Birthday party WWYD?

[mynameisnotmichaelcaine]

DS is 7 on Tuesday. Party planned for Saturday 19th - we're having an outdoor picnic and some games. DS has invited five friends - all of them are in his class at school and therefore he's inside with all of them 6 hours a day every week day.

I am planning to still hold the party but I will stay inside with the bi-fold doors open and keep at least a 2 metre distance from DS's friends (apart from in an emergency obv). What do you think? I am a natural rule follower, but given these kids are already bubbled, it just seems so unnecessary to cancel the party.

Get a reality check some of you. None of this has really been policed so far, do you really think OP will be arrested for one extra kid?!

Go ahead and enjoy it OP. They're in school all week together fgs!

I’d go ahead but message the other parents saying your DH and teens will be out.

I wouldn't even consider cancelling it. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think the parents need to know what your plans are. You can't not tell them after the change in rules.

The police barely have the resources to come out for burglaries; I imagine they’d come out for big house parties but if someone calls saying there’s 6 children plus an adult in a house i doubt it’ll come top of the the list

@wherestheotherone I've told the other parents exactly what I've told you all. They have all said they're happy to go ahead.

Go ahead. Yes you are technically breaking the law but I agree with your radio analogy. I hope they have a fantastic time!

Oh go ahead.

I’ve invited three people to my house to join the three of us for a small celebration. That will be 6. But I’m in Greater Manchester so I think technically illegal. 🤷‍♀️

Absolutely go ahead. I’d send my child. And as you say, the other parents are happy. Love the analogy that it’s illegal like taping off the radio.

It is illegal. Your main health risk will be pick up and drop off I think. If there are 6 kids, how you will stop there being 6 patents there too at pick up time?

I hope you have a lovely day and the weather stays dry for you.

Yes whatever way you look at it, it is illegal!

It’s 1 person/ id go ahead

If the other parents are happy I'd go ahead (unless you have a particular type of neighbours). It could well be that one doesn't turn up anyway or Nicola's slightly different rule in Scotland will result in a English U turn on kids counting. If not, you'd still need someone else to count the children and be bothered enough to report.

@notevenat20 I'm going to leave both the side gates open so parents can come through one and go out of the other. Two of the kids are arriving at different times as they have sporting activities so I'll only have three arriving at the same time.

It’s not unsafe, as you say they are together at school anyway. But it is illegal. It’s your decision as to whether to break the law to allow the party (and therefore telling your children it’s ok to break the law sometimes).

I would do it, but others wouldn’t.

@Snailsetssail DS isn't familiar with the letter of the law, so won't know. Teens don't know how many kids are coming.

@mynameisnotmichaelcaine

How about pick up? That tends to be much slower than drop off in my experience.

You are definitely telling your children that it is ok to break the law if it is for the purposes of having fun. I personally don’t think it’s anything like recording off the radio. No one dies from that. It’s much more like going to an empty motorway, closing your eyes and running across it. Could be fun, you might die or kill someone else in a crash but you will probably get away with it.

Have a lovely party for your son I would not cancel and would happily send my child

@notevenat20 My children literally won't know so I really don't see how I am sending that message. Genuinely do you think this weekend this party is fine, next week it will kill someone?

I’d go ahead.

I'd go ahead if other parents are happy.

Yes, you are breaking the rules, but you arranged this before the recent decision and it wouldn’t be fair to leave out one child. I think the government know this is going to happen with families going 1 person over, but it’s the large gatherings indoors that they want to stop.

My children literally won't know so I really don't see how I am sending that message. Genuinely do you think this weekend this party is fine, next week it will kill someone?

Won’t someone tell them? An older sibling or a child who has discussed the numbers with their parents? They only need to know the number 6 after all.

I of course don’t think it is hugely more dangerous next week than this (although numbers are going up so it may be a bit more dangerous.). But the issue is what happens if everyone in the country breaks the rules? It seems likely that Covid numbers will grow more quickly and more people will die. Maybe a voting analogy is better. If you vote BNP it won’t make much difference but imagine if everyone did.