Child contact and lock down?

[Givemeabreak88]

There must be someone else in this situation so I thought I would ask for advice. Ex sees our children once a fortnight, for certain reasons he isn’t able to bring them back to his so he takes them out for the day and returns them. With lock down how is contact going to continue with everything shut?? He would usually take them cinema/ soft play/ out for food. I know there is walks and parks but the weather is cold now and the children won’t want to be out for long, especially if it rains etc he also lives 2 hours away so it’s a lot of travelling for an hour at the park. I don’t think this will only be lasting 4 weeks so I’m trying to think of what’s best in regards to contact. Is anyone else in the same boat?

Does he know anyone near you that he can bubble with?
Can he go to yours, I know its not allowed but I would for my kids sake if I was in that situation.

Unfortunately I don’t want to have him in my home and he doesn’t know any one local, all his friends and family live 2 hours away with him. He’s asked me what we are going to do about lock down so just trying to think really. He could take them to his area but we decided a while back that was not really possible as it would mean 4 hours of travelling for them in one day (all on public transport as neither of us drive)

Unfortunately if you don’t want them going to his or him going in your house I’m not really sure what else they can do? It’s not really fair for kids to hang round a cold wet park all day if it’s raining and everywhere else will be shut. Could you let him in your house but be had to stay in one room with them I.e. the dining room?

I wonder if child contact centres are staying open as an essential service?

Might be worth checking the directory on the NACCC website to see if there are any in your area. He would have to pay but presumably he'd be spending money taking them out and about so no great difference.

He can’t have them at his that not my choice that’s his. He rents out all 3 rooms in his house so he has no space for them so they can’t stay over night, and he lives 2 hours away so it would be 4 hours travelling in one day. It’s his choice to rent out all the rooms in his house.

Anyway looks like he would rather not see them anyway since I’ve had a message of him today saying he just won’t see them for a month...

Are you and he able to be flexible enough to say he can come and take them out to the park if it's a really lovely day? I recognise this may not work for a number of reasons. You're right, there will be a few families in that situation.

Will they miss not seeing him?