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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is anyone else not rushing out to do fun things?

61 replies

Rube51 · 22/05/2021 11:26

Exactly that. My Facebook is full of parents who are off to the cinema, soft play, theme parks etc! Which is lovely and great we can do that again but am I the only one who's not in a immediate rush? 😂

For one they are all going to be heaving and I can't deal with that. I'm feeling a bit under the weather after 2nd covid jab too.

I just don't feel ready to go back to normal. Once my kids go to soft play once again they will want to go every weekend! 😂

To add, we aren't totally stuck in doing nothing. Dp has took the kids to his mums for lunch over there. We may go into town later to pick a few things up!

But the thought of cinema, soft play, theme parks, swimming is raising my blood pressure thinking about it 😂

Feel like a terrible mother that we aren't doing all these fun things!

OP posts:
Onceuponatime1818 · 22/05/2021 12:15

We’ve enjoyed swimming, and one lot of soft play- made me wonder why I missed it!

CatsPyjama · 22/05/2021 12:38

We didn’t do trampolining, farms or cinema that often pre covid! We are back to swimming lessons on a weekend. To be honest I quite liked my quiet weekends.

I did ‘rush’ to the pub last night with my friends though, it was great to do that again.

Original poster
Rube51 · 22/05/2021 12:44

Thanks all. I can totally totally understand why people want to get out and about now! we felt we had to be doing something all the time before covid and we've realised we don't have to and can stay at home sometimes. Of course we will do odd 'fun' things. We went to a wildlife park a few weeks ago - all outside. I just don't feel ready. I appreciate things will not be as busy as before covid due to limited numbers but even with limited numbers it's still busy for us - DS is autistic and doesn't like busy places.

I live in a touristy area too. Generally the roads, towns and beaches are much too busy for me! I'm not used to this after a long winter plus even more quiet due to covid.

This isn't just about covid just my general hatred of crowds and people 😂 gives me massive anxiety!

OP posts:
brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 22/05/2021 12:49

I feel the same as you OP. I have become far less interested in us participating in these “experiences” which I never really enjoyed and also feel like they generally provide minimal quality while extracting maximum price. During restrictions it was nice (for me sorry) that these things were off the menu. I don’t want them back on the menu and will avoid as long as possible.

elephantasia · 22/05/2021 12:52

I live in fear that they will all close again by mid August so best get out and do them while we can. Even though I really don't feel like it I just do it to be honest I just do it anyway. I did the same last year June/ October and was glad I did because by the time we went back into lockdown in November the kids had had a few months of fun and normality

OloBo · 22/05/2021 13:01

I’m a mixture.

We’re holding off a couple of weeks on some things to avoid the rush, there are lots of things we just no longer value, and other things were desperate to do.

Newnamefor2021 · 22/05/2021 13:14

We are starting to do things, but not soft play or cinema etc. We have formed an extended household with my parents and kids are so happy to spend time at my parents. So I'm lucky like that lol I've had 12 months of them begging to go to Nana's 😆 so everyday is like Disneyland right now and nana is loving having them 😆

DH and I both have been our for meals with friends though and we MAY possibly do swimming as we are away for half term.

Arrowheart · 22/05/2021 13:19

I'm the same. Just not in the mood at all. It is all still a bit joyless with masks and distancing and hand sanitiser everywhere.

PumpkinPie2016 · 22/05/2021 13:25

We wouldn't normally do cinema/trampoline parks etc on normal weekends as I work full time in a very demanding job, plus DS is at school all week so we tend to chill at home. We may go to the park/see my mum and dad etc.

This week though, I have seen my sister and me, DH and DS went out for a meal last night for DH's birthday. It was really lovely -so good to actually do something normal!

We have half term coming up and have booked cinema and swimming. Will meet up with my Auntie one day. Probably go to the park/cafe in the next village and aim for a meal out in DS's favourite local restaurant. So quite a lot really.

SpnBaby1967 · 22/05/2021 13:38

I simply couldn't afford to pay for the 5 of us to do that sort of thing every weekend 😳 a trip to the local farm is over £100! A meal out the same. Cinema again would be a good £50 plus popcorn etc.

They are a treat, a treat I'm happy to do of occasion but if done all the time they go from treat to expected and I dont want my kids to grow up feeling entitled to that kind of thing.

I grew up in extreme poverty where 3 meals a day was a "treat", so maybe my outlook is skewed a bit anyway.

Plus, right now I couldn't deal with how busy these places probably are with everyone desperate to do them.

EssentialHummus · 22/05/2021 13:47

I'm not rushing into things - I’m at my wits’ end with masks, security theatre etc. But I’ve booked a nice restaurant for me and DH for a few weeks’ time, and would gladly go to soft play on a rainy Friday if it wasn’t hugely crowded/busy (it is - not too much is open). I think in time we’ll do more.

Imissmoominmama · 22/05/2021 13:49

I thought I’d want to get out to restaurants again, but I actually don’t. I’ve settled into a pattern of avoiding other people and realised that I quite enjoy solitude.

I don’t have young children though.

