To think this is absolute madness

[Sonspromcovid1]

DS’s school had to cancel the prom due to ‘freedom day’. For the record I will let DS go as it is still a right of passage and I do understand how upsetting not going would be. His school prom is due to be next Friday it will be almost 300 kids and staff at the hotel and teachers and that’s before even considering after proms and other social mixing. I know of one other prom that was allowed to go ahead and it turned into a super spreader event. Our area has a bellow than average vaccination rate and hardly any of DSs mates have got the jab so I would image very few people there will be vaccinated as well as our area having a high case rate. It just seems to me to be absolute madness especially when cases are still very high in our area and the school (sixth form) will just have gone back and it seems very likely that it would turn into a super spreader. I do get that the kids would all be very disappointed but Aibu to believe this is just madness to risk taking out most of year 12 and potentially infecting siblings in other year groups as well.

Just don't let him go then, which would be a shame if he wants to. Not everyone believes the world should stop spinning on its axis until cases are at zero

A prom is a super spreader event? I think you missed the bit where sporting fixtures with spectators and concerts are now back on, and have been for weeks. You’re being OTT as well as.m unreasonable.

Until the scientists are calling for reduced mixing because of the threat of a mutation, events should go ahead. Young people aren't responsible for the adults around them not being vaccinated. For those not at high risk of hospitalisation, now is the perfect time to get infected and have immunity until at least March.

Madness to me, I'd be actively encouraging my dc to go. But my dc school have been back two weeks and we've got two teachers and 30odd kids positive, yet others still swapping seats every two weeks, wtf???

Sorry, I'm not understanding your OP - your first sentence states the prom is cancelled, but then you write as if it isn't? Is it cancelled or not?

How can he go if it's cancelled?

I've been to two packed theatres in the past month.

Life needs to go on.

I don't understand your post. It's contradictory.

I read it as prom was cancelled in the summer term and had been rearranged to now.

Plenty of these sort of things going ahead now OP. I went to the theatre yesterday with over 300 people sat shoulder to shoulder. If you don't want to take part, don't, but it's perfectly legal now so if they want to go ahead with it they can.

This is the plan now though. Get it spread through everyone before the winter. Everything's back on.

Perhaps the event is a viable option because, like you, other parents are also choosing to let their children go.

DDs cancelled prom went ahead last week, no cases as far as we are aware. I'm so pleased she got to go, this age group have missed out on so much especially after the government shit show of exams.

She started sixth form a few days later so mixing with even more people so I really don't see the difference. But I'm very much of the opinion that we have to live with this virus so that's probably behind my reasoning. I want young people, and everyone else for that matter to live as near normal life as is possible whilst we are still working our way through the pandemic I want to see DD have fun with her mates rather than getting more and more low stuck in her room. She's sensible so I want her to take every opportunity considering what's gone on.

It will be all the same kids he mills about with at school in the corridors and at break times. I’ve been to the theatre, cinema, shopping centres, my kids clubs etc so I wouldn’t deny my kids attending a school party.

If prom is a super spreader event I take it schools, colleges and sixth forms must have some form of magical barrier to prevent the very same children spreading covid.

If all his peers are going he might as well go and have fun!

But yes I agree. Our school wouldn’t be doing this!

So what you're really saying is it would make your life easier if others were as anxious as you because then your projections wouldn't cause your child to miss out because the event would be cancelled. Don't let him go if it worries you but accept that millions of people are happy to get a grip and carry on.

One minute we were all hiding behind the sofa wearing a mask, the next its a free for all.

DS2 prom is next week. Risk v benefit? He needs his life back and I hope has a great time.

Another way to look at this is: vaccines only slightly reduce transmission but have good protection against serious illness. So older generations having the vaccine to protect themselves is of greater impact/effectiveness than these children having the vaccine or reducing contact in order to protect older generations.

These kids have given up a lot of rights of passage already and at 16-18 likely haven't had the chance (or have had little chance) to be fully vaccinated. Should we really even be considering making them sacrifice another major once in a lifetime event because a high proportion of, potentially at risk, adults in your area have decided not to get the vaccine?

Beyond proms this extends to uni's starting and 18th birthday parties. And all the fantastic things of my youth that I'm gutted to see other kids miss out on. You're only that age once.

And I say this as someone with risk factors who isn't fully vaccinated (waiting on second dose).

Try not to put a dampener on it. Let him go without making it obvious you're not fully in agreement with it.

@NorthLodgeAvenue

One minute we were all hiding behind the sofa wearing a mask, the next its a free for all.

I thought the country opened up gradually, with theatres, nightclubs, large events being the last?

I thought we had rule of six, no mixing families etc?

So it wasn't a free for all? However, now everything is open.

How long did you think we should restrict our lives?

I didn't say we should resrict our lives. Since I never went to big events previously my only experince is my small suburb and a few people I know.
Some of them appear to have flipped between absolute neurotic and carrying on as normal pretty quickly.

For what its worth, i never wore a mask outdoors and rarely inside.
I think children and young people have had an appalling time.

Wait, what's happening here? They had to cancel prom because of "freedom day" (not cases at the school), but you're still going to let him go because it's a rite of passage, and it's still next Friday? Is it canceled or not?

Regardless, those who don't want their children to go can keep them at home. The children here are all old enough to be vaccinated if they or their parents want them to be. If you don't want your son to go, don't let him go. But that's not a reason to prevent others from going by canceling the whole thing.

@PurpleOkapi

"The children here are all old enough to be vaccinated if they or their parents want them to be."

Are you in the U.K.?

I am and my local vaccine centre didn't start offering vaccine for over 18s until mid July, at which point it was turned from appointment only (for 30years+) to a walk in for anyone over 18.

Of the two closest walk-ins where someone aged 18 could get vaccinated earlier: one isn't achievable on public transport at all. The other is a 25min (£10) train ride away followed by a 15min bus journey (£5). So a lot of local people, including me, waited for the local centre.

I think OP means the original date for the prom was rescheduled and changed to next Friday.