement while they've stood at the front door (about 5m away). They've also been over and sat in our garden once but brought their own chairs/drinks. No-one has been into our house. Have had a couple of garden catch ups with friends at 2m or more which have done me and them the world of good.

In parents garden only and I have not been in their house. Father nearly 80 and underlying health condition and I live with a keyworker. So being cautious

We've bent the rules a little but still stayed very much within the spirit of them.

@Kaj29

Yes of course.

We all believe that those who visit "will not have it" and probably that's right but unless you're Dominic Cummings you cannot pick and choose

I haven't seen my family since January. We emphatically will not be social distancing when we finally get to see each other next month (all being well)

Yes, and YANBU.

Can't see my parents just yet, but I will be social distancing when I do. I couldn't forgive myself if I brought it to them. They have been very careful as has my sibling who did their shopping for them.

@Baaaahhhhh same here. It was my Dads funeral last week and it was awful not being able to hug or be near to people. Although worse still my step mum hugged everyone (including neighbours etc not just the 10 of us at the funeral) therefore making it even worse. I could hear her and my step sister saying to people 'are you social distancing?!' Before giving them a hug (obviously everyone just said no it's fine - but it made me really uneasy) My DH is vulnerable so we tried to keep distance but it was so hard.

I haven’t hugged my mum or my brother since lockdown. I’ve seen them outside and maintained distancing. I hate it. It seems so wrong to leave a frail old lady on her own without hugging her.

What’s getting to me even more is not seeing my close friends in this time. I’ve had a couple of 2m encounters when we’ve dropped things off at one another’s houses but no more than that. I miss long evenings just chatting and drinking wine and laughing about nothing. .

We're not SD from family anymore. None of us are vulnerable and all of us are SD from everyone else.

Ive met both my adult DS separately for socially distanced walks. Yesterday my DS brought his puppy along, the puppy was well behaved to an extent but did come up to me to say hello, and my son produced hand sanitiser so i could have a stroke but then wash my hands. My eldest DS said that he and his GF went to her DM for a BBQ recently and all the family hugged each other, her DB, his GF and Nan were there too (who should have been shielding!) My DS refused to hug me in case he caught something at the BBQ. Different people are interpreting the rules in different ways, Apart from my DS I have seen no one since March Lockdown began

We had one accidental non social distancing moment, I was at my parents having a brew and my daughter was toddling along the garden and fell, my dad was closest to her so instinctively scooped her up as she was upset. But other than that we've stuck to it solidly, everyone we know however has also been following the guidelines so we haven't had to have any awkward conversations

Whilst I live too far from family to see them, I am at the point where I think people need to decide what level of risk they are happy to take on an individual level.

My 93 year old granny has been seeing friends - she would rather enjoy the last few years of her life and maybe go a bit early than spend her final years alone at home.

We have had a bbq with our neighbours, no hugging but sitting on opposite sides of a table and sharing condiments.

If I were to see my family tomorrow (and they were happy with it) I would 100% hug them.

Truthfully, no!
My family and I have decided to become a big 'bubble' with 9 children between myself and 3 sisters, all ranging between the ages of 1-14, we decided we didn't want to keep them away from each other for any longer.

To add though, we aren't going near our high risk nana. Also a couple members have had confirmed Covid, so we aren't concerned about the risk levels anymore.

We are still socially distancing - both of us are medically vulnerable.

Yes, absolutely. Today MIL and FIL came and did sit indoors as it was too windy for MIL to catch her breath outside (she has terminal lung cancer), but we then kept a 4m distance, had windows and back door open, had sanitised the chair, door handles, bleached the whole downstairs loo and kept it for their use, and very careful with plates etc.
She is shielded and probably only has a few weeks left anyway, but we need to stay healthy to look after her and FIL. We let them come over as they were desperate, FIL won't leave her to get some space, and dh needed to get him out to have some frank words.

Nope. I see my dad and step mum weekly as they look after DS one day a week. I do hug them. My mum came to see me last week as I am having a tough time. So hugged her too. Am sticking to the rules otherwise.

I am shielding as are my mum and dad (divorced). No idea when we will see each other again. My brother lives with my mum so can't see him either. It isn't worth the risk.

Social distancing and seeing people outdoors only.

People wondered why rules had to be so strict and specific and this thread is proof why. We can now meet up to 5 others outdoors and some people are interpreting that as an indoor 'bubble' of several households with hugging included.

Still social distancing. I live 2hrs from close family and not seen any of them. FiL has severe health issues and aren't seeing anyone. Not seen my mother but according to my siblings she's making out she's self isolating but out all the time. None of my siblings want to meet up until the young children can be together otherwise all the time will be spent telling them to get away. I can't face that.

Social media has been great for us.

Seen a few friends at a social distance. Just not family.