Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Do people realise that if their child's bubble bursts.....

439 replies

IfYouCantSeeMyMirrors · 12/09/2020 18:12

.....and that child is therefore sent home from school for 14 days, the child is supposed to stay solely within their own house or garden for that entire period? They might be completely well for the full 14 days, but during that time, they can't take any walks. No bike rides. No drives in the car. If they haven't got a garden, they cannot go outside at all.

Many, many children are going to be in this position very soon - quite possibly multiple times - and it goes some way beyond the initial lockdown situation.

OP posts:
OneForMeToo · 12/09/2020 19:16

If I have one off I’m going to have to keep them all off or bring the one off out on the school run. Nothing else is possible.

My neighbours kids are off due to symptoms her dh is still going to work as they cannot afford him not to go in and he just got the jobs weeks ago.

nannynick · 12/09/2020 19:16

WeeSassenach it is the logistics of what happens to siblings. One child being isolated will have impact on other siblings and the family as a whole.

SoloMummy · 12/09/2020 19:16

@Sirzy
*A child in DS class/bubble got a confirmed test on Thursday evening so we where told from then that all pupils in the class will need to isolate.

Which we will be doing other than going out on the nice isolated paths for walks - which he needs as part of his physio/OT*
Bloody hell. You still don't get it. No regardless of physio needs he should not be leaving the home or garden. Exercise in the garden. If necessary up and down the house.
You cannot guarantee that any isolated path has noooe on it.
Take some responsibility.

RiftGibbon · 12/09/2020 19:16

I do hope since common sense is found to be applied as to who needs to isolate as presumably the parent (s) will also need to isolate.

Itisbetter · 12/09/2020 19:16

Yes I knew this. What did you think it meant?

pinkpetal2 · 12/09/2020 19:16

It wouldn't work though for us I'd still have to take them out round the shops to get shopping etc there is no one else to ask. And I probably would still let them go out to the park we've done lockdown I'm not doing it again.

RedRiverShore · 12/09/2020 19:17

Isolate has always meant stay at home, what is the point of the OP, it makes it sound like there has been a change and it was not always thus

PinkPosyPetals · 12/09/2020 19:17

Our local school can’t even get the name of Test and Trace right, they call it Track and Trace, so god knows what rubbish they are spouting at parents.
You’re better off googling for answers on the governments website regarding Coronavirus.

MadameBlobby · 12/09/2020 19:17

I do hope since common sense is found to be applied as to who needs to isolate as presumably the parent (s) will also need to isolate.

Not as a matter of course, but up here now (glasgow) the whole house needs to isolate if one person is a contact as part of the local restrictions here.

PinkPosyPetals · 12/09/2020 19:18

Stop insisting the whole family isolates, unless you look u0 the ACTUAL regulations

Bassettgirl · 12/09/2020 19:18

According to The Times, there are moves afoot to make them legally enforceable.

Yes, unscrutinised law, not passed through parliament, thought up by Michael Gove. With invitations for people to report their neighbour. Worrying times.

GreenGoldRed · 12/09/2020 19:19

OP I think a lot of people don’t realise what it means. I guarantee if a bubble bursts at my children’s school parents will be organising play dates and going out. It wouldn’t surprise me if some of them used it to go off on holiday...

I saw an Instagram live from a well known comedian whose daughter’s bubble had burst, she was saying that she was getting her tested so that she could go on play dates and go to football. She clearly had a backlash, because she’s now posted the child will be self isolating for 14 days.

NoSquirrels · 12/09/2020 19:20

@nannynick

If you have several children and one is self isolating, are the others still able to go to school? If they can (which is how I understand the guidance/rules) then how will they get to school if there is only one adult. Are we risking some parents leaving children home alone?
Our school has asked parents who are in this situation and ‘will struggle to get their other children to school’ to let them know so ‘alternative arrangements’ can be made. No idea what those would be - taxis?
TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 12/09/2020 19:20

Does the child have to isolate from the rest of the family? Eg stay in their own room, meals on trays kind of thing? Or do they 'just' have to stay in the house but can socialise with the rest of the family?
I have teens who spend much of their time in their rooms anyway, but I do try and encourage them out for a while.

ceeveebee · 12/09/2020 19:20

@BooseysMom

Also our workplaces have been very accommodating over lockdown and summer but they weren't very happy to hear we needed to book leave and WFH again

Not your fault. The employers have to put up and shut up until we finally ever get out of this shit show.

