How strict are you social distancing with family?

[Justwantacuddle]

Name changed. Hard hat donned. Truthfully, how strict are you personally being at not giving select few, closest family a cuddle? Letting them hold your baby? I haven't broken any rules, but I'm struggling to keep that up with my nearest and dearest.

[CrowCat]

Lockdown is over in my household and has been for a few weeks. I have a primary aged DD and two DC in their early twenties who live with their partners - and also a grandson. I'm early forties and none of us are in high risk categories. For the first 6 weeks of lockdown we adhered to the guidelines but as time has gone on with no end in sight, we decided to combine our 3 households. Being told I couldn't hug my children was only going to stick for so long. My youngest DD sees her dad and has also started playing with her best friend in the garden in the last week of two.

We are in a bubble of 6 adults and 3 DC and we're happy with that decision. None of us are mixing with anyone else. The positive change it has made to our overall morale is overwhelming.

3 months of lockdown, 3 months of being told we shouldn't even trust our nearest and dearest is far too long. The protests at the weekend just confirmed that lockdown is essential over for the majority of us.

[IndieTara]

Have stuck to the rules. However no family local to me and DD.
It's my grandads 101st birthday today so will be going over with a card and wine but socially distancing outside.

[Woodandsky]

We stuck to rules completely initially, once we were allowed to meet people outside I sat in my parents garden (first time I'd seen them) and felt incredibly guilty even though I couldn't see the risk.

My son & his shielding girlfriend had their first baby in the middle of lockdown & they were struggling. When she had to go back into hospital & we couldn't help I cracked. Husband decided to work from home (runs his own business & it's not really ideal) and once we'd quarantined we made up our own bubble.

Now we go to each others houses, they stay with us when they need some help. A neighbour is in a similar situation & their daughter, partner & baby have moved in for the lockdown, it's exactly the same risk level as us but is perfectly fine according to the regulations.

If challenged I would class it as providing care to a vulnerable person, which has always been allowed.

I get all my shopping delivered, no way will I be visiting any shops, none of us are working outside the home, I cannot see the risk of any of us catching so much as a cold.

[bibbityboo2]

We see my parents with my DC - indoors, with cuddles and sometimes stay over. We're a little bubble. Seeing no one else and no one working outside of our homes. Deliveries only. Our happiness and mental health has improved so much since doing this! Lots of people I know are doing similar now too. In fact I'm not sure I know of anyone that is sticking to the rules 100%.

[Thenextplateau]

My parents have come round to our garden twice this week, adults have maintained social distancing. My 3 year old has been so unhappy and confused by not seeing them for 3 months they wanted to just take the risk to cuddle her and our new baby. It has made a massive difference to dd1, we think she didn't understand and thought she would never see them again.

I'm on mat leave and dp is wfh, but I still feel sick at the thought of passing anything on to them.

[Gillian1980]

We’ve been strict.

I live 5 mins away from my DF who is shielding and I’ve dropped shopping on the doorstep and kids have waved from the car - that’s it. I’ve no other family locally.

DH’s family live 50 miles away and we’ve not seen them since early March. He has no family closer than that.

DC are desperate to see grandparents but I think it’s too hard to see them and not hug them so we haven’t.

We’ve had birthdays during lockdown and just kept it the 4 of us at home, no social distanced celebrations. It’s been hard 😔

[Cattermole]

Been seeing (and not socially distancing from) my 80 y/old mum since the day we locked down.
She's a widow and she's physically unable to do a lot of things, so I could claim to be "providing care to a vulnerable person".
Care for my mum - for a number of reasons - is more than just the physical acts of changing her bed and taking out her rubbish though. Government guidance indicates that it wouldn't be necessary for me to have PPE to carry out her personal care so let's be honest by the time I've handled her waste pads, helped her dress and all the other hundred and one intimate interactions, I don't see how either her or my risk of contagion is increased by giving her a hug as well.

[Jessuk86]

@MrsTravers I completely agree I was shocked at how irresponsible they all were and have made it known! I dont think it's gone down too well but I do work for the NHS so have seen it first hand so hopefully have made them think. But we will not be visiting them again as they cannot be trusted! And I dont want to he apart of the spread.

[WonderTweek]

We've stuck to the rules so far. My father in law lives within a 30 second walk from us and we haven't really seen him. He has dropped off a few presents for our son, and my husband went to have a chat with him in his garden last week. My husband has also driven to see his mum outside twice since it was allowed to meet people. I've not seen a soul, but my family lives abroad so I don't see them that often anyway.

