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Original poster

Can my kids go to the park or not?

381 replies

NeedANewJob19 · 27/03/2020 13:13

I have name changed for this and prepared to be flamed.

My teenage DSs (13 and 16) have been going to the park near our house for one hour each day this week. They go together, they don’t meet up with anyone and they avoid other people using the park. They don’t go to the playground part, they just take a football and have a kick around together just the two of them. I was under the impression that this was ok.
Someone on my Facebook posted a picture yesterday if a group of kids at the same park and I could see my two in the background of the photo. No where near the kids featured just way in the background. This person wouldn’t know my kids. Everyone was commenting about how irresponsible this was and berating the parents, I daren’t comment on it but wanted to check opinions on here. I was assuming they were so angry because it was group of kids presumably not from the same household but now I’m not sure I should be letting my kids do what they’ve been doing

OP posts:
NewYearNewJob123 · 27/03/2020 15:58

TheOrigBrave. Is there also a sign saying 2 members of the same household aren't allowed to play together with a ball?

Thought not.

TheArchSorcererofContwaraburg · 27/03/2020 15:58

I would say that it was unreasonable because kicking a football about between two kids who are used to doing a lot of sport is not really that much exercise, it's not like playing a proper game where there is some running and changes of speed and direction involved. They would be better to go for a proper run or to work out a circuit they could do together involving say star jumps, timed running, stretches , lunges etc, anything that did not involve equipment or touching surfaces.

FFS, you can do BOTH. You can exercise more than once a day, once in the park kicking a ball and once at home with a HIIT workout, hell, you can exercise all day. WTF is a 'proper run'? Some people hate running. I find it boring AF personally. They're out getting fresh air and exercising. It's fine!

MN is batshit at this time.

TheArchSorcererofContwaraburg · 27/03/2020 16:00

God, yes, if you saw a video online, it must be true. Hmm

Grandmi · 27/03/2020 16:00

Yes I would definitely let them go ,as long as it’s just the two boys and they play away from others .

nanbread · 27/03/2020 16:02

I think it's ok if you can trust them. We take a ball with us as otherwise our (younger) children will moan and not do any running around - which is the whole point of getting out.

Grandmi · 27/03/2020 16:02

I am more concerned about all the joggers who are out showing absolutely no regard for the 2 metre distancing...it’s a real problem where I live!

maggiso · 27/03/2020 16:03

I’m finding the rules difficult to interpret too. We have been told to stay at home except for the 4 reasons mentioned. To me that means we can go into our gardens- ( front or back as long as it’s 2 meters from non household members) but people on here keep saying stay ‘indoors’ which is the advice for the most vulnerable group.

maggiso · 27/03/2020 16:06

And yes I can’t see what is wrong with 2 teenage brothers kicking a ball about between just the 2 of them if the park is big enough to keep well clear of others and space not to be a nuisance to other park users.

larrygrylls · 27/03/2020 16:09

Eckhart,

Breathing hard=expelling aerosol. Why is that weird? And they are not observing social distancing at all, they are too obsessed with the run.

There is also evidence that if you are infected after HARD exercise, your chances of becoming very sick or dying are increased considerably, so yes, maybe I do think it would be sensible to ban running.,

Happy to link to the research if you are sceptical.

Hoggleludo · 27/03/2020 16:09

@mumwon

Not if you're on public property. It comes under the same law as if you were to take w photo of a bike. Or a lake.

It's hoe the news can film places. Without having to get everyone's consent.

However if they take w photo of someone in your garden. That's a whole new set of laws.

Hoggleludo · 27/03/2020 16:10

Woah. Excuse all those mistakes.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 27/03/2020 16:10

Group yoga session, not ok. Just like meeting up with a walking group is not ok.

Define a group though. Individuals all staying 2 metres apart - are they a group? In which case individuals walking, two metres apart are a group then.

But I do agree that if you don't have any, it might be better for you to stay indoors.

Thanks for that. I'm being shielded anyway so no choice but to stay in.

Thepigeonsarecoming · 27/03/2020 16:11

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras I agree completely that it’s open to interpretation. Last weekend everyone used their own common sense and the parks and beaches were packed

Re the yoga example a friend of mine posted on Facebook last weekend about doing a yoga class in the local busy park and justified it was fine as it observed social distancing. Then Monday it was announced we were all on restrictions because the parks and beaches were packed! She is the head of an Council Education Department

If people continue to interpret and do get it wrong then we will all be on total lockdown

I don’t see how hard it would be for the government to clarify this in their daily brief

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 27/03/2020 16:12

TheArchSorcererofContwaraburg

Was that aimed at me? If so, it is true it's on the crematorium website, it's just that the undertaker has taken a video of it which makes it all the more real.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 27/03/2020 16:13

Thepigeonsarecoming

I completely agree with you.

Eckhart · 27/03/2020 16:14

larrygrylls

I don't doubt the research. My point is that the flouting of social distancing law is the problem.

viques · 27/03/2020 16:15

archsorcerer

I would call a proper run a run where you warm up, run , cool down . Where your legs, heart and lungs are worked and you end up slightly breathless at the end of it.

If the OPs kids alternated a run with some circuit work on other days they would get more out of their hour of outside exercise than kicking a ball to each other.

Alsohuman · 27/03/2020 16:15

I love this thread. So grateful for some humour and common sense. (Some of) you are my people.

Bingeslayer · 27/03/2020 16:16

The rules are quite simple to understand,walk run or cycle as close to home as possible,no ball games or playing out.

larrygrylls · 27/03/2020 16:16

Eckhart,

I agree...but if you want to stop some kids playing football on the basis that other kids might join in and it might become crowded, then you definitely want to ban running, where a LARGE number of runners are already flouting social distancing.

When out on my daily walk with my children yesterday, we were overtaken by at least 5 runners breathing heavily and weaving in and out of walkers on a narrow path, rather than going on to the grass (and, OMG, slowing down for a minute...).

Astrabees · 27/03/2020 16:17

I wish I had a horse, not rules to stop you riding, and you can go to the filed to care for it too.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 27/03/2020 16:18

Honestly, I just wish they would lock us down and have done with it.

I can't even go out into my own garden and I want this over with. It isn't fair that because other people cannot comply that my life now has to be spent stuck indoors for as long as this takes.

Lifesavesocialdistance · 27/03/2020 16:19

I have not trawlers through but yes op. Absolutely OK to have excersise , keep lung function healthy, get vitamins d, they are from the same household, they are not going to get infected or infect anyone else.

It's good for them. Op as far as social media goes, remember it's given power to the types of people who would be first in line to show their power over other people.

Try and ignore it.

Lifesavesocialdistance · 27/03/2020 16:23

Maggiso

Many people are sadistic and if we all had cellars they would be calling for us all to be locked up in our own cellars.

Get out into fresh air as much as possible!!

BoomBoomsCousin · 27/03/2020 16:25

@Bingeslayer - That isn’t the rule.