Anyone else have no fucker who wants to bubble with them over Christmas?

[EleanorRising]

We live a couple of hours drive away from both our families but there and back in a day is doable.

Text from FIL: "love you all, not meeting up with anyone til vaccinated against this bugger. Will transfer £££. See you on the other side"

Text from MIL (they're divorced) "Jeff and Joan are bubbling with us and bringing Joan's mum so that's our bubble sorted. Easter's looking promising though"

My sisters will spend Xmas day with their in-laws so that's their bubble for the 5 days.

Anyone else not been inundated with requests?

Also love the sound of your FIL!

Op, big shout out to your fil !
He sounds nice and very fair to you all.
If only everyone be could be like this in life.

We dont see anyone else at xmas anyway. In mosf uears if we are "lucky" the inlaws drop presents off but they will be doing the rounds so won't come in, same with my sibling before they go on holiday (only "blood" family that I have).

We are usually out on Christmas Eve for an activity with a huge bunch of people, with one of our families on Christmas Day and the other on Boxing day. Very close contact 4-6 bubbles and a real mix of vulnerable and still working (and going to the pub if I can) people.

PIL have also said they are happy to stay at home alone this year with the vaccine so close
DP have said lets plan a huge Easter but they may come to us for a while.
We are planning some outdoor walks with others if the weather cooperates.
DC should all make it home from uni and forthe first time ever it will just be our nuclear family.

If you like, I can ask my in-laws if they will bubble with you?

ill have literally just had a baby, my mum has to have my kids whilst in hospital so thats fairly straightforward, im worried about my father though, parents divorced .

I've got eldest DD home from uni for Xmas so there will be 4 of us. Don't want to bubble with anyone. Happy for every Christmas to be that way.

I wish I had a FIL like that!!! On the contrary here we will spend Xmas with my hubs family which I'm not looking forward to! 😓

We usually travel to see MIL between Christmas and New Year (and BIL 1 and family who live nearby). MIL said weeks ago that she couldn't see why everyone was fussing about cancelling Christmas - there'll be other Christmases. She's 92 so a bold statement! But we have no intention of visiting her until this is a) all over or b) the weather means we can visit and sit outside as we did in the Summer.

DS is planning on coming back from Uni although he's in what will be a highest tier area for sure - but he will get tested in the window of opportunity and DH will then race to collect him to prevent him using the train. Other than that we won't be in anyone's bubble - although some friends did say the other day that they might bubble with us to save any arguments in their family as there's too many to choose from. They both WFH and don't go anywhere so we'd be happy if they wanted to do that.

@mom2babygirl

I wish I had a FIL like that!!! On the contrary here we will spend Xmas with my hubs family which I'm not looking forward to! 😓

Can't you just say you don't feel comfortable this year given the global pandemic? You don't have to spend Christmas with anyone if you don't want to.

Yes, we're bubble free too. It would have just been our immediate family unit anyway, it's been like this for several years now.

Paradise, OP.

My siblings live outside the UK.
I'm the carer of my parents so will be with them... again.

Kinda prefer the day off but I guess the parents have to eat.

Do they really though?

Your FIL sounds like my Dad. His message:
“I haven’t isolated for 8 months to dodge this bullet only to risk it for a roast dinner. Virtual contact it is.”

Bubble free too and thank god for that. FIL has been stuck with us since March and will be here until things settle . Aside from that, seeing no one. Friend had tried to invite herself but it's not happening. We have ordered the smallest goose available anyway as we had no intentions of mixing.

@LakieLady I'm sorry, that sounds tough for you

the whole idea of bubbling with elderly people for Christmas is stupid anyway - so close to a vaccine being here - so im happy to wait it out til next year - not risk killing anyone!

My dad told me i wasn't welcome for Christmas this year hahahah - so that's me told - don't come round here and infect us ! lolz - fair enough i think

Just us, that's the way I prefer it, and no guilt this year!

I'm in a close group of 8 friends - 3 existing couples and 2 singles, me being one of the singles my best friend the other. Best friend bubbled in June with one of the couples leaving me as Billy No Mates. She's been single 13 tears, I'd been single 10. It stung.

Then I found myself an actual real life partner and we've bubbled for the last few months, been blissfully happy, and having our first Xmas together next month. Just the two of us. Not at all smug. Payback.

We have a potential bubble to join but it seems they prefer to come to our bubble house and make an utter mess, rather than hosting in their own, so we may have to re-think the entire operation

Way to go, FIL. No beating around the bush, as is often seen on here, with people agonising about how to say no.

It's a good reason this year to start your own traditions for lots of people, and break with something that wasn't enjoyable anymore, if ever.

My dad suggested we could meet up for a walk somewhere.

@mom2babygirl

I wish I had a FIL like that!!! On the contrary here we will spend Xmas with my hubs family which I'm not looking forward to! 😓

Don't do it, if you're unhappy about it. Seriously.

I suppose there's no nice way to tell people you aren't going to bubble with them. Even the kindest words deliver the same message, which can hurt. I don't know what's going on either. My family all live close to each other but I live 110 miles away so if they want to bubble up I suppose I understand and I'll just stay home. I don't care myself to be honest because I will be fine, but my heart aches thinking there's some people out there that are left out of family bubbles for various reasons and are feeling upset or lonely