Barton10 · 22/05/2021 14:09

I had a week off this week and we went to the London Dungeon and went on the London Eye. It was really quiet all over London. Now is the time to go before the tourists are back,

Bagamoyo1 · 22/05/2021 14:26

I’m not scared of mixing again, but it all seems such a big hassle, and that’s what puts me off. You can’t just turn up to places any more. You have to book, and jump through hoops, fill in forms etc, and when you get there it’s not as good as it used to be because of all the rules and restrictions.

Januaryissodull · 22/05/2021 14:52

I'm not rushing no.

Dc are back at all of their activities/hobbies, and to be honest we are all a bit knackered from the schedule.

I've also got used to not spending money, so paying £40 for an hour at a trampoline park or £50 for a pub lunch just doesn't seem that appealing right now.

I'm also a bit put off by all of the rules and regulations. Sucks the fun out of some things. I made the most of the freedoms of last Summer and Autumn so don't feel like I haven't been anywhere.

We will get back out there, but I've noticed things are a lot busier this reopening. Last Summer we went to family swim at the pool and there's only be one or two other families. This time it's booked up weeks in advance.

myhobbyisouting · 22/05/2021 15:03

"a trip to the local farm is over £100! A meal out the same. Cinema again would be a good £50 plus popcorn etc."

Where are you that this is the case? I've a friend who does this and exaggerates the price of everything. The result of it is that they rarely do anything and her kids don't know why they never see films etc.

Your local farm is over £20 entry even for children? Really?

Vue cinemas across the country are £4.99 a ticket so that's £25 for your family of 5. Last time I bought a bag of haribo and a family sharer of popcorn at Home Bargains it came to around £1. If you go on a Tuesday using Meerkat Movies it would be just £10 for 4 of you.

A meal out is over £100? Well yes, it can be, or it can be £30 depending where you go.

I really don't understand why people do this but find it fascinating tbh. I have asked my friend and she just changes the subject and won't discuss it. Even when I countered her claim that "you're looking at £50 for the cinema" and pointed out we could go the 6 of us with snacks for less than a tenner per family she just wouldn't even consider it.

AuntieMarys · 22/05/2021 15:06

My dcs are adult so just the 2 of us...our diary is full till mid July. I would be full up till October if I knew when an operation I'm waiting for, happens.

Abracadabra12345 · 22/05/2021 15:07

@OldTinHat

I live alone and have been signed off work for a good while so I've not seen anyone or family in a couple of years. When the cinema opened on Wednesday I was straight there and have been every day since and will be again in a couple of hours. It's not at all busy, maybe eight or 10 people at a film in a multiplex so it's big. I can go days without actually speaking so I'm very happy now!
Wow that sounds amazing! My favourite thing used to be going to a matinee and if I was the only one there, it felt even better! Usually it was me and a few of us singly dotted around.

I went to the cinema today and it was fantastic to see it so busy in the ticket / lobby area. There are 10 screens and it all seemed very orderly. You could see everyone looking happy and excited, just doing ordinary things again. We saw Peter Rabbit 2 by the way, lots of laughter! We are an all-adult family by the way....

Afterwards we went to a Carvery which apparently was fully booked all day so it’s good to see cinemas and restaurants doing well. We had the first sitting so there was hardly anyone around. I think the key is to go early to avoid crowds.

Going out has given me a real lift, and it’s been good to spend time together. But everyone is different and if I wasn’t double vaccinated, maybe I’d feel a little more wary, who knows? I did see everyone behaving well and good order in the places we went to.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 22/05/2021 15:25

We're not. I've had both jabs but medication I'm on means they probably won't work well. Doctors have told me not to go to the supermarket for example.

WeAreTheHeroes · 22/05/2021 15:27

I'm waiting for my second vaccination before going to restaurants, pubs, etc. It's next week so not long to go.

Swishswish26 · 22/05/2021 15:34

I went to a trampoline park yesterday evening with dc and it was so quiet. Friday night pre- Covid would have been heaving.
Also visited a tearoom yesterday and there was only one other couple in there.
I feel like I should be doing more now that things are opening up but for me, the fear of being contacted by test and trace and being in isolation for ten days puts me off.

tattleandbagels · 22/05/2021 15:36

but still EVERY week. I don't know how people do it or quite frankly want to.

simply because it's an easy way to entertain the kids! That's how I relax personally Grin

I get all the chores done during the week before I start my day, made much easier since I had to WFH, make a point of not doing any chore at the weekend. I don't enjoy being stuck at home and feel so guilty for the kids, so we try to get all the sports done in one day, and do the outings the next.

On my part, it's sheer laziness: days out are so much easier, I don't even have to entertain the kids.

CounsellorTroi · 22/05/2021 15:41

Not rushing. Waiting for the novelty to wear off.

NeedNewKnees · 22/05/2021 15:45

I very much miss cinema and meals out. I'm waiting to see if there's a spite or not.

myhobbyisouting · 22/05/2021 15:51

"Waiting for the novelty to wear off."

This just means you personally won't feel the benefit of it being nice and quiet. So many people saying it's "heaving" and that it's a "novelty" so it must be busy when in actual fact there's around 10 people in the cinema and hardly anyone at the trampoline parks etc.

By the time you get round to it it will be back up to capacity. Makes zero sense

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