to ask for advice on 10 days in hotel quarantine with DD 6 & 9!?

[newtoedinburgh]

We are moving back to the UK in a few weeks, we face 10 days in a hotel room with our 2 daughters. We would wait until post pandemic but we can't, our visas are about to expire where we are. Looking for any tips from anyone who has done it already. We will be flying up to Edinburgh but seems we will quarantine first in a Heathrow hotel. 10 days is a fuckin g long time in one room let alone with my 2 children. But there we go. Has anyone seen any blogs or brilliant articles on how other people have coped. I should add my DH is also travelling. We may be the 4 of us in interconnecting rooms, but if there are none available we will be split for the entire stay, I will have DD6 he will have DD10.

Not looking for advice on how to avoid it, just how to 'cope' so to speak
THANKS x

Can you break your journey in an Amber country, then at least you can avoid the hotel quarantine and perhaps release after five days.

Thanks all, I knew mumsnet would have some advice.

Looked into all amber list options already, sadly for some it is not possible. This is the reality for Brits trying to come home from certain countries. Even if one does manage a loophole they change all the time, very difficult to get a corporate to agree to flying us through amber (even if we were allowed to) Thanks though.

Any more tips on how to spend time greatly appreciated!!!

Obviously a kindle + charger.

I think a tablet each and headphones could help too:

Time to binge watch the series you always wanted to watch, but they might be unsuitable for the kids.

You can do some colouring when you are watching, make some friendship bracelets - things that don't take space in your luggage but help kill time.

I'd be really military about it and write out a schedule in hourly chunks. Could you use the 10 days to learn a new skill together.
Electro swing dancing - loads of beginner tutorials on you tube.
Write a family history/ diary of memories together.
Learn to play chess. I taught my boys from 7. They picked it up easily enough. Online or travel set.
Facebook group "postcards of kindness". You can design your own cards to send.

Art, pack a sketchbook and pencils, the watercolor pencils can be nice and add a different way of using them. Youtube has loads of how to draw tutorials.

Would they enjoy learning how to knit/crochet/cross stitch? Get some origami paper, again lots of tutorials online.

Learning to code with Scratch? It's all online and there are some activities to get them started here codeclub.org/en/

Love the idea of learning how to juggle (balled up socks are good and don't make a big thud when dropped)

If you are separated, how about some games each day over Zoom.
We've done things like hodl an object really close to the webcam, gradually move it back, how soon can the other team guess what it is.

Scavenger hunts, first team to find the object gets a point. Doesn't have to be just objects either, we've had things like "best item to propel a golf ball" which can lead to hilarious arguments between the teams.

If that sort of silliness appeals, try some of the taskmaster hometasking tasks. taskmaster.tv/hometasking

Use the whiteboard on Zoom to play dictionary.

The 10 days in themselves are not that bad. They do sound worst than they are, but if you were stuck home studying for final exam, they would fly. With unlimited books, internet, you can keep entertained.

Its the lack of physical activity the killer. Youtube is your friend for that.

Avoid snacking all day and stick with a couple of "treat/snack" time a day for the kids and you.

@newtoedinburgh

Thanks all, I knew mumsnet would have some advice.

Looked into all amber list options already, sadly for some it is not possible. This is the reality for Brits trying to come home from certain countries. Even if one does manage a loophole they change all the time, very difficult to get a corporate to agree to flying us through amber (even if we were allowed to) Thanks though.

Any more tips on how to spend time greatly appreciated!!!

I guess that means that your isolation is being paid for by an employer? Like others I’d have suggested going via amber list, would rather pay the money for what could be a holiday rather than hotel imprisonment in the UK! But if you aren’t having to foot the bill yourselves then I guess that isn’t a consideration.

iPads/laptops and plenty of screen time would be my only saviour otherwise… And lots of wine!!

Choose your hotel wisely, some are better than others!

amber loophole doesn't work for all countries, we are in a red list country that is not allowed to travel to any amber countries at the moment (unless we are citizens of said country)

For moving around a bit, would you be able to get them a switch with a ring fit? It has exercise games and it has a quiet mode as well, they wouldn't need to jump around.

@earfling you can't choose your hotel unfortunately

Ooo a switch is a good idea!

Hi, there are a couple of FB groups that I’m on. One is U.K. hotel quarantine support chat and the other is Returning to the U.K. from a red list country (summer 2021). They are full of good advice. I’ve decided to try and do it via an amber country, but I’m not travelling with children so can take that risk. Good luck!

@agentprovocateur great tips thanks. GOOD LUCK!

Do whatever it takes to survive. I was living abroad last year when our visa expired and we had to return back to the UK, luckily we could do the 14 day quarantine in a named address. We booked a airbnb as didn’t want to risk exposing family and this wasn’t when testing was so readily available.

We had a routine of sorts, we were all recovering from
jet lag so we didn’t wake too early which was good as jr took up some of the day.

Play, breakfast, getting ready for the day
Bit of school work
Lunch
An hour of exercise
Creative time - lego, colouring, making etc
An hour of reading
Either movie or video game time
Dinner
finish movie or board game
bed

Not going to lie it was bad enough when we were in a place where we could freely move around. Can you get things delivered? ie can you order some creative t things from amazon and have them delivered?

My kids, when they were that age, loved building Lego sets. They could sit for hours doing that.

I'd take loads of non-perishable food if allowed as from what I've seen on Twitter, the catering is better in prisons.

Teach them chess and chequers (does the hotel allow deliveries if so order a set of each)
Deck of cards teach them some card games
Joe Wicks workouts each day
A tonne of screen time.
Long bubble baths.
Kindle e books.
Pick a TV quiz show and watch it together every day.

I had to stay in a single hotel room with my family for a month as a child. Ok, not enforced in our rooms. But I remember it as an amazing adventure, even though it was probably awful for my parents. Also we once broke down and were stuck in a motorway service station hotel for 3 days - that was fun too! So I recommend not telling your kids you are dreading it and try to make the best of things.

@colouringpencils ha! I love the sound of 3 days in a motorway service station. Tbf the kids are pretty casual about it. We are remaining very chilled about it around them. Its hard at times!

It's funny the things you enjoy as a child!

You could do theme days - each day you could discuss the theme e.g. today is 'Italy day' - we're going to learn all about Italy, learn some Italian and paint Italian flags OR today is 'Elephant day' we're going to learn about elephants, make clay elephants/draw elephants, watch funny youtube clips of elephants and watch the Jungle Book on Disney+?

Yes my DH thought theme days might work well..

Obviously you can’t choose the hotel you get put to, but hopefully you’ll have one with an enclosed outdoor space like a courtyard so you can get out for exercise. Also, Deliveroo etc will deliver these hotels, very expensive every day but worth it for a treat in the middle of your stay.

Online exercise! You need to be exercising a lot for the endorphins. The whole thing will be much better if you are as high as a kite and taking actual drugs is frowned upon around children so endorphins are the best you can do. I’d do three lots of Joe Wicks a day.