Being with wider family (officially) for Christmas

[Yetiyoga]

I know no one can predict. And I know people are making their own decisions which I am all for. But my niece/ nephew is due at the end of this year, first baby in both sides of family. My sibling has said they won't let anyone hold the baby if the rules still say we have to social distance. And that if England say that we can bubble with one household, that they will choose the grandparents on mum's side of family (which is fine and makes total sense as they live nearby, whereas the rest of the family and other grandparents live between 3.5 and 7 hours drive away) so what do you think the chances are on us being told we can all get together? Social distancing just won't work in their houses and it'll be too hard not being able to hold the baby anyway. Plus winter so outdoors not possible (given the distance to drive)

We really need this.

As you said, nobody knows.

If the government think that after a year of shite people will forego seeing their families at Christmas they’re deluded. Regardless of the official “advice”.

Exactly what @SengaStrawberry said. Good luck trying to stop people seeing their families at Christmas

My kids are the light of my parents life. There is no way I am going to stop them spending Christmas with us.

We're booked in with all my family and a close friends family for a curry on Christmas day. As far as rules at the moment go we're all still going. I'm not not seeing my family at Christmas.

The answer is nobody knows, just respect their wishes at the time, it's not about your wishes or what you really need, it's about respecting people's boundaries and decisions.

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Thanks all :) I'm keeping everything crossed.

@tigger001 as you can see from my post, their wishes are for us all to be together. They don't want to break the law though.
I am not putting my needs in front of theirs. My wish is a healthy baby who is loved. Us all being together is a bonus.

Probably not very likely. Given the amount of people breaking social distance guidelines now cases will probably rise in winter and further restrictions imposed. I doubt most people will follow them for Christmas though!

We won’t be seeing daily. We are very cautious though (NHS workers)

Family!

I live on my own and am self employed, working from home.

If the government and the lockdown enthusiasts think I am spending Christmas on my own after the year we have had, they have another think coming.

I am due my second baby in November. Rules or not, there is no way I wont be seeing my family (who have to fly in from a other country). There is also no way my MIL wont be banging my door down. It's been a very hard year. I haven't seen my family in over 6 months. I dont care what the government say. I am seeing my family. Its up to every person if they follow the 'rules' or not.

@WearyandBleary

We won’t be seeing daily. We are very cautious though (NHS workers)

Not even if it’s permitted?

Thanks for the input everyone..time will tell!

Too early to tell.

Rules may be in force only to find govt and celebs do what they want anyway.

@SengaStrawberry I cannot see the circumstances where it will be permitted if I’m honest. But yes if things change massively and social distancing is abolished, we would see people. But things are not going to change that much.

I doubt the govt (stupid as they are) are going to impose lockdown over xmas. For one thing they are desperate for Christmas shopping as it’ll be a huge economy boost.

Plus there’s minimal chance people are going to adhere to lockdown over Christmas. What they’re actually going to do I have no idea, but hopefully they can get the second wave under control by then. Wishful thinking I know!

We've already planned to have a quiet Christmas this year. Only us really which is very different.

If I had a new baby, I'd limit visitors to none! It's not just coronavirus but everyone's immune systems will be rubbish this year.

Although, things might change before then. Don't get your hopes and respect their plans. Having an ill baby is crap and being ill when you have a baby is crap x

Boris said it will be over by Christmas so obviously you will be fine to meet up.

I don't expect to see any family tbh; my parents are insistent that a vaccine and only a vaccine will allow them to end their self imposed total isolation. My brother and SIL have a baby due at the beginning of January and aren't likely to be up for Xmas stuff.

If the winter flu season is bad and rates of covid infection are back up (as, going by people's insistence that they don't care what the rules are they will see who they like, they probably will be), it's anyone's guess what the Xmas season will be like here.

@Regulus

Boris said it will be over by Christmas so obviously you will be fine to meet up.

I think we will be doing smaller gatherings spread out over the Christmas period instead of one big one.

@SengaStrawberry maybe it's less about what's permitted and more about what's safe. Not everyone is a-ok about giving their elderly relatives a virusey little Christmas present.

If we are going to see grandparents this Christmas (3 shielded) we will pull kids out of school a week early and all of us isolate for 14 days.

Depends on numbers really. At the moment with 1 in 18000 people having the virus if it was permitted I’d be confident it was low risk. If the figures are a good bit up by then, not so much. And of course I wouldn’t want to make anyone else uncomfortable

@Jrobhatch29

My kids are the light of my parents life. There is no way I am going to stop them spending Christmas with us.

I don’t understand this attitude, surely if it’s dangerous and the GOV say single houses only, then that’s the way it should be. It’s not about beating the system it’s about keeping people safe.