Are your children playing with other children?

[HardHatOptional]

I know Iprobably ABU but I was just wondering if anyone else has started to let their children play outside with other children yet?

My DS is 4 and since last week I've let him join in and play outside on the street with the other children who live in our cul de sac (3 other households). They aren't social distancing as you can imagine which I don't expect them to.

Since this, DS is a much happier child. He is no longer grumpy and teary, he's sleeping much better and honestly its just so nice to hear him have fun again. He has no siblings or other children in the family and he's been really lonely and missing social interaction.

They difference in him is unbelievable.

It may be selfish but I believe the chances of catching Covid 19 are so low and keeping him isolated was really damaging his mental health.

So are your children playing with others?

We were at my in laws when SIL arrived with her kids and we decided to stay and let them play. Our DS3 was so happy and delighted to see them again, hes a chatter box and has spoken at me every second of every day from 6am til 7PM for the last 3 months so it was a real moment of peace for me too.

So long as they are social distancing its fine as everyone is safe. Otherwise people die, one guy I know in a coma, another friend lost her dad.

Yes my DD 14 and DS 12 are seeing a few friends. 3 families in total. We have all been in lockdown abiding by the rules, we live rurally one the south of England.
I wouldn't let me children mix with more families at the moment and certainly not with families I didn't know.

These 3 families have bubbled with us. None of our children are going to school. We are all working from home.

We did a few weeks ago-garden dates with another family & for about 2-3 days with neighbourhood children -2other families.

Then a neighbour who I was talking to tested +. Because I'm paranoid & not sure we were 2m away, we've been isolating for the last 8 days - will be 14 days since contact on Wed & cant wait to allow dc to interact with others. The school had been utterly crap & they're only interested in screens now. They are much happier when they can connect with their peers

Yes absolutely. I'm done with the Tories torturing kids to keep the grey vote happy

Mine have started playing with other children in the past week, myself and friends have made the decision that we are all aware of the risks and we're happy to make the decision. The difference in the last week has been unbelievable, noone has been as stressed or as depressed and feel we have a bit more control of our lives! I have however had it, and have had an antibodies test which confirmed I have antibodies. My kids didn't become unwell when I had it so that gives me some additional confidence!

I'm done with the Tories torturing kids to keep the grey vote happy

Absolutely this.

i’m done with the Tories torturing kids to keep the grey vote happy preach!!!!

Most children around here seem to be playing out
Nice to see them having fun
The risk seems to be very small

No

Yup. Mine are at school/nursery anyway. We have met with friends, went to the beach after school today for example. We remind them not to climb on top of each other etc which they're good at remembering now anyway, but other than that we let them play.

No, my DS1 (age 4) missed his grandparents a lot more than nursery so we chose not to send him back to nursery so we could play in grandma and grandpa's garden instead every sunny day since it's been allowed.

He has a baby brother he plays with though and he has social distance chatted to ours and gran's neighbour's kids/random kids at the park we've bumped into.

Yup, wasn't going to until youngest went back to nursery but that got pushed back until July and she was desperate for social interaction with peers. So last week started letting the kids out the front to play with the neighbours' kids she's so much happier and I'm actually getting work done. They don't stick to the 2metres rule but aren't overly huggy / touchy so I'm happy with it

Just my 3 nieces

My 6yo only child has had three outdoors socially distant play dates in the last 1.5 weeks. With adult supervision ensuring Absolutely No touching or sharing toys and mostly at 2m (though we don’t hassle them for moments of moving closer before moving away again).

Ps. We have no school or childcare and won’t till August so he didn’t see a single other child at all from 23 March to mid June.

Yes. My DC are at school

i’m done with the Tories torturing kids to keep the grey vote happy

Finally people are seeing this.

This is a tough one to decide. There is no way to let children play together without taking some transmission risk, but children probably suffer most from lockdown and at such a young age, having to wait 3,6 or 12 months without seeing their friends is a very meaningful sacrifice to require from them.

The compromise we have found is to allow and encourage some socialising, while trying to keep it to small groups, to keep it within the same small group of friends, to keep it outdoors, and then most importantly, to ensure that we as parents are still respecting the distancing rules with other adults, even if the children are not, despite the fact that we also want to socialise.

While there is no proof that children cannot pass this to adults, and there have also been some seriously ill children, most of what I have read suggests that absent any special vulnerabilities, children much less likely than adults to become seriously ill, and they are also somewhat less likely than adults to transmit the illness to others.

At the level of the country, there is enough reason to hope we can let children play together without causing a major reacceleration of infections, and if we were to start to see evidence of an emerging "second wave", as long as adults are still respecting the rules, it would happen slowly enough that we can adapt our behaviour once again before there are too many cases. Hopefully we could have test-and-trace by then so that full lockdown would not be required again.

My kids are meeting others outdoors, where they're not always maintaining social distancing, but aren't touching either, so pretty safe.

Not playing.
Me and 11yr old DD went on a long walk with her best friend and her mum. They're old enough to keep.their distance though.

@Oxmama could you please post a link to the Scottish guidance you mentioned? “We have felt reassured by the guidance here in Scotland that social distancing is not to be enforced in under 5s as they recognise it to be more harmful to their health and well-being overall“ - am very interested. I googled but couldn’t find anything obvious?

Yup - we sealed with the family next door as one household from before lockdown. They have a ladder between the gardens and play with the little girl there daily.

Since changes to lockdown rules in the last few weeks they have had park play dates with a number of class friends.

They have seen their grandparents outside for tea and cake in the last fortnight.

The eldest child has shown really acute signs of mental distress just before park play dates were allowed. Neither are in years that have been allowed to go back and they are set to remain at home until September.

I was breaking inside watching the eldest move into a depressive state because she was so lonely.

Yes. Started meeting close family friends a few weeks ago. Similar age children. They are so different after their time together. So much happier.

Youngest back at childcare. So mixing with others there.

Had enough of complying when the risk is minimal. No grandparents or vulnerable family members.

I've suggested it to other friends and if they aren't comfortable I don't push it. But I'm not spending 6 months with sad children.

Yes. At nursery