Family of 5

[cherrybakewellll]

Am I the only one who is now dreading being told as a family of 5 (3 kids in primary) we can no longer meet my parents from Monday?

If we had one less child or one more we would be able to?

Sorry if I'm being really thick! I know we have to wait and see the full list of exemptions later today but based on initial information?

I’m devastated as my son has complex needs including being in the vulnerable group . So we’ve been really careful and no one has been in our house. We’ve been seeing one family only who’ve also been careful so they can see us and we have only met outside. Her husband and mine work very long hours, I have no support with the kids or house on any day.

Without her my other two children and I will rapidly become overwhelmed by my disabled child’s needs.

Oh and all our children are in school together! But can’t see each other outside!

I'm more surprised that you would just go along with it now. We're a family of 5. We will be seeing my parents. All kids are in school/ nursery but we now can't go to my parents house or them here cos it makes 7? No chance.

Follow your instinct.

If anyone asks, you're just testing your eyesight.

I will be using my common sense don't worry

I've seen some posts about kids socialising outside school bubble. If everyone happens to be at the park at the same time ....

I think it’s difficult to get the balance between simple public messaging and people that are at the edges/disproportionately impacted.

I’m a single parent - until the bubbles were brought in ( which was quite late on) I wasn’t able to see another adult for weeks.

I'm an avid rule follower but this one nah! I will use my common sense, weigh up the risk and decide myself - if my family and another family want to meet and it takes us 1 or 2 over six stuff it. I'll sanitize, I will mask up, I will stand in lines outside shops, not go to the pub but you'll not tell me who I can see. Cummings showed all of us that anything we are told is up for interpretation.

I'm usually a rule follower, I will moan about them but I like to think I do the 'right' thing.

@MereDintofPandiculation

Why not just use your common sense instead? Because you can now be fined for exceeding the 6. Using your common sense may work out expensive.

Like they've fined non quarantining returning travellers?! Give me a break.

OP i would just carry on meeting your parents or whoever. I certainly intend to. I'm not planning a party for 30 people, but I will certainly still carry on meeting up in groups of 7 or 8.

What about families with both parents and 5+ children? I know of two, are they going to be able to go out for a meal together?

@cherrybakewellll I'm a rule follower and have done everything right so far. We'll be going over 6, only by 1 or 2 depending on the situation, but it's only 1 other household and we'll continue to socially distance as we have all along.
I can't understand how, for example, a cinema can be open, people eating so not wearing a mask, 2m apart for 2 hours, but 2 households can't meet outside

Exactly @sunnyday1976 it's madness.

I'll wait and see what his exact details are at 4pm. Best give the kids more time on their switches for that to keep them quiet

I have 5 children. Live in a country where this ludicrous rule has been around since the early summer.

I genuinely thought young children were exempt, so contacted my local MP and was told they aren't.

Ridiculous all round.

It makes perfect sense even if you don't particularly like it. Bigger households will on average be visiting more places than smaller households and are therefore more likely to have the virus and therefore it makes sense for the restrictions to be more restrictive for larger households. In particular school aged children are able to socialise at school and are therefore less in need of external opportunities to see others whereas adults living alone and either working at home or not working need to be able to socialise with others in a less formal setting. There is essentially a budget of risk both for households and for the country as a whole, and for those with large households interaction within the household along with essential activities is likely to meet if not exceed that budget, whereas for those living alone it is likely that there is some room in the budget for informal social activities with people they do not live with.

@MereDintofPandiculation

Why not just use your common sense instead? Because you can now be fined for exceeding the 6. Using your common sense may work out expensive.

Yeah, there's so much manpower for that, just like how they go round checking travellers who should be quarantining are at home. Couldn't even get the cops over here for 3 hours when the next door neighbour was burgled.

I have my baby in a couple of weeks, making us a family of 5 so my parents can't come and meet the new baby together. I too shall be using my common sense

It is a ridiculous rule. I think people are weary of all this and compliance will not be high particularly if it continues to (and over?) Xmas, as they said on the news this morning that it might.

@StillCounting123

I have 5 children. Live in a country where this ludicrous rule has been around since the early summer.

I genuinely thought young children were exempt, so contacted my local MP and was told they aren't.

Ridiculous all round.

The government want us to use our common sense, yet they can’t use their own and make allowances for large households.

[quote cherrybakewellll]@whojamaflip if you are a household of 6 then you are able to see others because you are one unit. Which is why it makes no sense.

I mean technically only 1 of us has to drop or pick up the kids from parents but it's just madness that my husband in theory can't come in to my parents house but the kids all can go between (and school with 300 other kids) and to their dads house on his weekends.

Honestly I've always been a Bojo fan but this is the final straw.

[/quote]
Kills thousands of people, wrecks economy, breaks international LAW but "this" is the final straw?

@StillCounting123

I have 5 children. Live in a country where this ludicrous rule has been around since the early summer.

I genuinely thought young children were exempt, so contacted my local MP and was told they aren't.

Ridiculous all round.

Why would you think children were exempt? They are still people capable of catching and spreading the virus.

You could buy a limited company off the shelf, set everyone up as employees, and then you can meet as many people as you want, because it would be a work meeting.

icecreamandcandyfloss didn't think all kids were exempt, but I was querying about newborn babies. They are included in the number.

Again and again government are saying that in areas that have high numbers it's because of socialising inside homes or places like pubs. Numbers can't keep going up. I appreciate it's not easy for some, but we have to be grateful we have more loved ones and company than some.

It's pretty bleak - we were supposed t be going away at half term with another household which is likely cancelled now and Christmas could be quiet BUT if it keeps the schools open and means no further lockdown I'll take it
Plus it is easier as a family - I so feel for my single friends

From gov.uk
You should not....

socialise outdoors in a group of more than six people from different households; gatherings larger than six should only take place if everyone is from exclusively from two households or support bubbles

Again:
You can meet in groups of up to six people who you do not live with or who are not in your support bubble.

You can also meet people in groups of more than six people if everyone is exclusively from two households (anyone in the same support bubble counts as one household).

So that means me and my ten kids can meet my friend and her ten kids at park etc and it’s still ok?