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

Can they run?? They could go for a run together rather than a walk if a walk is too tame!! (I'm taking my usual stance with exercise, and assuming it's non compulsory 😂)

I would air massively on the side of caution at the mo with everything going on, as the more careful we are, and the more we isolate ourselves the quicker this virus bogs off! Which I think is the reason for lots of people's frustrations with kids out together, as the purpose of this lockdown is to stop the spread of the virus between households

The game is about reducing the transmission rate, not stopping every single transmission (which, reading between the lines, is not even what Boris wants).

2 kids playing football, to me not a problem. I live in London with the tube still running (which must be virtually 100% infectious now), lifts still open in supermarkets etc. The odd kick around is not going to change the trajectory of this epidemic.

The Stasi like attitude of some on this board is, however, scarier. In wars we willingly give up many young to preserve our freedom and way of life. Now people are queuing up to give up their freedoms and complain about others to slightly change the trajectory a disease which will kill relatively few, and most (I know not all) of them towards the end of their lives anyway.

There is a balance point here.

Its exercise its allowed. The 'rules' state exercise, football is exercise and its only the 2 of them. football is not on

The legislation is on this thread. There is no mention of walking, running or cycling. It just says exercise.

I've seen what's on here. But, the PM specifically said walking, running or cycling only.

You can go to the park.

You can’t do group sports so no to football.

You need to trust your teenage children to do the right thing. Police will be patrolling parks (saw them yesterday in ours) and breaking up groups, issuing fines, sending people home to underscore the message.

Two people of the same household are fine to go the park. Fine to kick a football around and get exercise. Not a necessity indeed! I took my dog to the park yesterday - found a big space and we ran around together and played football. When he stopped, I kept my heartrate up by doing squats and star jumps. I saw other people doing similar things. I saw a father with two children running races and doing push-ups. Everyone was maintaining 2 metre distance, but using the park to get exercise. Responsibly. Putting no-one at risk.

I suspect the people on here solemnly telling OP off and making up the rules are the same ones who remind DS every day as he goes to work that only essential journeys are allowed. DS swears that the next person who tells him that is going to get his (DS's) NHS ID shoved sideways up somewhere very painful.

Yes.

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras

“ Cabinet minister Michael Gove explained that people shouldn’t be playing golf in light of the exercise restrictions.

He said that people should be defining exercise as “one walk, one run or one cycle per day”.”

But, the PM specifically said walking, running or cycling only

Even if he did, what he says doesn't trump what the Act of Parliament says.

Daily exercise once per day is allowed, this is either a walk, run or cycle

Can you point me to the government advice/legislation that explicitly defines what exercise is?

'I shall let my yoga teacher know then and she can just happen to meet up with other people who just so happen to be doing yoga in the park, all two metres apart of course.'

I think that's a bad idea. There's much higher risk of people breaking the 2m rule in an organised class. I assume that's why they've been stopped, but general exercise hasn't.

ThePigeons.

Becasue there are millions of golfers and if golf clubs were open and half the population isn't working then it would not be just a few folk quietly wandering round the course, it would be mobbed.

The intention is to limit avtivities where there is likely to mean that it gets crowded.

If the park in the OP is getting busy with people doing solo runs or with siblings kicking a ball, then no it isn't the type of exercise they want. Same as them having to close car parks in rural areas to stop 300 folk deciding to take a solo walk up a hill.

Its about using common sense.

It's okay for 2 from same household to go for a cycle, but if they get to the cycle path and 50 groups of 2 are already there then going for a cycle isn't an appropriate form of exercise at that time or place.

Also, @MissBax has got it spot on, however angry you are at people not following the rules, posting pictures not other people's children on the internet bid a massive massive no!!!

Wtf is the difference between playing football for an hour and walking for an hour? In my opinion the footy option is the safer option as theyre less likely to come across anyone as they would walking

He did not say these were the only things allowed.

He said one period of exercise per day, that's a walk, a run or cycling.

Michael Gove then reiterated it. I didn't hear either of them say such as or for example.

NuffSaidSam

It's not going to be an organised class. Just individuals who happen to be doing yoga at the same time in the same park. All two metres apart.

What's the problem? That's allowed, right?

As some have pointed out, you are entitled to go out once to exercise. Strangely some posters here think walking is the only form of exercise that counts.

@WaxOnFeckOff I’m not disagreeing with you. I’m saying it’s unclear and people on here name calling at each other for having different interpretations because of this isn’t great. He also said

Cabinet minister Michael Gove “that people should be defining exercise as “one walk, one run or one cycle per day”.”

It does need more clarity otherwise the police will continue to have their lines blocked with people worried and complaining

What about recreational football? Simply put, no you can’t. Police have already reported having to break up informal football matches and kickabouts at public parks, and have stressed that the lockdown should not be treated as a holiday.”

But this is about the social aspect of football, surely - not the act of kicking a ball. Football with people you don't live with is a no no because of the contagion risk. Kicking a ball with people you live with isn't a football match and fine, surely?

Hearhooves

This is a link to the transcript of the Prime Ministers speech, on the official gov page.

www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-address-to-the-nation-on-coronavirus-23-march-2020

This is a copy and paste of the bit re. exercise:

one form of exercise a day - for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of your household;

FOR EXAMPLE. That's the key bit. He said FOR EXAMPLE.

I hope that clears it up for you.

The transcript of the speech. Plus the legislation.

Good luck.

The actual law says,

One form of exercise a day, for example walking, cycling or running.

They are literally examples, not a definitive list.

We'll only know if the social distancing was taken sufficiently seriously by the trend in daily deaths after a couple of weeks

(not enough testing to take new cases as a measure, but the % positive may be a useful indicator)

If the trend isn't sufficiently downwards, then the govt would probably extend and tighten lockdown, as in the worst affected countries

e.g. ban outside exercise, just the most basic care for animals, dog walks must be just 20m for loo, police question anyone out ...

We need to fully cooperate and not try to stretch the rules to the maximum, or look for loopholes
Otherwise

• apart from the tragedy of deaths - the economy will go even further down the toilet

We need to be in a position to restart the economy asap

@DareToEatAPeach

Well, I was 1.5 metres away from my DP and our housemate in our bedroom while discussing how to prolong the life of our washing machine and other such vital matters, so I think I'm safe ....... .

A couple of years ago when we were obsessed with Breaking Bad, DP bought yellow hazmat suits, respirators and all the trimmings for Halloween - he and his oppo wore them at work for the day (niche market non-essential business with flexibility in dress etc). I said last night, as we are known for dressing up, we should do a FB post showing us getting into bed suited up, so we can demonstrate our responsible behaviour to the world (and give people a bit of a laugh)..... but can we find them? Can we heck! Somewhere in storage and obviously we are not reckless enough to go out on a non-essential mission just for that - but it would have been funny to our friends....... (and yes, I'm taking this all seriously because I'm caring for my terminally ill Mum before anyone accuses me of irresponsible levity.....)

Now, why does German coronavirus travel only 1.5m, but UK CV can travel 2m? Does the virus sprout biglier wings once here?

Glad to see the 'special' accusation has surfaced again - 'oooh, your sons are no more SPECIAL than anyone else.' Fuck me.