We are quite conscientious with the rules. Although we are considering the possibility of camping in my mother in law's garden because it would be nice to see everyone, and it would feel like a bit of a holiday for us too. She has a huge garden and we wouldn't have to go inside the house at all. She has also been very careful (as have we), so I suppose it would be fine. Tempted!

[BlackLambAndGreyFalcon]

I haven't seen my family since before lockdown and if we were to (unless the rules change) it would be outside and socially distanced. The rules are there for a reason.

[LilyPond2]

Have not seen any family members outside own household since lockdown started. There are five people who we would definitely have seen during that time were it not for lockdown, but even the nearest is over an hour's drive away and others are pretty much impossible until overnight stays are allowed

[Boredsillyathome]

I met my sister a few times and gave my nephew a cuddle he is not even 2 and when he cuddled me I couldn't push him away. Apart from the stuck to the rules when seeing other friends and family

[SimonJT]

We have all adhered to lockdown and kept our distance when we go outdoors, so when my sons grandma and my friend met us at the park my son could safely cuddle them all. We’re setting off in a bit to spend the night with my sons grandma, we can’t wait!

[Lollypop4]

seen my parents in garden, Dc given them hugs. Hadnt them in 9 weeks.
Met with my sil and nieces, kids are all young and played on bikes, kept reasonable distance but they all hugged.

My kids havent been to school or shops ect for 12 weeks, I go food shopping once a week...
My family are pretty much same, shopping only

[Frume]

We didn't see vulnerable family members for around 2 months. But we have been seeing them for a few weeks now and no social distancing has been enforced at all.

[Nosuchluck]

I've met 2 different friends and my grown up son a few times since we've been allowed to, a!ways outside and we've kept 2 metres apart.

[ginsparkles]

Still sticking to it. No hugs, no closer than 2m since lockdown began. Grandparents are all over 70 so protecting them as much as we can.

However we are seeing my mum and starting our support bubble today (a day early !). It will be the first time she has hugged my DD for 12 weeks!

To protect her we will continue to distance from other people though.

[thewalrus]

We live opposite my SILs family. Since the meeting as a group of 6 was allowed we have been meeting as a 9 (2 families). Basically sticking to social distancing - no hugs, trying to keep 2m apart, not going in houses. Same with PILs, which makes a 7. Kids are preteen/teenage, so old enough to understand, it must be very hard with younger kids.
My relatives all live a long way away - no prospect of seeing any of them soon. I think they are struggling now as people start to see their families and they can't (they don't live near each other either).
Kids are seeing their friends and occasionally there are more than 6 people. I'm fine with that. Community transmission and infection levels generally are very low in our area.

[molifly14]

One set, not vey. They are younger, fit and healthy therefore if my 2YO wants a hug whilst out in the garden that's fine.

One set; really strict. They are older, vulnerable and more high risk therefore we've just been waving through the window.

[pilates]

No cuddles here, just the 2 metre distance in the garden. I want to protect my parents as much as possible. It’s hard because we are a cuddly family.

[Aber9]

Just kept to the rules

[dobbyssoc]

I let my mum hold my 11 month old at arms length facing away from her for all of 20 seconds then took him back

[WhatHaveIFound]

I've only seen my parents twice and kept to a strict 2m distance away from them in their garden. Both 75+ and my dad is in fragile health.

I have seen my MIL throughout lockdown as she's on her own and was struggling at first (normally out with friends/activities every day). We figured it was good for her mental health and were very careful to stay 4m away from her on short outdoor visits.

MIL will be able to join our bubble tomorrow though I've warned my teens they will be extra careful. Thankfully they're not going out at all though DS has 2 days in school before the summer.

[fadingfast]

We've been really careful and only met my mum once in her garden, keeping to a 2m rule (5 of us in total). We've seen no other friends or family, even at a distance. I'm hoping to meet with a couple of friends at the weekend, in the garden and at a distance.
I'm a bit upset because Dsis has told me today that their family of 4 had an 'informal bubble' with my mum on Wednesday. No prior discussion with us about it. So feeling rather sad now that it effectively excludes us. She has two children who are attending school every day, and my mum is in her late 70s, so I don't think forming a bubble together is very safe. I suspect mum will say that she wants to 'bubble' with us too, but I don't think it's appropriate as it's against the guidance.

[DBML]

I’m normal with my extended family, but then I’ve never been the sort to kiss or cuddle others and generally stand or sit at least a meter or two away anyway.