Anyone else's Parents swanning about as if they are immortal?

[Namechange2020onceagain]

Just had a chat with my Mum, she then asked if I want anything from B&Q as they are popping in there tomorrow! This is after they went shopping to Sainsburys this morning and then said they are going again on Friday.

I have said I will get any shopping they need, but they keep going out.

FFS they are both over 70 and my Dad will die if he gets the virus. They are not taking it seriously at all.

And I mean an actual walk, not a walk to the shops!

Between me and my DB my parents are doing as they're bloody well told!

I think that some inter-generational hostility might get stirred up by this if people in their 70s and older don't start taking this seriously. Some people of working age will think along the lines of, "why are we losing our jobs and social lives, to protect a group of people who aren't doing their bit to protect themselves?"

This times a billion. I’m certainly beginning to see a few people in a very different light. It’s bad enough we’ll be home educating our kids stuck inside trying to manage full time jobs if we are lucky enough to keep them. The cafes and supermarkets were bursting with older people today. My neighbour was showing off about having the roads a bit clearer to run his unnecessary errands down B and Q.

My friend suggested we take their pensions off them to pay for the damage to the economy if they keep on. I don’t think they truly understand how pissed off people are getting and they could in for a big shock.

My parents are still planning to do childcare for my sister because “she can’t afford it.” I pointed out that my father, who has a raft of serious health issues and nearly died last year, can’t afford to catch coronavirus either, and that’s literally life and death not about money.

They then told me children don’t get coronavirus anyway, and won’t believe me when I tell them otherwise “then why aren’t the schools shut?”

I despair.

My mum called me today to tell me work have sent her home due to her underlying health conditions for the next 12 weeks. I’ve been worrying about her going to work a anyway as she has to use public transport. All good, until she informed me she was just popping to the shopping centre and then going for coffee before actually going home 🙄. She honestly just doesn’t think it will affect her it’s crazy!

@BiarritzCrackers

Our place is trying to stay open as long as possible but yeah, we will be losing our jobs.. it’s just a matter of time. We’re hoping to last to the end of the month. Interactions with the older generation through work has been very much that they don’t want to isolate.

I don’t hate anyone making that decision but I’m going to be quite honest, I have very little sympathy if things goes balls up for them.

The governments plan won’t work because the people that should be self isolating aren’t, so it will end up like the rest of Europe where curfews are in place.

Mine buggered off to St Lucia and now can’t get back.

So blasé about everything.

thenightsky - your mother-in-law will probably outlive you, the amount you are stressing.

Go grannies. Most of them probably know we are being played. You don't get to that age without noticing the social engineering going on.

Lol I'm so sorry but reading the first few posts, if you take away the seriousness of it all, did make me chuckle. I have no input other than that...but I do hope all of your parents manage to stay safe 💕

I think that some inter-generational hostility might get stirred up by this if people in their 70s and older don't start taking this seriously. Some people of working age will think along the lines of, "why are we losing our jobs and social lives, to protect a group of people who aren't doing their bit to protect themselves?"

No. I don't just blame them. I blame the idiots going abroad and going straight into work afterwards. I don't think "stupid" has a particular age range.

Let your parents make their own decisions they are grown ups!!

Well maybe they could start acting like grown ups and listen to the advice they have been given.
I have parents that can’t see the risks. No one needs to go for a coffee and meet friends. It isn’t essential for them to go food shopping each day (they have a full chest freezer and cupboards full of food) and they certainly shouldn’t be browsing in shops for something to do. TBF, my dm doesn’t fall in to the at risk categories so is free to go about her business as usual, but df is very much at risk. Dm was annoyed earlier that I said I didn’t need her to collect the dc from school and take them back to their house, she’s just not getting the issue at all and won’t listen to the reasoning as of course she knows best.
My next argument will be that if df need a hospital bed at the same time as someone much younger with no extra issues, and there is only one bed available, who will get the bed. Becasue I don’t think they will be choosing a 69 year disabled man over a normally healthy 30 year old and unfortunately it could well come to that which is a massive worry. They seem to think the NHS Will work miracles and will be fine. I’m not convinced.

DH was unconvinced that his dm should be self isolating, but I did mention that the options were staying in or catching the virus and dying and he’s kind of coming round to the idea now. We’ve been helped as her church has suspended all activities so she now has nowhere to go.

