Will you let your kids out and about to play?

[RhodaCamel]

My dc are 12 and 14 and used to going out in the village with their mates. They have been off school for the last 2 days and after doing their school work come the afternoon they are climbing the walls (especially 14 year old ds). He wants to go out around the village for a few hours each day with his mates (walking or on his bike). I’ve told him that as long as they keep their distance from one another, that he doesn’t go into their houses or they come in ours it should be fine.
I’m walking the dog with dd or going for bike rides with her but she has also started to say she wants to go out with her friend.
I suppose the only saving grace about this whole nightmare is that we are heading towards spring and summer.
So just wondering are you letting your older dc out?

I can't believe you're even considering this. I've got three, two of whom are 15 and 13 and won't be allowing them to see friends etc. until social distancing and isolation is no longer a requirement. Yes, they'll get bored, but tough, I'm asking them to stay within the confines of our property, not donate a kidney to me.

Your attitude is just silly. Children don’t keep at a distance. They are creating a mixing pot of risk to spread around the locality, including back to vulnerable people.
Their boredom doesn’t trump other people’s right to life.

No. Social distancing..... what's the point closing schools!

No! Why aren’t people getting this. Genuine question-are they not watching the news, not understanding the risk, not thinking it will happen...?

Nope mine are staying in the house or on sunny days back garden at best. We need to start taking this seriously, we are going to be worse than Italy very soon within a matter of a few weeks.

What part of social distancing do people not understand? Short answer no. You shouldn't be meeting up with friends, social distance is not hanging around town with a few friends, it's annoying yes and the weather's picking up however its required now

No, I have asthma and one of my son's best friends lives with grandparents.

No. Let them video call their mates instead.

Definitely not. I’m a key worker nhs and I’m waking 45 minutes to work (after parking the only place I can park) to avoid public transport so I can stay healthy. Why bother doing this when the kids are just going to spread it anyway? We all have to do our bit or we end up in a bad situation

Walking not waking

No, no and no my children are not going out.
Social distancing does not mean meeting up with friends because there is no school.

Why social distancing matters.

We will be going out and about as a family to the park every day to get fresh air. DS1 (12) will not be hanging out with his mates as the concept of 'social distance' is impossible for DC to follow. Once school finishes today then the only social stuff they'll be doing will be strictly policed by me. We might walk the dog while talking to friends, but we all need to stay physically apart from one another so we can knock this fucking virus on the head asap. Let's all be part of the solution, not the problem.

They may as well be in school, and not super-spreading in the wider community.

No mine are in. They are quite understanding. Even my 18 year old is not going out. They know there's a good chance their dad with lung damage will be very poorly if he gets it.

Utterly selfish I'm afraid OP, their boredom doesn't trump everyone else's safety. You, and the many others like you, are the reason this virus is still spreading.

No!

The is nothing wrong with going for walks if you can do so whilst staying at least 2 meters away from anyone. The problem with teens hanging out is whether they will keep that distance? Sadly probably not after a while.

If they're climbing the walls you can go for walks - heading out of the village away from people and keeping 2 meters + from anyone you see from a distance.

From Italy: Our teens were going stir-crazy at home. Their friends were going out, and the government hadn't told us to restrict their activities. So, reasoning that this was a disease that didn't strike teenagers, we told them to wash their hands and unleashed them onto the sidewalks and piazzas, into other people's cars and homes. Nearly two weeks later, I realize that this was a mistake. But this wasn't the only one that contributed to Italy's demise amid the coronavirus outbreak. To help prevent my American friends from making similar misguided choices, I've compiled a list of do's and don'ts for families in the US - a list I wish I'd had only a couple of weeks ago. The only thing that could have prevented - or mitigated - this tragedy in Italy is social distancing. I'm not talking about a high-five instead of a handshake, or grandchildren not hugging their grandparents. I'm talking about not being close to another human being who is not your immediate family. This is the only available and effective measure to help slow the transmission of the disease.

No, mine will be staying home, inside or in the garden.

It's not going to be great but it is what it is & the better we stick to the advice hopefully the quicker this virus will be under control & gone & we can all go back to our lives.

this can't be real.....you on the wind up here op?

No I won't be allowing it (mine are the same age as yours) because that would be utterly stupid and irresponsible.

No, sorry :( I'm letting DS1 go to the pokemon gym as long as he agrees to stay 1.5 metres away from people. We go for a family walk in the woods near our house. It's best to keep distance. Even this is not great as it's so hard to avoid social custom! For example the other day I found myself holding the door in our flats for another family and afterwards thought what am I doing?? But the urge not to just let the door shut in their face was too strong! :/

I don't understand why there's been so many threaDs of people still asking the same question. Social distancing...distance yourself from unnecessary contact so no they shouldn't be out playing as sad as that is.

Should add DS1 doesn't have any friends locally as his school is further away, so he's not running into people to chat with, he literally just goes to the location and comes back.