Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

"Contact clusters" - how is this actually going to work?

119 replies

Freethefrogs · 27/04/2020 16:23

I keep seeing this idea mentioned as a possible way of easing the lockdown when it's safe to do so, as in choosing 10 or so people you can see rather than just your household. I can see how this might work if you're a very small nuclear family and have no desire to see any extended family, but for many others it will be almost impossible to execute. Take, for example, my own family situation. I live with my DH and our five year old. Both our parents are divorced and remarried. Both step parents on both sides have children of their own. We all get along brilliantly and see grandparents (all in their 50s, none vulnerable) 2-3 times a week. I have two siblings still living at home with my mum and stepdad. One of them has a girlfriend he doesn't live with. Her parents are also divorced.

I just can't get my head round how it would work. Like, even if I chose to see my mum only, and not my dad, well she lives with my stepdad, who will want to see his own children, who will want to see their own mother, who lives with her husband, who will also want to see his own children.

I'm one of five siblings so even at a small family gathering of immediate family only, 10 would be far exceeded!

Anyone else been thinking about this?

OP posts:
1forsorrow · 27/04/2020 18:57

I understand the idea is that you all agree to only see the other ten but I cant see how that is going to work with stepfamilies in particular. I've got 4 kids, they have 4 partners, plus 6 GC. Unfortunately 3 of the families live some distance away, up to 300 miles so no chance of my child popping in with GC, it would have to be a family trip so partners would have to be included. I don't see how I could choose ten of them, I could say my kids plus GC but as I said I can't see them coming without partners e.g. my DIL saying fine take the baby and the pre schooler on a 600 mile round trip and I'll twiddle my thumbs. It has been going round in my head since I heard about it. I suppose because of distance they might not be able to come anyway.

RedskyAtnight · 27/04/2020 18:58

I think this is useful for people who don't live with their partners or for those who would like to see just one set of parents - possibly for childcare help (and don't have siblings that want to as well).

I presume we would still be urged not to travel more than necessary, so it's no good for people who don't live close to family.

In our case DH is desperate to see his parents, but they are shielding so he can't anyway. My parents live 4 hours away, so a non-starter. I'd actually quite like the DC to be able to see some of their friends, but then it gets very difficult to keep it under 10 people and would only work if their friends' parents thought similarly.

RufustheLanglovingreindeer · 27/04/2020 19:05

I could easily keep it at 10

But it would be more than 2 households

Everytimeref · 27/04/2020 19:05

I thought about this at the weekend, my husband and I are both keyworkers so out working so would be more at risk than my DIL parents who are WFH so it would be sensible that they saw our GC but we stay away but I would be gutted if that happened.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 27/04/2020 19:37

Apart from the practicalities of organising the groups, I think it will encourage people to take the piss. There were plenty who couldn't manage to stay at home. They'll never stick to ten. The groups will be as fluid as they can get away with until we all end up locked down again.

Original poster
Freethefrogs · 27/04/2020 19:39

I thought the point of the bubbles was not so much to stop the spread but ensure it is easy to trace and test contacts.

OP posts:
maxiflump1 · 27/04/2020 19:42

I'm an only child and really close to my parents so we would be happy to be in a bubble with just them. DH's parents and sister live the other side of the country and we only see them about twice a year so wouldn't be a problem not to see them.

Only problem is both my parents are over 70 and my dad has a heart condition so not sure if we will be allowed to mix with them. That said we have hardly left the house other than for our daily walk and have done click and collector food shopping so have not been in contact with any other people so are unlikely to have picked anything up to pass to them. DH is WFH and I'm a SAHM so until either he goes back to work or the kids go back to school we poses a very small risk.

Original poster
Freethefrogs · 27/04/2020 19:43

I wouldn't have an issue being in a bubble with just my mum, but she lives with two of my siblings and my stepdad who has children of his own.

