"Parents should control their teenagers"

[differentname]

Says Jenny Harries, deputy chief medical officer.
I'm so pissed off about this, children and young people are already sacrificing so much to protect the old!

Can I ask how you "control" teenagers? Mine is in Year 11, he did have a summer job lined up, now cancelled. He did have summer plans, now cancelled. He has no school work as he should have been doing GCSEs. He does go out and meet friends in groups of bigger than 6 (talking 8 or 9). I'm not so naive as to think that they always socially distance but it sounds like they at least make an attempt some of the time. He doesn't go to anyone's house or any parties. Should I stop him leaving the house altogether?

It has been taken out of context. It was said as part of a load of other stuff and the tone was friendly with the motive being to help the nation fight the spread of corona. But the media are more interested in whipping up some kind of outrage or scrap. We’re doomed as a species. A load of fuckwits who prefer to argue than to follow simple, logical, reasonable instructions.

How are they reasonable to young people?

After Cheltenham comments and her saying there was little risk, when referring to outdoor mass gatherings, I have little trust or faith in JH.

I can only speak for my own teens, who go to the park together each day, but haven't seen anyone for months.

I've seen groups of teens, but likewise I've seen groups of old men on the golf course, masses of people in shop queues and protests, or at the beach.

I feel for the teens. They've been sbandoned. They will inherit this mess. Mine can vote in four years and after seening this shambles I hope they use their votes wisely.

I found the whole thing quite funny. Has Jenny Harries been in a secondary school since she left or spent much time with teens?

This time last year I was trying to stop my 16yo and his gf having sex. I did my best, but if I'd not managed it I don't think I'd have been regarded as the worst parent ever. Now I'm supposed to control a 17yo while he's out with his friends. Apart from lectures and making him wash his hands before he leaves the house and when he comes in, and supplying hand gel and masks, I cannot actually be there when he's socialising. That would just be weird.

They should, young people ignoring all the rules are one of the reasons for the Leicester outbreak, in some parts of the city huge numbers were gathering (and families too). Everyone sticks to the spirit of the rules unless there's a good reason. Teens can meet friends just not inside and max 6 at a time.

The rules are getting more and more nonsensical regarding how many people from how many different families and how often they are allowed to meet.

As other posters have said, children have sacrificed a lot and are not being prioritised in the lifting of lockdown. I won’t condone mass breaking of rules - big parties inside etc but I’m not fussed about outside contact as it’s been shown to be incredibly low risk or them sitting across the room from one friend.

The rates in the community are so low and this doesn’t look like it’s going away any time soon so it’s unfair to keep kids in isolation.

@LynetteScavo
My DD's know the rules and are sticking to them. They both read the newspaper, watch the news, read the death statistics. Dd2 is in a "bubble" with her boyfriend but stays socially distanced from all other friends. Dd one goes to the park/countryside with a couple of friends and they sit on separate picnic blankets. Teens don't have to be irresponsible, educate them

okie I thought the main reason for the Leicester spread was a factory owner taking the furlough money and forcing the workers to come in when sick, and government officials who knee he was dodgy turning a blind eye to it.

But instead it's marauding teens - ok is there any evidence for this ?

And ok yes some teens are complying - my teen DS hangs out with a bunch of boys. Meeting on a park bench didn't work for him, nor did picking one friend. I took my own risk assessment and allowed him to play a contact sport with his pals. He is an only DC, there is no handy sibling to go on walks with.

Teens don't have to be irresponsible, educate them

I certainly have educated my DC, I don't think DS is being at all irresponsible, but I can't be with him at all times, just like I can't be with my DM at all times. who I worry about forgetting we're in the middle of a global pandemic, despite watching the news several times a day

But teens do think they and everyone else is immortal and are more likely to take risks and be poor at hazard perception than adults, IME.

as far as covid is concerned, Teens ARE immortal. They are behaving rationally if selfishly. Lots of people are selfish, teens don't have a special monopoly on that.

Asking parents to take some responsibility in trying to ensure their teens adhere to social distancing. Yes absolutely shocking, as well all know it's not up to parents to do that.

Children are not being scarified to protect the old.

Sorry, probably inappropriate in the context of this thread, but it made me laugh

My personal experience is that elderly people are worse than teens at sticking to the guidelines (yes, of course elderly people are not a homogenous group, but neither are teens).
My parents (in 70s, underlying health conditions) have paid lip service to the guidelines pretty much throughout as have most of their friends. Their view is very much "we have to die of something".

I think the sentiment is ok...but the reality is something else. Parents are working, teenagers are going out (instead of school where they should be) and of course they are going to mix with their friends! Parents can tell them to do x, y and z but unless they follow them around they don't know what they are doing.

@okiedokieme does your teenage DDs boyfriend live by himself?

"control" … interesting choice of words. Most parents do their best with their teens and hope their teens listen to them and stick to the rules. However, some of these kids are very hard to handle, and unless you're willing to lock them up and risk them jumping out of windows, there is little you can do.

My teen did a runner from care when she was 14, that, according to SW was entirely her fault, yet when she'd walk out of my house whenever she felt like it, it was entirely my fault.

Honest to God (leaving aside the minority of teens who have extra difficulties) if you cannot understand and make an effort to implement what Jenny Harries has suggested without arsing around over word choice, then our enemy is a lot bigger than COVID-19.

I’m fast concluding that our main enemies are utter fucking stupidity and the burning desire to dissect anything said by figures of authority in order to paint them as bastards.