How can you do this to your children (and yourselves)?

[endoftheworldaoife]

It has been six months and it's now very clear that covid won't be doing away in our lifetimes. A vaccine won't eradicate it (just as a vaccine didn't eradicate flu).

Most of you seem to be willing to accept social distancing and masks for the foreseeable. And I don't get it. We are a tribal species. We literally die without contact and get sick without communication. Kids are learning arrange, stilted ways of being that will just worsen their digital reliance. OCD is being normalised. Dating will be neurotic and masked. Freshers won't make new loves or lifelong friends like we did. As for their working lives...

I wouldn't mind catching covid (indeed I'm sure we all will sooner or later) so can someone explain to me what on earth is happening in their heads to tip the balance? If it only affected us, I could understand (well, I couldn't but this feels like child abuse on a giant scale).

[quote Dowser]@IncludeWomenInTheSequel
You certainly do, we all do.
All life is risky as we well know
Once it was clear that this virus wasn’t going to cut a swathe through society, March 19 actually, according to the government website
Me and dh agreed we were going to live our lives as norma.
We had a drive Out every day, went to supermarkets, went to town centre..all indoors..no masks , went to parks, beaches, Country parks, forests, met with family Inside and out.
VE Day...started off socially distant..well you can imagine the rest
We can at least look back and say we didn’t love it, but we lived it.[/quote]
In all honesty it hasn't weighed heavily on me. I was pretty happy having the kids home, enjoying the time we got together. It hasn't upended my life.

Obviously I worry about what happens if we get it, but apart from that we're just living almost normal life.

Because on either side project fear, covid edition, has worked marvellously.
On the one hand you have those who have had enough, and now can't be bothered and have heard the economic is in freefall.
On the other hand you have people who think everyone who doesn't stand exactly 2 metres away is a potential murderer who is trying to give them the virus.
I'm far more in the middle. I agree Social Distancing and masks are worth continuing and don't really inconvenience people that much. I think those who need to shield should not be threatened with losing their jobs or being fined if they're children not in school. I also don't think the government have covered themselves in glory and apparently they're imploding and arguing amongst themselves on the rule of 6 too. I think eat out to help out was singularly the stupidest thing a politician has ever come up with after months of telling us all we could t eat or drink indoors outside of our homes and yes I do think that's responsible for spikes now, along with foreign and unnecessary travel all over July and August, people could've gotten by without a foreign holiday for one year.
There is no easy answer at this point, I'm hearing rumour that by Friday we are all back on lockdown and it will be harsher than before. Do I think that's fair when you have a number of places not spiking? No I don't but of course their would be kick offs of they don't do it country wide and local lockdowns haven't worked.

I actually agree with you @Gladysthesphinx

and the irony that young people are being blamed and having it all put on their shoulders when they have and will continue to sacrifice the most. its bullshit.

@DameFanny
Gosh you do spout some billy big bollocks don’t you😂
And you know what
I actually don’t give a flying fuck
It’s my life and I do it my way💪🏼

I have anxiety, I work as a teaching assistant, I have family members who I know wouldn't survive it, but...
At no point have my kids felt overly scared, like they aren't having fun or that their school work is deteriorating.
We have been honest with them about why we need to SD and wear a mask but explained it's not forever and things will be normal again. It's made us appreciate the outside more and our family time more. My kids don't feel like they are missing out because they haven't been part of the social gatherings that happen around us. They have socialised, but in smaller numbers. I understand its difficult and not the case for everyone. Both my husband and I are keyworkers so no 'luxury' of a lockdown. It is what you make it isn't it? I don't have the energy to argue the toss and if wearing masks helps then fine. If SD helps then fine. Not going to stress myself out fussing about it. I keep thinking to myself that we just need to get past the new year and we will have lived with this through all seasons and have a better idea of it. I dont think winter is the time to fight, it is going to be harder because of the colder weather and darker nights but what's the alternative?

And you just don't care that it's other people's lives you're threatening, you free spirit you

And you know what
I actually don’t give a flying fuck

well we worked that one out already

what with trips out and indoor shopping centres and mad VE day etc! I think i might have seen you on the news in Bournemouth or wherever. You crazy mad thing you!

Anyone got a bunker for @Dowser?!!!!

@sunglassesonthetable
We didn’t thank you

Only someone who hasn't had it, or seen someone suffer or even die with covid, would say they wouldn't mind getting it.

Dear lord. OP has such a narrow acultural and ahistoric view of what being human actually means.

Shit happens. You need to develop resilience (this is hard) and model it to your DC (this is also hard). Are you so entitled that you thought you would not experience pain, hardship, grief, powerlessness, unfairness, inequality? Why not you?

Deal with it. Don't waste your time having a tanty. The practical problem will still be there when you're done.