OP posts:
happinessinayellowbottle · 27/04/2020 19:44

I can’t see it working

happinessinayellowbottle · 27/04/2020 19:44

I can’t see it working

fluffyrice · 27/04/2020 19:56

I'd be really surprised if this idea was implemented here. Firstly because it's far too open to abuse- some people would merrily go about mixing with whoever they liked and if questioned claim they are in their 10 close friends. Secondly, I suspect that many people would find it less stressful/contentious to mix with no one outside their household rather than have to choose. I can't think of many families who would not end up either having to choose one side to visit, or asking (for example) grandparents to choose just one set of GC to see. It might perhaps work for people living alone to be able to choose one household to mix with- but I think there would be easier ways to achieve that.

Tulipstulips · 27/04/2020 20:01

I could easily winnow my list of family and friends down to a favoured ten. But I doubt that ten would want the exact same ten. So it wouldn’t work for us if it’s just about having a bubble that’s an extension of the current household bubble.

namechangenumber2 · 27/04/2020 20:04

We'd have no one as none are local! It'd be relatively easy if distance was no issue though - in laws are 80+ and shielding so they wouldn't be involved, I only have one sibling and we're not close, so we'd probably choose my parents and my brother in law and family

Millicent10 · 27/04/2020 20:13

It sounds like a completely unworkable and awful idea, therefore I fully expect that this government will implement it.

RufustheLanglovingreindeer · 27/04/2020 20:32

It sounds like a completely unworkable and awful idea, therefore I fully expect that this government will implement it

😀

Springcatkin · 27/04/2020 20:39

What about distance - my dh & dd are 150 miles away.

Heatherjayne1972 · 27/04/2020 20:45

Won’t work and is unenforceable anyway

What will happen is that people will ignore the 10 people rule and just see whoever they like whenever they like

It’s a political sound bite Sounds good for the papers
They’re opening shops slowly and surely

People work with more than 10 people - I will when we go back
It’s pointless imo

Original poster
Freethefrogs · 28/04/2020 08:48

More in the papers about this this morning. 10 seems to be the magic number. I suppose it is fine if you are a nuclear family with 2 kids and both sets of grandparents are still married!

OP posts:
Itisasecret · 28/04/2020 08:51

The papers have just made it up. They have no idea.

BarbaraofSeville · 28/04/2020 09:10

You only have to think about it for a minute or two to realise it doesn't work at all.

My immediate family that I would include is relatively small (DP, DM, DSis, BIL and 2 x DC at home, MIL + her DH, BIL and SIL) but that's 11 people already and doesn't include DSis's adult DD, who is married with 3 DC, so that's another 5 people there, so even if I don't see DNiece family, DSis will obviously want to, so while they are non contact with BIL family, DNiece's DH (do keep up at the back) is from a big family who normally see each other all the time so if I'm connected to DSis, that brings up a connection to DNiece even if I don't see her at all but DNiece is up to her 10 with her own household and her DM household and DGM (my DM and DSis) but not me or any of her DHs family, or any friends. Or DPs DB and their two adult DC with families of their own.

We don't have contact clusters, we have interconnected contact venn diagram interwebs going on and almost no-one will be in contact with a cluster of 10 people that doesn't extend past 10 people once you look at who they would be in contact with.

noblegiraffe · 28/04/2020 09:19

The newspapers have nothing to report right now so they have switched to speculative fiction.

stuckindoors77 · 28/04/2020 09:22

It's highly likely that I won't get picked for anyone's "bubble" if there are distance restrictions.

My close family all live an hour's drive away and the friends I have close by would all pick close family members.

Whilst I understand the reasons why, I'm sort of dreading this stage and the feelings of rejection it'll bring.

Oh well, it'll pass soon enough won't it?

HarrietOh · 28/04/2020 09:30

Definitely think this should be more to help people who are alone right now. I've just spent the past 5 weeks alone, and so has my partner. Both single households, WFH etc. So no risk there - just want to see another human!

zozozoe · 28/04/2020 09:36

If anything this has shown why the lockdown makes sense!

ineedaholidaynow · 28/04/2020 09:36

Aren’t other countries suggesting/implementing this?

Swipe left for the next trending thread