to be peeved that my kids refuse to be tested for Covid!

[sadpapercourtesan]

We've been asked to be part of the testing programme as a family - we'd be tested every week for 5 weeks, then every month for 12 months. DH and I want to do it, particularly the antibody test as we'd like to know whether we've got immunity. Our boys (16 and nearly 18) refuse; DS1 doesn't fancy the nose swab and DS2 says he'd rather not know! So that's that

Obviously it's their choice to make, but I'm peeved that DH and I won't get to participate now, as it has to be the whole family. Grrr.

@Onceuponatimethen

They poke it incredibly high up though? It’s not the entrance to the nose they swab

It's easier if you do it yourself. It's one thing to put a swab right up your nostril and rotate it and quite another for someone else to do it, same goes for the back of the throat.

However the point here is the op's children have a choice in the matter and they have declined to be tested which is their right.

I had to have the swab when I was admitted to hospital and it was horrible. Not something I'd want to do again. My 14 year old was invited to take part in the study. She read the leaflet and decided no. I couldn't blame her.

Civic duty should be to take precautionary measures, not tests for no good reason.

These studies are not a replacement for good test and tracing.

If its the ONS study, then you can take part without the children. I am one of the workers on this, and we have partial households all the time. I also am seeing households where the quite young children manage it easily. Did the vouchers not motivate them?!

for the most part we are limited in what we can contribute

Just lead your life as safely as possible, do your best to prevent possible infection of others, and contribute to the economy.
This should be enough.

There's no raking around in the nostrils.

Errrm... if it is done properly then there is a fair amount of rakeage. I'm not sure that home tests will be accurate simply because it is so counter-intuitive to stick a swab so far up one's nose.

YABU

It's concerning and worrying the amount of people who would bribe or coerce their children into doing something they don't want to. Does body autonomy only matter when it's yourself?

If they don't have symptoms or haven't been around someone who has tested positive, they don't need to be tested. Stop trying to bribe your children into being lab rats!

Your wishes do not override a child's. If it was your partner would you look for ways to bribe them into doing what you want or accept the no and move on? Probably the latter because they're an adult. Why does a child (especially teenagers) not get that same respect?

Gross. What about their autonomy. You don't get to coerce your kids into doing anything with their body, especially when it's not even medically essential.

I’ve been tested twice. I wouldn’t say it’s painful. The nose is a bit uncomfortable but not as bad as the throat as it just makes you gag. So it’s not pleasant but not painful.

Their bodies, their rules.

Finishing a post with 'end of' usually conveys that the poster is a halfwit, but I really don't see what further discussion there is to be had.

You could bribe them

@WriteronaMission

It's concerning and worrying the amount of people who would bribe or coerce their children into doing something they don't want to. Does body autonomy only matter when it's yourself?

If they don't have symptoms or haven't been around someone who has tested positive, they don't need to be tested. Stop trying to bribe your children into being lab rats!

Your wishes do not override a child's. If it was your partner would you look for ways to bribe them into doing what you want or accept the no and move on? Probably the latter because they're an adult. Why does a child (especially teenagers) not get that same respect?

Indeed. Substitute any other procedure or test for Covid test and see how it reads, because it's bloody scary AF. Can just imagine the responses if a man came on here and said this about his female partner and how could he coerce her into doing what he wants. Fucking hell. Frightening AF how little regard for someone's boundaries and bodily autonomy just because it's this. NO means NO.

YABU. Their body, their choice. Sound a bit selfish to me.

Bodily autonomy. Google it. Why would anyone want their DC to undergo 17 tests they don’t need

@oceanbreezy

You could bribe them

Yeah, coercing and manipulating young adults, anyone really, makes for a great relationship dynamic, right up there with minimising and poo-pooing their feelings and views on something.

Could you offer to share any money you're getting for it as an incentive?

Not sure where the idea of the test being painful comes from TBH. I’ve had to test myself every week since May.... yes it makes you gag a bit but that’s all. Some people may gag more or less but it doesn’t cause pain surely!

@SleepingStandingUp

Could you offer to share any money you're getting for it as an incentive?

JFC!

@CouldBeOuting

Not sure where the idea of the test being painful comes from TBH. I’ve had to test myself every week since May.... yes it makes you gag a bit but that’s all. Some people may gag more or less but it doesn’t cause pain surely!

The FACT the people process sensation differently from one another is quite well known now, far from just an idea . Some people vomit and some find vomiting painful. People are different! We don't all feel the same, imagine (just try it, it's not hard for most of above-average intelligence). Also beside the point, they said NO.

Tell them that if my 6 yr old and 10 yr old can do it then so can they.

@ButterflyBitch

Tell them that if my 6 yr old and 10 yr old can do it then so can they.

Yeah, shame and manipulate them, minimise their feelings and boundaries, that's a great way to foster a good relationship with your children and show them you respect their autonomy.

@InDeoEstMeaFiducia calm down, I'm not saying bribe them, I'm saying being open about the fact that op will get X for doing it as a family, and therefore if they did it they'd get a quarter rather than op expecting altruism. Plenty of people still wouldn't, which is fine, their body their roles. Others would be willing to do it if they thought they were getting something out of it.

It's like when they do market reattach and they pay you £2 to taste the coffee. More people do it because there's a direct gain for them.

[quote SleepingStandingUp]@InDeoEstMeaFiducia calm down, I'm not saying bribe them, I'm saying being open about the fact that op will get X for doing it as a family, and therefore if they did it they'd get a quarter rather than op expecting altruism. Plenty of people still wouldn't, which is fine, their body their roles. Others would be willing to do it if they thought they were getting something out of it.

It's like when they do market reattach and they pay you £2 to taste the coffee. More people do it because there's a direct gain for them.[/quote]
Any time you order someone to 'calm down' because their opinion differs from yours, you lose any credit you have because it's patronising condescending bollocks. They said NO, that should be the end of it when it comes to any medical procedure or test on one's person. The fact that so many see that as something that's flexible to suit their own agenda is scary AF. There is nothing altruistic about bribing someone with money to coerce them into having a procedure or test on their body that they have already said NO, too.

Unfuckingbelievable how many have completely put that aside when it comes to bloody Covid.

I said calm down because i don't think being open with the about the fact you'd get monetary gain from doing it warrants Jesus Fucking Christ as a response. And o didn't say op was altruistic to be honest, I was aging they might do it altruistically but if they know they're getting £10-20 a week to do it, they may well want to.