Can my kids go to the park or not?

[NeedANewJob19]

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

The government have clearly risk assessed activities and have decided what is going to be fairly acceptable on both sides.

And they have chosen not to limit the type of exercise people can take. Two children kicking around a football whilst complying with social distancing requirements is perfectly acceptable.

CatherineOfAragonsPomegranate

How many of those adults exercised common sense and maintained SD last weekend at the sea side and climbing Snowdon? How many of those saw what was happening and came away because it wasnt safe?

Yet two teenage boys are definitely going to do it?

People have proven that they can't use common sense, can't voluntarily maintain SD and so now the government are getting tougher.

I wonder when if this is all over, what society is going to look like.

We are heading down the road of being a police state where no-one can do anything without fear of being reported by someone.

And really, the argument that the OPs DC shouldn't use the park in case someone else wants to, the mind fucking boggles. In that case, no-one should ever be using anything. I've raised my DC to be very conscious of others in society, but they can do that and still use a fair share of resources that are there for everyone.

I'm sure the DC can use their eyes and their head and see if there is room for playing with a ball or not and if it gets busy then to stop, or not to play too long so as to allow others a turn. Surely these behaviours will be natural as responsible parents have introduced the concept of sharing since DC have have been babies/toddlers.

People have proven that they can't use common sense, cant voluntarily maintain SD

No they haven't. They have proved that whilst the majority is quite capable of doing that, a minority of prats will not.

There will always be rule breakers. The tougher the rules and penalties, the less there will be.

OP is asking questions and is concerned about whether or not she broke the rules. This is not rule-breaker behaviour. She ought not be tarred with the same brush as the 'bank holiday on the beach' prats.

*proven. My autocorrect is used to baking references!

As you don't have a garden and the park is nearby I see nothing wrong with them going there to kick a ball around. Just drum it to them not to meet anyone and to keep a good distance from others.

I think it's really stupid to shut parks, it just crowds people into fewer spaces, everyone walking around the streets.
I have seen absolutely no disregard of the rules at all in a week, everyone has been well spaced, but if they make it harder for people with no garden this increases the chance of spreading the virus.
We will be living like this for a long time, people have to be able to safely go outside within the rules.

No they haven't. They have proved that whilst the majority is quite capable of doing that, a minority of prats will not.

They were quite a large minority cramming onto beaches, sea fronts and up Snowdon last weekend wasn't it?

We will be living like this for a long time, people have to be able to safely go outside within the rules.

Every night last week they showed the police moving groups out of parks for having picnics and stuff.

They've had to shut Richmond Park and Victoria Park, in the East End.

What other options are there?
Should they just let people get together if they want to?

I'm surprised about Richmond park it's huge and no need for people to disobey the SD rules.

It is huge, but the numbers of people liking it are huge too. There are risks round entry points and pathways.

Richmond Park have't announced anywhere that they're closed. That poster is posting lots of stuff on numerous threads which they've been challenged on and not able to adeqately validate.

www.royalparks.org.uk/home/coronavirus-updates

Richmond Park is only disallowing adult cyclists, unless they're cycling to work. It's open as usual otherwise.

They were quite a large minority cramming onto beaches, sea fronts and up Snowdon last weekend wasn't it

I doubt it. It was some quite big crowds, but that doesn't mean it was a large minority of the population of the country.

Eckhart

Last night on the BBC news the showed quite clearly the gates being padlocked.

Same as Victoria Park in Bethbal Green area

Have you been there Hearhooves?

I haven't. Guess the BBC news and the park's website are at odds.

metro.co.uk/2020/03/22/parks-forced-shut-crowds-ignore-advice-flock-public-places-12438318/

Have I been where? Richmond park? No.

Just watched it being locked on the news. The photo, from the Metro, says Richmond Parked locked

Quote from the bottom of the article. The road is closed. The park is not.

'A spokesman for the Royal Parks said their venues would remain open for the time being, though cafes and kiosks have been closed.

They added that, following police advice, they had started closing some roads in outer parks such as Richmond and Greenwich, and that designated car parks would be open only for key workers.'

The caption on the photo says that Richmond Park being closed. It doesn't say " the road is closed, the park is open." Nor did it say it on the news last night

If that's what they've done it seems very strange. They don't want people congregating in the park so they close the road but leave the park open. How does that make any sense?

Because the road’s narrow and the park’s massive. I wish people, including me, would stop responding to you now.

Lol @ all the miserable bastards on here saying no to football. It's a form of exercise, nobody said you couldn't play football.

Hear,

Richmond park is 8 miles around the circumference and has an area of about 5.5 square miles.

If people cannot drive there you firstly avoid the direct effect of the congregations in packed car parks and the paths radiating from the parks. Secondly, you only get people who can walk there, which reduces the people count.

I frequently drive and walk in Richmond Park. I can’t now as it is too far to walk. I went for a walk on my local common (not too far from Richmond Park) this morning and, since they closed the car park, it is MUCH emptier.

Incidentally today’s new case number is lower than yesterday’s. It is too early to draw any conclusions but 1-2 weeks after social distancing, you should begin to see an effect.

Because the road’s narrow and the park’s massive. I wish people, including me, would stop responding to you now.

Ok. Which is great if you know the park, but the photo is captioned "Richmond Park being closed" and the news showed the gate being locked last night. If the park is open but they've somehow closed off a road then they should have made it clear.