Clap for heroes at 8pm

[funksoulmother]

AIBU to think that the practice of standing on your doorstep and clapping very hard / banging pots and pans at 8pm once a week is not particularly friendly to families of young children? I’m all for it, but why not 6.30pm?

Parents can’t join in if putting children to bed, appearing ignorant for not joining neighbours.
One baby woken up and one young child (supposed to be sleeping) asking “what’s all that noise outside?”

Should I just let go and allow DC to stay up late and send out on the doorstep in the freezing cold to join in?
Redecorate and move the kids to the bedroom at the back of the house?

Yeah it's a bit of an awkward time. If it helps, no one on my road came out today and I wasn't going to clap on my own(!). You could hear a pin drop.

Is anyone actually doing it this time? I've seen no support for it online this time & there was no noise whatsoever around here.

Just don’t do it. I never have. Play some white noise in your child’s room over 8pm. I doubt it will be that noisy, most people I’ve seen are saying they won’t be

@ConfusedcomMum can just picture everyone hiding behind their front doors listening out to see if anyone else is participating.
They definitely did in my street, fireworks just after in the distance too!!

The best support you can give the NHS is by your behaviour the whole week, socially distancing, wearing face coverings in shops etc.

We didn't do it. I think the NHS keyworker comment of 'Just fucking respect us enough to behave sensibly please - oh and decent pay would be nice' has cut through, as the Govt would say....

No one on our street did tonight, it's hollow and often hypocritical

I’m not in U.K., but I think NHS workers and other key civil service types would probably prefer people to sign a petition asking for a basic cost of living pay increase instead of banging pots and pans to two minutes once a week. It just seems ridiculous to show appreciation in such a performative way.

@fonscylitte

The best support you can give the NHS is by your behaviour the whole week, socially distancing, wearing face coverings in shops etc.

I agree with this.

We've never joined in as we have a young child and there's no way I'm banging and clapping on the street just after he's dropped off to sleep.

Yep! Exactly what you said!

Not many people are doing it this time. Whilst I have full respect and admiration for all keyworkers I don’t feel that they want a clap - they want people to follow the rules! They need a pay rise too!!

Last year it wasn’t so bad. After the 1st or 2nd week and the clocks changing it was still light at 8pm. But it’s so dark and miserable outside. Earlier would be better if people feel they want to do it, I won’t be.

I have a son with autism. Whilst he was never asleep by 8pm the sounds used to send him a but hyper and excitable! So much so we had to stop taking part as it would hype him up before bed 😅

To quote the NHS worker I had a meeting with today - please just do what the prime minster said.

Clapping doesn’t support the NHS, it causes a nasty bullying culture in neighbourhoods in fact it has been known to wake or prevent exhausted staff from getting to sleep

It doesn’t pay the NHS staffs wages, it doesn’t but then food or pay their rent/mortgage

You want to show the NHS you appricate them, do what the prime minster asks, wear a sodding mask, when your called go for your vaccine, stay well and stay out of hospital. NHS staff will be far more grateful for that than you standing and making a holy hell noise at 8 o clock, or 6.30 or 2.39

We had a firework go off at 8pm exactly. Just what everyone needs ...

I don't think standing outside in the dark brings the sentiment the way it did in summer when you could see your neighbours and share a wave and feeling of togetherness and gratitude. It was nice back then but there are far more meaningful ways to support the nhs as many people have pointed out.

no one came out in two inches of snow on our street to freeze for a trite gesture i did the best i could spoke to my stepdaughter who is like an actual icu nurse on the phone and told her to look after herself and that we are worried about her

Most don’t want it and while some would prefer a pay rise others have said with the loss of so many jobs they would rather people followed lockdown by wearing masks properly etc

How on earth do 'home schooling parents' come under the description of heroes?

I had no intention of doing it, and then saw this tweet from NHS million - they don’t want clapping they want everyone to stay at home and stick to the rules. I didn’t hear anyone round here doing it.

Whilst it's kind that some people still want to clap, the best thing you could do for us is simply stay at home.

Please RT if you're happy to do that.

Please also share the reasons why you'll do it with the hashtag

#stayathomeforheroes

Thank you so much x

twitter.com/nhsmillion/status/1347269101425725441?s=21