They really don’t have to put up and shut up. They can require you to take unpaid dependants leave. It’s going to be a big problem for lots of people unless they have an very understanding employer
nameychange · 12/09/2020 19:20

Well year 11 and 8 in my DDs school are home due to COVID. DH was at the large sports centre today bumped into a parent with a year 8 from the school who was about to go to a sports session - so I’d say some people do need reminding of what isolation means when your child is sent home from school.

PinkPosyPetals · 12/09/2020 19:20

www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak

Read this, don’t take other people’s word for the truth.

Quaagars · 12/09/2020 19:21

@Sirzy
A child in DS class/bubble got a confirmed test on Thursday evening so we where told from then that all pupils in the class will need to isolate.
Which we will be doing other than going out on the nice isolated paths for walks

Ummm.... that's not self isolating.
This thread says a lot about the bloody state we're in and all the lockdowns!

lljkk · 12/09/2020 19:21

Bubble "bursting" should mean "Extra and not allowed people introduced or had contact with" not "had to isolate."

I'll wait for any instructions from the school not from OP. I'll try to be glad DC got any F2F education in 2020 in meantime.

Underhisi · 12/09/2020 19:22

"Isolate has always meant stay at home, what is the point of the OP, it makes it sound like there has been a change and it was not always thus"

Back in March people who had symptoms were allowed out for exercise. It changed pretty quickly but I remember reading it.

Stinkyguineapig · 12/09/2020 19:22

There really shouldn't be any reason for an entire bubble to "burst". Only those who have been 1-2m for 15 min plus etc etc need to isolate. That isn't going to be a whole year group.

My DDs school has had a confirmed case in a year group. The whole year group (250 ish) has been asked not to come in. I questioned this and said there must be some children who have literally never been in a class with child x . But DD pointed out the teachers cant then run a class for the (for example) 8 of 30 kids that havent had a class with child x and simultaneously provide remote learning for the other 22.

However in a lot of cases it might not be 14 days isolation. Say child x stays off school on Monday because they have one of the symptoms, and get a test on tuesday (if they can access one....but that's another thread...) results are in on Thursday eve but they cant tell the school til friday morning. The children who have had contact will have to isolate for 14 days since they saw child x (which would have been the previous friday) .....so they would potentially have a week off school. Still not great but it's not going to be 14 days every time. Its 14 days starting from when you had contact.

Lucindainthesky · 12/09/2020 19:22

I was aware and with an only child, for us it's doable.

The reality will be if people have multiple primary aged DCs, ones who should be isolating will be on the school run. Not everybody drives so there will inevitably be ones out and about. Don't really know how people are supposed to manage it.

NewCatMummy · 12/09/2020 19:23

And just like in lockdown everyone knows the theory and everyone has a reason why they are the exception eg my dog needs three walks, my toddler needs to run off some exercise, I need to get milk from the shop, my elderly relative needs their pills, I need to go for a run for my mental health etc etc, all perfectly avoidable but people won’t

RubertRoo · 12/09/2020 19:23

A bubble burst at my DDs school. They sent the whole year group off but said siblings must continue to attend school. So every morning you see the parents walking to school with the child that has to attend school and the one that has been sent home because they can't exactly leave a 6 year old at home alone isolating! But I would imagine it would be an unauthorised absence and a potential fine for not taking the sibling when they have been told they must attend. it makes no sense

Mintychoc1 · 12/09/2020 19:24

I don’t know what my kids’ school is planning but I will only follow rules that make logical scientific sense. If the park down the road is empty and my kids are isolating, they can go to the park.

And now you can all pile on to me! (I won’t be looking at this thread again though, so don’t waste too much energy)