Yep doing same as usual whilst my dad who is high risk is saying he may as well be measured up for his coffin on his Facebook. Nothing I can do they’re capable of making their own decisions if I agree or not.

DM is fine, she really prefers to be at home and is relieved to have the excuse . Though I don’t think she realises why we are running around installing key safes etc.

However my dear aunt thinks I’m over reacting saying no my DM won’t be joining her for lunch next week, please stay at home. Apparently my grandmother was indomitable and aunt thinks that she is invincible too. I despair.

Yes! My in laws which is so frustrating as mother in law always refused to be near our kids if they were ill as 'a cold could kill fil!' And now there is an illness that genuinely could kill him and she wont take online shopping seriously as she thinks I will take her and she can pop out for bits everyday and go to the pub for lunch like they usually do.

Going out is fine, but you still have to avoid getting close to people (ie not within 4 metres), which pretty much rules out shops, public transport and all social activities. No problem with sitting at distance in a garden with a friend. It is horrible, no doubt,and for some it will be impossible or particularly awful, which is why everyone else needs to come good. My mum loves on her own and faithfully following the rules as of this afternoon. She is nervous about it, as are her friends, but they are beginning to get their heads round it (it has almost been like the stages of grief) and sharing ways to maintain a social life without breaking the rules.

I just had to read my mum the riot act about need and not want. She has said they are not going now, but I'm not sure I believe it

OMG I could have written your post! 😡

Our local town was absolutely full of older people today. My son works in retail and I asked if his shop was really slow, but he said he'd never seen so many older customers.

Yep. We live a long way from FIL, so rang to offer to do either an online order for delivery or for click and collect, but he said no thanks - he will just nip to the co-op three times a week.

Arghhhhh.

I live in Ireland. We have just under 300 cases today. The estimate for end of March is 15,000 cases. The leader of our Government gave a public broadcast tonight - they are asking us all to self distance in order to flatten the curve as otherwise the speed of infection is going to overwhelm our health service. They have asked retired staff health care and those working overseas to come home and work. 10,000 hotel rooms are being set up to care for the number of patients they reckon will need care outside the home. Our national football stadium has become a drive through testing station. All schools, universities crèches are closed since Thursday. my Dads nursing home is in lock down. pubs and gyms are closed. Theaters clubs all deserted. Nobody out tonight on St Patrick's day. The normal rate of death here is 30,000 per annum. This year it will be about 80,000 but that's if they can't contain it. We are trying everything we can here in Ireland. Be good neighbors help us in this.

My parents are at it too I’m afraid. My dad is definitely in the high vulnerability group yet today he pooped out to get the car serviced, did a food shop, and dropped into church to collect a massive cake he’d left there, then to find a group holding a funeral had come across the cake and had started eating it!
They should all be fitted with tags, so we concerned children can keep our beady eyes on them

I think it’s so selfish and have genuinely lost respect for my in-laws over their behavior and ignorance. I do put a lot of blame with the government for being so utterly useless as well.

So comforting to read I’m not alone. They’re driving me mad!

Well impressed with my aged parents 83 and 87 with health conditions. Shut themselves away a week ago and agree that a coffee morning is not worth dying for.
But people generally won't stop going out unless the government/ police/ army stop them. My DD 17 agrees with social distancing in theory and for other people, but spent the afternoon with her friends at costa and wandering round the shops. But as she says she's just spent the morning at college with them so what's the difference? I said enjoy it while you can because by next week it won't be government advice, it'll be stay at home. Period.

We have the opposite problem. We're isolating ourselves from family and friends as DP has high risk health issues. DSS thinks his Dad is overreacting. Apparently there's no need/it's all a big fuss about nothing/it's caused by chemical warfare type shit. Despite his DW being a nurse, his chronic bell enditis has never been officially diagnosed. 🤪

I THINK my DPs and PILs have got the message from me, my DH and my DSis but I spoke to my elderly neighbours yesterday through the window and said to let me know if they needed shopping or prescriptions collecting (they have a lot of serious health issues) and they said they were fine for shopping/ had full freezer etc. thanks and would let me know if they needed prescriptions collecting. Today I bumped into them in our crowded slightly ransacked LIDL and they said well, they'd had to go to the GP for usual blood tests so thought they'd just pop in for a few bits and pieces.

I despair really and am starting to think that a lockdown may be the only answer.