Christmas - following the rules or not?

[BIWitched]

From what we know right now (and accepting that things may change in the next few weeks) if you're in tier 2 or 3 re you going to obey the rules about not mixing households indoors?

YANBU - I will be ignoring the rules
YABU - it's my civic duty to obey the rules

[Airyfairymarybeary]

@cowboyboot

We will be breaking the rules, there will be 4 households for dinner and 11 people.

Do the rules not apply to you? How do you justify being so selfish?

[legalseagull]

Breaking. There will be four adults and five toddlers - the eldest of which is 3

[legalseagull]

If I was in Scotland or Wales it wouldn't be breaking the rules so it seems ridiculous that 5 toddlers can't meet

[roarfeckingroarr]

Nope. Won't be following.

[ClickandForget]

I'll be sticking to the rules. I know people who have had, or currently have covid. My daughter lives around the corner and has had to isolate due to her 'friend' breaking rules and putting numerous others at risk. It's all very real here. It's disheartening to read of people who don't give a crap. They are going to be responsible for a worsening situation.

[nevergoingoutagain]

I can't wait to have Xmas with no one other than me, husband and kids. Perfect opportunity to not have to host for the first time in years....I'm so happy!!

[fabulous01]

I am tempted not to.
But ... my dad is 80 and nervous so.... I can't take that gamble. Haven't seen my family in a year... but do want to see them alive next year....
would never forgive myself. So .... likely to follow them

[IdblowJonSnow]

I'm hoping to see my parents at the end of the hols after the kids will have been off school for 2 weeks. But they might not be up for that anyway. Otherwise no rule breaking.
I'm not one for big groups and mass gatherings so I dont mind too much really for me but the kids will want to see them and vice versa. Depends how things are by then anyway I guess.

[cowboyboot]

@Airyfairymarybeary we follow every other rule, masks, hand washing, space and all that jazz but when it comes to family we have created our own bubble. My parents are my child care as well as my brothers child care so we see each other daily anyway. It's not great for mine or my mums mental health to be away from each other so even though it's not 'allowed' we think the risk of seeing each other is less than the risk of not.

[Bobbybobbins]

I have followed all the rules so far and would have no issue normally with spending Xmas with just DH and the boys.

My DM is terminally ill though so I will see her at some point but with distancing PPE etc.

[Dragonglass]

I have 3 adult children who live away from home in various parts of the country. I do not expect them to spend Christmas on their own. One lives with her boyfriend so wouldn't be completely alone but they other 2 live on their own. It would be cruel to make them spend Christmas alone.

[Krazynights34]

I detest Christmas but I want to have a good one for my DD. We probably will have to be alone with my DH, so I’m finding myself having to do as much as I can to make this shitty house I live in festive.
I don’t care much for the rules but I can’t risk my DD or her grandparents health

[Rockbird]

I'll be following the rules. I'll be devastated not to be at my parents' but I won't put them at risk. I'd like to be hopeful that things will have improved slightly by then but they won't have.

[MsAwesomeDragon]

My parents are both over 70 and ecv. We certainly won't be seeing them at all over the festive period. I am a huge risk to them as I'm a secondary school teacher, with many hundreds of contacts every day, whereas they only see the delivery drivers a couple of times a week.

Dd1 is at uni in a tier 3 area. I sincerely hope that she will be allowed to come home for Christmas. She is willing (eager even) to self-isolate for 2 weeks before coming home. But we are very biddable family, so if the rules say she isn't supposed to come home we will follow that rule.

[Hopeisathingwithfeathers]

More than sticking to the rules. We could have my mum as we previously formed a support bubble with her but she is avoiding us now that the kids are in school and therefore a risk to her. It'll be very sad but not as sad as passing on a potentially deadly virus to her around the Christmas tree.

[TheMostHappy]

Fucksake!! If people continue dicking about dodging, bending and ignoring the rules we aren't going to see the back of this shit show for ages.

[AragonsGirl]

My parents are meant to be coming to ours for Christmas, but as we are in Scotland we are currently not allowed to mix households indoors. And if that rule is in place we shall be following it. I’m a teacher, so mixing with kids from 25+ families on a daily basis. I could never forgive myself if I did anything to put my parents at an unnecessary risk (haven’t seen them since August, and even then it was socially distanced). I love Christmas, of course I want to spend it with my parents, but I am (maybe naively) of the mind that these measures have been put in place for a reason. I understand that some people don’t have the same views, but I’m not sure saying “I’ll do what the hell I want at Christmas and bugger the rules” is the right way to deal with things

[Throckmorton]

I'll be following the rules because I'd like the chance of this being over some time next year, whereas if everyone breaks the rules all over the shop, it won't be

[Emmacb82]

Yes we will be following the rules as much as it will upset me. I’m a nurse and am on mat leave at the moment. I don’t normally get to see my family over Christmas as I’m working but this year we were supposed to be staying with them (they live 3 hours away). But I am not willing to break the rules for the sake of one day.

[redonions]

Personally I'm not too worried about sticking to the rules, but all of my family in other households are fairly committed to sticking to them, so I guess I'll just end up sticking to the rules by default. I'm not bothered about having a quiet family Christmas (it's usually 14+ people with 3 generations) but I think my parents will really miss the grandkids, but they don't want to mix with anyone even outdoors right now (we're Tier 2 so it would be allowed).

[Whitewhite]

Absolutely no chance. We still see family now and 100% will continue especially at Christmas.

[LoopyGremlin]

@legalseagull

If I was in Scotland or Wales it wouldn't be breaking the rules so it seems ridiculous that 5 toddlers can't meet

You would be breaking the rules in Scotland unless you were eating your dinner outside. We are not allowed any other people inside our houses!

[kittensarecute]

Nope. I've sacrificed enough this year. I'll be seeing my family on Christmas as usual, covid or no covid.

[unicornparty]

I'm sticking to the rules.

[AntiHop]

I'm so shocked by all the selfish people on this thread.

We're in tier 2 and in laws, who are in tier 1 and are in their 70s. We've booked a self catering place near them, despite them having plenty of room at their house. We will only meet them outside. If the rules change and we are not allowed to visit, we will cancel and stay at home. I'm exposed to lots of people at work and my dd is in a large school bubble. I do not want to put other people at extra risk just for Christmas day.