fucksake now all DD15's friendship group has arranged to meet up!!

[fuckinghellthisshit]

I have of course told DD she cannot go.

All of them (5girls 3 boys) are saying their parents say it is fine as long as they don't hug. I am really annoyed, why do people have to make everything harder.

Fucksake.

"Give it five years, they’ll be the ones paying through the nose for this economic mess."

As will everyone of working age. Those of us in our late 30s and early 40s got hammered by the last recession too and many never recovered.

"Seriously? And this helps parents of teens how?"

It doesn't. It helps the people who are going to get covid and die.

I thought we were past the stage of this being a point of confusion but obviously not.

If people actually worried about vulnerable groups instead of just mememe, we might be over this by now but nah. It's all "but my teenager is bored and it's haaaaard."

@CloudsCoveredTheSky
I meant, how does this advice help parents of teens at all?
Not many teenagers will respond to, "Well you are not dying or losing your job...."
Even the most mature are going to be emotional when rites of passage or even one-on-one meetings are taken away.

*It's all "but my teenager is bored and it's haaaaard.
Hard no. My teenager has not complained.
My DH is in the vulnerable group,and even he has acknowledged the sadness in my DS's eyes.
We're holding them back. But we can acknowledge the feelings of loss.
Not sure how this is endangering anyone else.

And "It's all..."?
Never start a debate with "It's all..." unless you are Cher Horowitz.

If your teens are struggling with lockdown, maybe get them to spend their spare time researching what it was like to be a rl teen during either world war and get a bit of perspective?

Or to be a teen in 2020 in most of the rest of the world. Even during lockdown they are amongst the most pro aligned and fortunate top end of the worlds teenage population

@DamnYankee Don't police my language, thanks. I don't tell you how to speak, though I'm sure I could pick through them and find stupid turns of expression if I liked ("hard no" for one).

At the end of the day, moaning about your teenager right now just seems a bit indulgent when people are dying. 🤷‍♀️ My baby has never even left the house, hasn't met any of his relatives, my husband's company is on the verge of tanking and my company has folded. What can we do? If we don't die, I'll count myself lucky.

It is a nightmare to be a teen right now, and for their MH I agree they should start seeing one friend - 2m apart - I would not allow mine dc to meet in groups, as it is dangerous and they are likely to be fined/arrested.

You are the parent, and need to be firm. No parties and no groups gatherings. This time will pass, they need to stay safe.

It is rather immature to compare groups, or ask them to think about the war?!

Some teenagers have very serious mental health issues already, some will not make it through this. I hardly think it is indulgent to be realise that this group in particular are biologically driven with a need to start living independently and forming an identity beyond their family and home, it will be very difficult for them.
That does not mean it is easy for anyone else, just acknowledging that not all teenagers will be coping.

Yeah my teenagers are experiencing the same. Some of them have been meeting up for a kick about in the park the whole time. Mine say it's so hard because I'm the parent most strict about keeping to the rules 🙄

Young people arent paying a higher price than anyone else.

I agree. They aren't the ones worrying about their jobs, or how to put food on the table and pay the mortgage/rent. Young people always think they are hard done by - it's the nature of the beast. When they get older they see it really wasn't that bad.

To go back to the original post. If this was happening in my country I would let it go - but not in the UK. I feel for you OP, the other parents are being stupid (if indeed they do say it's fine).

What happens when teenagers can't get on with getting qualifications and starting their university courses, so there is a big delay in the nurses, social workers and police officers of the future coming into existence?

I know OP is only asking about socialising, but the stalling of teenagers' lives is so much bigger than their current social life deficits.

what else do people expect? Schools reopening means the end of the lockdown, there is some logic in them.

You are doing well with your own teen OP. The other parents were likely the same ones who didn't respect any guidelines or distancing this weekend and think it's fine because they have been shopping and about every day for the last couple of months...

When the government has refused to issue fines, there's absolutely nothing you can do but keep your own teen safe.

Secondary schools are not reopening one so it won't be back to normal for any teenagers unless they are in Y10 and Y12 and even for them it will be limited. Most teenagers are staring down the barrel of 4 months off school in fact.....I personally think it would be safer to reopen the schools!! Crowds of bored teens is not going to be great for many neighbourhoods.

I think teenagers are suffering most, especially given that there's negligible risk to them. Like a pp said, I'm amazed how well they are complying. It's totally unnatural for a teenager to be stuck within four walls with one or two adults for company and very difficult. This has been for months now and months more. Cut the teenagers some slack and think about how rubbish it is for them.

Before I get called a murderer, I'm not suggesting condoning breaking rules. But I understand why they would. And not all teens live in privileged homes where they should count their blessings and remember the war 🙄

And not all teens live in privileged homes where they should count their blessings and remember the war 🙄

If they live in the UK, then even if they were unfortunate enough to be orphaned and living in care (or even on the streeets) they are privileged compared to many in the world.

People seem to forget most of the world live outside of Europe/America/Australia etc

There's no point my engaging in a discussion where the UK's lucky orphan children are cited.

Crack on.

Sorry.. lucky orphan homeless children.

@cloudscoveredthesky
Well said

to be fair, when you read the hysterical posts on here, about the actual torture it is to be pottering around at home. for a few weeks - usually by the same posters who used to live for Friday and were depressed every Sunday night no less!, you can imagine what ideas the teens got brainwashed with.

It's shit, it's not a holiday, but come on.

If they can see that children are going back to school, of course they translate it as the end of the lockdown, why wouldn't they? If their little brother or sister is going back to school mixing with the others, they are hardly in isolation anyway.

what else do people expect? Schools reopening means the end of the lockdown, there is some logic in them.

What?! Where are the schools that have opened? Primary schools may open next month to a few year groups. If teens are using this as an excuse to meet up now then they are scraping the bottom of the barrel for the flimsiest of excuses. There’s no real logic there at all! Though I don’t condone it, I can understand them wanting to meet up, but this excuse is a particularly nonsensical one.

The children back at school at the moment are those who have been going throughout lockdown.

Unless parents are key workers no teen should be seeing their younger sibling starting to go back to school until June 1st.

Derbygerbil
I am not saying I agree, but look what happened at the weekend already.

The main message of reopening the schools is that things are back to normal. People have jumped on it already.

one I don't think people are that stupid, no one anywhere thinks the lockdown is over fgs. Ridiculous.

We’ve sat here for 8 weeks watching neighbours having grandchildren round to play in the garden, seen groups of friends walking to the park together, seen people using the outside play area (despite it being taped shut).
It’s just another example of people pushing the rules. My DD is used to the fact that we don’t and everyone else appears to be.

I don't think people are that stupid, no one anywhere thinks the lockdown is over fgs. Ridiculous.

really? look around you and in the news, I'd be surprised if your own area is completely different.