Were you following the rule of six before?

[Nellodee]

I am hoping that the new restrictions are effective. From my perspective, I can’t see them changing much as I have only on one occasion been indoors socially with seven people since this started.
How much of a change will it mean to you? Were you previously meeting in a group of eight? Will you continue to meet in groups that very slightly bend the law?
I’m trying to gauge roughly how much difference this new rule will make.

@MrsJThornton I would still go in your shoes

I've only met up in a group bigger than 6 when we've met up with one set of grandparents. We're a family of 5, and my in-laws takes us to 7. So from now on when they come over, I'll have to go out. Maybe to meet friends, or go to the pub, thus mixing further. But my mum, as she's single, can see all of us together. We'll stick to the rules because rules are rules, but is me going to a cafe or the pub so that we're not a group of 7 safer than just staying in and seeing the grandparents? And yes, I know I don't have to go to the pub, but that would be legal, while staying at home wouldn't be.

DS has been invited to a friend's house for her birthday. It was only meant to be a small party anyway, but now the birthday girl's older sister can't be there so she can have all the friends she's invited. All these friends are in the same class and mix five days a week. I'm not sure of the actual benefit of them sending her sister to another household for a few hours. How is that safer than just having her there and there being a group of 7? But again, rules are rules.

@Scattyhatty the trouble is, does the party host have family there (Mum, Dad, etc.)? That will take it over 6 again.

I hate it. I've had to tell DD2 she can't go to a small party next Saturday.

Pretty much.

I’ve mainly been meeting friends in the park, no more than six of us, two or three households at a time.

Did go to a family BBQ, there were 16 of us (six households) we were mainly outside but did have to go inside a few times (get food or go to toilet).

I have no idea what the rules were before.

I don't know what they are now. Are children included in the 6 in the UK? Does that cover outside and in?

Is there a definitive place to get this ever changing information?

It won’t really affect us. Family live far away. Most of the household is autistic and hates groups or socialising anyway. I do think it’s a shit rule though and makes very little sense.

We are a family of 6, and have met with other families outside a few times, taking the total to 9 or 10 (but only ever 2 households at time, so within the rules). From tomorrow we can't meet anyone as a family and the kids can't invite a friend over to play in the garden etc. It's sad - but we will stick to the rules. I do wish they had stuck to the 'two households' thing though, even with a (slightly higher) upper limit e.g 8 or 10 in total.

Not if you count children. I’ve been regularly meeting up with up to 6 friends, no more, but I’ve never counted our kids. Which more than doubled the gathering. We all have 1 or 2 kids each.

I’m pretty gutted the new rules include kids in England. I’d much rather it be two households but kids don’t count as per Wales & Scotland. I mean why on earth are they counting babies?! Particularly immobile ones. And let’s face it, if you are part of one household, you all carry the same risk. It doesn’t matter if it’s one of you or all 4 of you. You all live together in close contact. So why not two households not including kids or two households of say 8-10 which would cover the majority of families at least seeing grandparents at the same time!

[quote roarfeckingroarr]@MrsJThornton I would still go in your shoes [/quote]
That's what I feel like doing if I'm honest - and I haven't broken any of the other rules!

I don't even think I socialised in groups bigger than six very often even before covid, so obviously I've not started doing that now.

No, I've been following the guidance of 2 households inside and six people outside.

Will now follow the new guidance of 6 either in or out although I suspect I won't actually meet more than 4 inside as 6 seems a lot when the transmission rates are much higher indoors.

We have never really socialised, we see DS couple of times a year and see DF once this year and MIL once, all live over 200 miles away, DB lives in the next town but we only see him just before Xmas, we can speak on the phone if we want to.

We’re a family of 5. About once a week we’ve done something with another family, typically a walk in the woods, a bike ride or meeting in a park. We had grandparents to stay and one family has been inside our house and we have been inside theirs.

None of that now. I’m very sad about it, but understand why.

Yes and most people I know were also doing it. But it was clear people were getting together in large groups and that there is reckless Intergenerational mixing

Yes this and I think some of those people were also pressured into it by other family members. I've heard a lot of my friends and colleagues say they felt pressured into babysitting or that family had called to their house unexpectedly or got in a huff because they wouldn't bend the rules. I've been in the situation myself and it's a huge pressure when family refuse to take the lockdown seriously and even gang up on you.

Yes but only 2 households at a time. Newborn DD has meant we have been a 7 quite a few times

I've not broken rulea so far. Most wd have had is a group of 8 outside (4 adults and 4 kids), and only my mum has been inside our house/we have only been inside hers.

We had a playdate with on of my best friends on Saturday, in her fairly large garden. 4 adults, and 3 kids (7 months, 14 months and 3). I have to admit, I'll feel really resentful having to say no to that, when 6 adults, all from different households, can meet up.

Yes we were. Our youngest DC was previously shielded so we have been more cautious than most.

We’ve met with another family of 4 (we are a family of 3). Now that isn’t allowed despite the fact that one of their 4 is a 3 month old baby who obviously is going nowhere that mum / dad isn’t and therefore isn’t a further risk of spread. That’s why the blanket ‘rule of 6’ is stupid. We will probably still continue to meet up.

Have only met small groups anyway, usually two or three.

Also have not gone inside with anyone outside my family group since early March, except for work (lucky to work somewhere taking covid seriously).

I am avoiding indoors like the plague as it is clear how this spreads.

I have a 5 month old baby who I haven't been counting as part of the 6 (because it's ridiculous to do so when she doesnt leave my side). She will now be included, but I will continue to bend the rules in this manner.

I was mulling about this.. I broke the rules almost daily in March-May, due to too much exercise & seeing a friend for ? 6 walks (friend spent Lockdown with abusive husband).

I've been inside the rules almost perfectly ever since May when lots of exercise became allowed. Only breach was giving 2 hugs to friend when he announced his marriage breakdown.

Rest of my household not so perfect since May. Worst breacher = adult DD who has had lifts from friends, or went to some parties of 12-18. Our county has possibly the lowest prevalence in England.

We are a family of 4. Our best friends are a family of 5. We've been meeting in the park so the youngest children could play and we would drink tea and chat. We did it last night in fact. The adults maintain a 2m distance and the dc are at school together anyway so are always mixing.

I don't see inherent risk in continuing but given that DH is a copper, we will be sticking to the law. I feel very sad about it.

We have pretty much only met in less than 6, we have had 3 times where we met outside in a larger number and a couple of times of meeting another family that took us to 7. We had started to be more relaxed and I have definitely felt recently like I want to retract to our own bubble again, so we will be going back the rule of 6 at the most.

Yes I was, 3 people live in my parents house, my family is 3, my sister's family is 3. My brother is 1. So group of 10.

We have a similar situation with a weekly activity we all go to. We go separately, we could decide to go a different time /day and still see each other.