And fuck off with your faux concern for those you were happy to ignore before Covid - we are human beings not tools. Were you standing up for victims of abuse and DV, young people with SN actually dying in care homes, SEN kids being excluded before Covid? If not, why not?

Sorry to say, without the hyperbole and catastrophising, concerns about wearing a mask and limiting social contact are both petty and petulant. Get a grip.

@Marj99 I didn't mention kids needing trips to Marbella or freshers week. You're falsely equating being vulnerable with being entitled. Imagine being a new year 7. You've never been to the school before cos there was no transition. You're excited about a new school but also quite scared because you know the seating plan doesn't allow you to sit 1 metre apart and of course, you could be a silent carrier and of course you MUST NOT KILL GRANNY. And then imagine that there's a case in your school and suddenly half your class of new kids you're just about getting to know are back at home. ...and should you be at home? Are you safe? And tell me that will not all cause some anxiety which may - no-one knows for sure - have longterm effects for some kids. It is not a competition with third world countries to see who can suffer the most. I am simply stating that the emotional burden on young people is currently very high and is not sustainable. And the 'pull yourself together' brigade could perhaps listen properly and try not to be instantly dismissive.

@sunglassesonthetable
No, not Bournemouth beach
Just the one a mile from our house
You know..the ones you were allowed to visit
Or did you forget you were allowed out every day for exercise?

Oh the eat out thing.
Locally diners saved over £2 million.

Coincidentally, locally numbers started to creep up.
Beginning of August local we had 7 infections, fantastic for zone 1. First week in September over 60 and this was before the first school opened it's doors here.

Well said! keep

It is a mask, washing your hands and abit of distance, and organising your life with a different number of friends, hardly the end of the bloody world!!!

Or did you forget you were allowed out every day for exercise?

No totally cool with it thanks

@sunglassesonthetable
So what’s your problem then?

wow 23 pages

read your own comments Dowser.
And have a think about it.

I have

Only someone who hasn't had it, or seen someone suffer or even die with covid, would say they wouldn't mind getting it.

I've had it. I hope when I get it again it won't be as bad.

I'm not hoping to get it, I'm just someone who realises that corona in itself is nothing new. Based on the other known things - flu, cold, etc vaccines are hit and miss and theres a massive pharma market for cold relief stuff. CV will fall somewhere in between those.

There will be those in society that like colds and flu who are susceptible to them, and there will be lucky fuckers who never get it or mildly once.

I think there will be a point regardless of numbers it has to come to an end. You can’t make people care about their health or that of other people, no matter how “selfish” you tell them they are. That word has been used so often it’s ceasing to have any impact. The government will need to be ready to deal with it.

@vodkaredbullgirl

wow 23 pages

Insightful

@Gladysthesphinx

Agree with you OP. I think it reflects the privileged baby boomer state of mind. Too many elderly people simply don’t care what they inflict on the young. They see themselves as entitled to protection whatever the cost. Anyone who suggests the elderly should be isolating themselves, while the rest of us get on with life, is howled down because the elderly baby boomers genuinely think the rest of society should be sacrificed for them. They have no concept of society. They don’t care that our children will be burdened with debt for decades and more; about youth unemployment, youth homelessness, youth despair, the destruction of our children’s future. It’s all about keeping them safe, whatever the cost to others.

I don’t entirely agree but I think there is an element of truth in this. A lot of this generation have led the life of Riley with their cheap house prices, gold plated pensions etc and still moan that they are hard done by, hence Brexit which they only voted for in their own self interest not caring about the future for the young. Now they blame the young for the virus and expect them to prevent them getting it. By no means all of this generation of course but I think a lot are. Yes father in law I’m looking at you.

@canigooutyet

Oh the eat out thing. Locally diners saved over £2 million.

Coincidentally, locally numbers started to creep up.
Beginning of August local we had 7 infections, fantastic for zone 1. First week in September over 60 and this was before the first school opened it's doors here.

And it would've worked just as well and far safer if it was offered on take away only. In fact it would've helped small business far more. Our local, tiny, out of town McDonald's was so rammed one afternoon that no one was able to wipe tables down quick enough before someone waiting for a table to get a big Mac for a quid sat in it.

Fisrly , I’m unsure what qualifies OP to make assertions about what a vaccine will eradicate , since Coronavirae are not flue viruses - there’s far fewer strains - and this particular nasty isn’t mutating much, unlike flu viruses.
I’m making no assertions , as I simply do not know.

Secondly , lots of insinuation in post as regards others mental health , independence of mind , and care for our children. This reads more to OP’s state of mind than that of the rest of us.

What’s the takeaway here, we should all just resign ourselves to possible death or we are colluding with child abuse ? Say what now ?