Felt really sad yesterday as I don’t have anyone to form a “bubble” with

[Notcontent]

I am just feeling a bit sorry for myself. I live alone with my young teen DD. We make a good team but ultimately I am the adult and I provide all the emotional support for her, etc. I am wfh.

Just felt really sad yesterday when I read the announcement about people living alone and lone parents being able to form a social bubble with another household, as we don’t have anyone to do that with. I have no family in the U.K. I have parents I am very close to but they are in the other side of the world and I have no idea when I can see them next as travel to and from there is not possible.

I have realised over lockdown that I have acquaintances that I chat to but no close friends, so feeling lonely. A couple of people have reached out to me over the last few weeks - so I am going to try harder to cultivate those friendships.

I think this " situation" has thrown up all sorts of emotions. I fully understand what you are saying. I feel sad when I hear about families desperate to reunite and hug. I don't experience this at all. Several friends have withdrawn/ not contacted me. My world has shrunk.

That’s really tough OP. I dread being able to be part of a bubble because who do you choose? Who chooses you?

I feel for you. Mother in law would like to be part of our bubble, and I've said it's up to her, but to consider she's in her later 80s, and we have a houseful of young people. And she doesn't live nearby, but far up country, so it wouldn't help her weekly.

Does your DD have a friend that you could form a support bubble with their family?

Me too. I thought yes I can go visit my mum as shes on her own got my sister to ask her plans so I could surprise her and shes busy having made herself a bubble with some other people. Oh well.

A bit similar here OP, relationship dead and a sn young adult DC.

No family and no one asked yet how/if we are coping.

Just wanted to add that I know lots of people are in a similar situation. 💐

I feel similar - I have two options but neither are really feasible. My gran is in her 90s and we have been doing her shopping and errands while socially distancing - me and DS don't want to infect her and figure there is more chance of us picking it up and transmitting to her if we form a bubble with her - DS goes back to work soon. My parents live with ny sister who is a nurse, I worry that if we form a bubble with them, I will be at even more risk of transmitting the virus to my gran, as my sister nurses Covid patients and neither her nor my parents are seeing my gran at the minute for that reason. DSS will probably form a bubble with his mum who lives alone too. It is a bit shit, but I am trying to think positively that at least I am protecting my gran.

So sorry to hear you are feeling quite lonely.
Tbh social distancing has made me realise how many friends I've lost over the years and how fragmented my family is

Could you do an ad on a mum group on face book.
Then perhaps meet up in a public open space (not remote!) And have a socially distanced "meet up"

It could be a brilliant way to make a new friend with someone else who is lonely.

Sending love XXX

OP, I suspect that the reality is that the while ‘bubble’ structure favours the two parent nuclear family with older relatives close by. A family where both mums and dads are sociable and the kids all get along.

However your reality is also very common.

Respond pro-actively to those who have reached out. Tell them how you are fixed bubble-wise as your family are not here, but say you would love to meet up for a socially distanced walk or picnic.

Encourage your Dd to meet friends in a park or garden but maintaining distance.

Reach back to them: you may we’ll find someone has space in their bubble.

Just to say you are not alone. I got annoyed when I seen people were feeling jealous about single people/parents being able to form bubbles and thought wait a minute! Not all of us have people we can form bubbles with. I don’t. I don’t really have any family, and no friends. So no one for me to form a bubble with.

I'm in a similar situation, no family in this country. I have friends but not the kind of friends who would want to choose me over everyone else in their lives.

I've felt a bit annoyed during the lockdown in general hearing people who live with others complain about not being able to meet their extended families and friends... some of us never have that.

I am a bit similar in that I don't know 6 people I want to meet outside.I come from a huge family so perhaps could meet them.Luckily I am not the sociable type but these new rules do make people realise the aspects of our lives we don't normally think about.
Let's hope in the coming weeks our work situations change and rules loosen so we can see our acquaintances again and make everyone feel less isolated.

"first they say I have to exercise, now I'm supposed to have friends too!"

comedian on telly at the weekend... it resonated...

Me too, in some ways, although I felt it more with the announcement when we could meet up to 6 people outside. I have friends locally, but nobody who would put me at the top of their list to see first. They all have families, extended families and closer, older friends they've known from childhood, that they will want to see first. Most of my family and oldest friends live in Ireland. Also, I don't have have groups of friends really, just people I see one to one or very occasionally, maybe two or three at a time. At least my 17 year old DS enjoyed catching up with his friends in the sunny weather though. It was nice to see him happy.

Same situation here. If it wasn’t for the internet, 99% of my conversations would be with my cats. DH works nights and I work days. Added to which I now work alone, so not even a work colleague to talk too.
🧁🧁🧁☕️☕️☕️☕️
Cake and tea/coffee for everyone and we form our own online social bubble.

I feel the same too. Under normal circumstances have people who I would call friends to meet up with but no-one who would be likely to put me in their bubble, so no best friends. I sometimes wonder if I didn't contact other people if they would bother to contact me. This has made me a bit depressed that I don't have any friends on that close level.

@CremeEggThief

Me too, in some ways, although I felt it more with the announcement when we could meet up to 6 people outside. I have friends locally, but nobody who would put me at the top of their list to see first. They all have families, extended families and closer, older friends they've known from childhood, that they will want to see first. Most of my family and oldest friends live in Ireland. Also, I don't have have groups of friends really, just people I see one to one or very occasionally, maybe two or three at a time. At least my 17 year old DS enjoyed catching up with his friends in the sunny weather though. It was nice to see him happy.

Similar.

I have good friends but they are geographically spread and thrive despite low contact. The kind of friendships that melt the months and years away.

Routinely most of my social needs are met by aquaintences and organised activities.

My family is scattered, most quite distantly.

Most people I am closer to are struggling with work and family, and no one has the time to notice a BogRoll shaped hole in their lives and have the capacity to meet up. Everyone has someone closer, nearer to prioritise.

Its crap isn't it.

I mentioned to my mum that I could now form a bubble with her (I'm a single parent of 2 teens)

She's said she doesn't think its fair on my brother if we do that as him and SIL aren't allowed to form a bubble yet. sigh

I feel same. My real friends are all over world. I myself moved to another part of UK las year. New beginnings.... I didn't know anybody. I started joining groups etc and made a couple of friends but nobody I can ask to be in my bubble.

I do have children but not here.

That's that really

Agree the situation does highlight one’s lack of human interaction or where one ranks in other people’s bubble ratings. My family is abroad, and dh’s family bubble has an impermeable layer. Sil has been preventing any osmosis for 20 years!

I have acquaintances, but no one to Zoom with or just have a chat. Some years ago I visited a very good friend in her new flat. she had a photo frame bearing the legend “The women in my life” with ten spots in it. I hadn’t made the cut! I was very hurt and things sort of drifted between us afterwards