How many parents still have children in lockdown?

[Alex50]

Just wondering if your children are still only staying at home and only going out for walks, if so why? Will you send them back to school? Are you worried your children could be severely ill from the virus?

Sort of, but only because there's not much to do! We just stay local because we're like this in non-covid times. We have a dog, so we go out with him- the kids cycle and skate for about 2 hours a day at our local park. We do the odd trip into London and we've been down to the seaside. We've met up with friends a bit here and there.
My two younger kids went back to school when lockdown was lifted. So they'll be back in September.
I had a heart attack in March and went into cardiac arrest. I've been recovering since. You think I'd be terrified of school, etc. But I'm not really.
I am concerned but at the same time, we can't just keep going the way we are. I would prefer if they went back 2-3 days a week rather than full time, simply because they've been so 'off' the routine schedule that the return to school will absolutely wipe them out. It's a bit too much too soon. Easing the kids back in would be wise.

I have s friend who still doesn’t let her children go anywhere, she’s even worried if they go in the garden. I was wondering if this is rare or whether many parents are this concerned.

God no, 12 weeks was more than enough

Dd has been back at nursery since 2nd June. It’s been absolutely fine. No (touch wood!) cases of covid in either children, parents or staff. We are pretty much 100% back to normal, not including SD and masks etc of course.

No. Dc met with friends, we’ve been to lunch a lot and playground. Starting school soon.

I have s friend who still doesn’t let her children go anywhere, she’s even worried if they go in the garden.

That is extreme and quite irrational. They are not going to catch covid in the garden unless she regularly hosts sporting events or concerts out there.

Someone I know has no underlying health conditions and has not left the house since March, nor have her children. Everything gets delivered and the children aren’t going back to school.

Apparently she will keep them at home for another year and wants to sue her employer for suggesting she goes into the office one day a week from next month...

@FluffyKittensinabasket could you gently suggest to your friend that maybe going back in 1 day a week sounds exactly what she needs? Or at least to let her children get out and about a bit more.

I don’t actually think as a parent you should be able keep your children inside for months and months. What about their health and well-being? Education? Social interaction?

If you think you are going to catch COVID in your own garden then you are clearly suffering from an inability to make any rational decisions. That needs to be dealt with.

We're sort of isolating still, because there's not much open to do round here, the kids friends are mostly on holiday and we're sticking to the bubble rules (which I think are still in force? No idea as no one else here seems to be following any rules bar the masks in shops if you're lucky!).

We did see a family in the local park last week. Both parents and children (aged approx 5 and 8/9) had those masks with filters on, face visors, plastic gloves on and the mother was spraying everything they touched with disinfectant first. Then she'd gel their gloved hands after each piece of equipment, whilst yelling in a panicked voice to stay two metres away from everyone! Thee was only us and them in sight. Now that is ridiculously OTT and can't be good for the kid's mental health. If you're that terrified just stay at home, surely?

My parents are still timing their one walk a day carefully, to ensure they're home within the 'allowed' hour. I've told them over and over that this wasn't actually a rule in the first place, let alone now but they say 'better safe than sorry!' whilst tutting and glaring at neighbours who dare drive anywhere, go to work or socialise outdoors. I'm being very careful still, but they are being ridiculous imo.

Nope. Summers been pretty normal on the whole. Just outdoors more than usual perhaps. And no grandparent care as we are in local lockdown. Dreading winter if I’m honest. It rains a lot in Yorkshire 😭

Someone I know has kept her 3 kids in the house since march and they only have a small back yard. Everything delivered still. She ventured to the beach with them last week and said it was too much for her and they are back in the house. She says she is planning on sending them to school but I doubt it. Poor kids. I actually think she's developed agoraphobia more than anything

Pretty much Monday -Friday as I'm a childminder so I'm not venturing out with the squids due to social distancing and different drop off / pick ups. We have a big garden though with plenty to do inside and outside and once my last mindee has gone home then we can go for a walk and weekends are spent going out and about and visiting family.
Some of my friends think I'm crazy I'm not I've got to think of the impact of so many families and that of my mil who we are caring for.
I also live in one of the biggest hot spots so I'd rather be cautious.

We're still in lockdown, think we had a couple of weeks before they slammed it on us again.
Hopefully kids can go back, though.

Have to here in Leicester. We're not allowed to have friends round and can only meet outdoors in public places with social distancing. We've met a friend in the park a few times but hard to keep 6 year olds apart and it's only in the last week that playgrounds have started to reopen outside of the city centre. In the city boundary playgrounds are still locked up.

My daughter is due to return to nursery next month. Given we are WFH it didn’t seem sensible to send her back over the summer when there was still some uncertainty. We now feel comfortable sending her back in and I’ll be returning to the office for two days a week too.

Since lockdown we have still met family (in bubbles) and more gently visited farms, parks etc and let her play on swings/slides etc. As our girl is an only child we felt it was important for her to interact with others again.

Tory

I think they locked you down again before us. I have friends in Leicester.
We are Greater Manchester, hope to be finally lifted on Wednesday, not holding my breath.

@Devlesko yeah, we got 1 week of non-essential shops being open mid June before we were locked back down and everything closed again.

They've started opening things up now, but have not allowed households meeting indoors or in private property/gardens, city playgrounds locked, no gyms/leisure centres etc.

Kids are back at school this week on Wednesday but still can't go round to see family. It's insane, that my DD will be able to be in close contact for 6 hours a day with the children of 30 households, a teacher, a TA and the other school staff before she can give her nan, grandad or great nan a hug.

Still in voluntary "lockdown", but it's not an issue. And also it's really easy for us. We don't have a circle of friends here, so our social life is via phone/internet anyway.
We are introverts, son has more social life online than ever and there is nowhere to go.
We live in London, have seen all the places and tbf it is a bloody nightmare to get a teen to step foot outside in normal conditions even, much less now :)
Usually we spend a month or 2 abroad (at my parent's summer house) but lived through the summer without that.

We were shielding ds, as a family, so until August we stayed in house and garden and went for walks (rural area), but didn't see anyone.
Since August, we have seen friends in the garden, dds have each been out for walks/bike rides with friends. As a family we have been on a couple of days out. We try to avoid shops with ds, as social distancing is tricky and he wants to touch everything.
We just want to minimise risk.

Bil and sil have been in the house since March. Not old and no health issues (at least no real ones... but that’s 50 other threads).

I don’t care two hoots but they are rampant lockdown evangelists and sit there with a very comfortable lifestyle saying that “health is more important than the economy”. I don’t know where they think their broadband/utilities/water/deliveries/food is coming from...

All normal(ish) here too. Have friends that are still in lockdown, only going out for walks at the most, all healthy but they are going to school, so not sure how that is going to be for them after six months in the back garden, but getting all dc back in school asap is the best way to protect and save their education and mental health.

No, fuck that. Mine have been back in school, we went abroad over the Summer, they see their friends.

Nope. Littlest went back to school (reception) and the summer’s been pretty normal- holiday clubs, play dates, playground, grandparents.

TorysSuckRevokeArticle50

Yeah, I think we probably had a couple of weeks free.
I know, it's ridiculous. My dd not back until Sunday 6th/ boarder.
She can't see family before she goes back and is absolutely gutted, poor love. She has older siblings/ different households and if we don't come out of lockdown before she has to isolate she's going to miss them until half term.