Would you make your primary age child isolate from the rest of the house?

[Oileo]

Obviously presuming households with no additional clinical vulnerabilities or elderly relatives or risks.

I was online earlier with my son and a child mentioned they couldn’t do something as they have to isolate in their bedroom. I asked the mum by text, thinking it was a mix up, but she confirmed that her 8 yr old has a positive case in their school bubble (Keyworker parents, not though with health) so is isolating away from siblings/ parents in her bedroom. I know it’s certainly not her class’s first period off in isolation, so recently they have spent nearly a month in their room alone.

Tbf I luckily haven’t been in this position myself, but I guess I’d presumed households just mainly stayed in together and that’s what I’d planned to do if we had a positive contact. I can’t imagine not hugging or being close to my 8 yr old for over a week. Being practical we also all share bedrooms and have one bathroom anyway. The child seemed ok in themselves.

Yabu- yes, if our kids have had cases in their bubble they’ve stayed in their room alone for the period

Yanbu-we let them move around the house as normal

Even if DS tested positive o would not make him be on his own. He would still have free movement around the house, and even give cuddles etc if needed to make him feel comfort.

My nearly 8 year old got Covid a few weeks before the Christmas Holidays, it was rife in her class 15 kids out of 29. A few parents and siblings also tested positive but we our family were fine and there was no way she would keep away from us. ( she wasn’t even really poorly.

It depends on the child, mine wouldn't have liked it. DS1(17) has self isolated twice - once as a very close contact and once after testing positive. On both occasions he isolated totally away from us, own bathroom etc.

DS2 is 12 , I'm not sure he'd cope so well

My older children had Covid over xmas and we just carried on as usual. Tbf, they spend a lot of time in their rooms anyway but I didn't even consider them isolating away from the family.

I didn't get it.

Not a chance. 8 is far far too young to be kept away from all others in their own home.

I would absolutely judge a parent who forced a young child to isolate and have no contact with other family, although I sadly have seen posts on mn with parents doing this and saying their young child has to accept their (parents) health comes before them!

If, god forbid, the child ended up with covid, and suffered terribly, would they continue to isolate them? If not, then what’s the actual point of isolating them.

My 9 year old dd had to “self isolate” due to a case in her class. We did not lock her away - pointless as if she had got ill, I wouldn’t have stayed away from her!

@Confrontayshunme

I isolated alone and it kept the rest of my household safe, which is worth it. My 8yo would be lonely but cope. Others might not. It isn't abuse if your chhild undderstands and can cope. Even just 5 to 7 days out of 10 could protect the rest of the family.

But you’re an adult and more able to take care of yourself. Would you leave a poorly child alone?

Wtf. Umm. That's nuts.

If the test was positive I can see the rational but it is unkind. The whole pandemic is unkind.
Both teens had had to self isolate due to positive in their bubble at school. We decided not to isolate unless symptoms.
Thinking about it, I would probably join our 8 year old upstairs away from overtime and try to keep distance I suppose. Very difficult decision.

I wouldnt even do if my child tested positive! Poor kid

8? EIGHT?!

And they haven't even got symptoms themselves? WTF? I agree with others, that is abuse.

No, I think that’s cruel.

Yes, no way would I (and didn't actually when we had it) isolate anyone with symptoms or a positive test away from anyone else in the house. It would just cause more stress anyway tbh. And certainly not one of my children.

God, just seen the kid hasn’t even tested positive! Those parents need professional help - their anxiety must be through the roof to do something so bonkers!

I have dd 7 and 9. Would not even consider isolating them. They spend most of their time around the house, with each other or us. They are affectionate and need attention and cuddles. It would be cruel to isolate them.

No I wouldn’t.

No way! My boys are 11 and 6 and they both love hugs and just being together. I couldn’t do that to them.

As a kid that age I’d have loved that! No mean brothers, my own space, my books, a tv... Win.

No that's crazy

Positive case in your bubble is only isolate at home. No personal isolation needed unless you are positive yourself (gov guidelines) and even that would be tough to achieve with a child so young.
She's mistaken and needs to know, that poor child! 🥺
Really easy to say this but we have 4 kids, 2 of who are vulnerable, and my dh is extremely vulnerable. If it came down to it it might have to go that way but it also depends on the child, people using the words abusive and barbaric possibly have very sensitive children, also it depends how you talk your child through it. I, like someone above, had to isolate as a child, my parents used to being food to the door, my brothers and sisters would sit outside the door and chat in, a tv was put in my room as was a stack of new comics. Now if my parents had come to the door upset and constantly asking how did I feel now, and now? I'd have been panicked and upset. They didn't, we laughed a lot about it and it's firmly in the 'good times' category!

No! And I’m pretty sure there isn’t a rule anywhere that says you have to isolate from the house just because someone in school bubble is positive. It’s only if you show symptoms / test positive you have to SI from everyone. There is no way my 8yo would cope.

No way. If one of them was actually ill we would try and keep dh away from him as he tends to get any virus quite badly (is otherwise healthy). But I can’t imagine banishing them to their rooms especially if “just” a contact. . If teenagers and happy to hide away though, that’s different

That is abusive. It is failing to meet a young child's emotional needs.

No i would not leave him alone