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Covid

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Original poster

Are teenagers allowed out?!

52 replies

CovidStoleTheRainbow · 05/11/2020 21:05

Came home from a long shift tonight and teenager is out.
DH forgot it was lockdown, DS claimed you're allowed to meet with one person, and I said nay.

Maybe DS will meet with one person, but will that one person only meet with him?

And can I trust DS to meet with one person for a month? Probably not.

I assumed the blanket rule would be, go to school, come home and stay in.

His argument is, is that the friends he meets are the friends he's with at school.

I argued the bubble thing and that didn't make sense either.

How is everyone else handling the teenage/freedom thing??

OP posts:

StealthPolarBear · 05/11/2020 21:07

On another thread it was a resounding no.
That said I've not seen anything that says the person you meet has to be exclusive, you can meet one person one day, another the next I think. Same as the rule of six wasn't always the same five others.

Akire · 05/11/2020 21:10

You can met one other person outside but there are also saying you should only be out for work education vital shopping and for well being/fresh air. So I think don’t want to be seeing lots of people spread over the park just hanging out and chatting. So going for walk around park fine. Sitting chatting for hours no. It’s bit cold for that mind!

NotDonna · 05/11/2020 21:10

Yes, I agree with stealth. He should stay socially distanced though and not be hugging, high-fiving etc. And be in a public place not a private garden. Covid is rife in back gardens!!

StealthPolarBear · 05/11/2020 21:11

So people are restricting, even withjn the bounds of what's allowed?

Lululatch · 05/11/2020 21:13

Why would teenagers have rules different to others? If they obey the rule - go for a cycle or walk with a friend then why not?

StealthPolarBear · 05/11/2020 21:15

Wow this is the opposite of the other thread where teens meeting a friend was a no no.

1stV45 · 05/11/2020 21:16

He's right, as long as he's outdoors in a public place, he can meet one other at any one time. It doesn't matter how many others they each see during the course of the day.

Lougle · 05/11/2020 21:18

Using the rules, he can go out as many times as he wants to (with your permission), for the purpose of exercise. He can also meet with one other person at a time, outside.

So he could, by the letter of the law, go out at 4pm and meet one friend, then 5 pm to meet another, etc. That isn't the spirit of the law though, which is to limit social mixing whilst allowing for some contact.

MoirasRoses · 05/11/2020 21:19

Your son is correct. You can meet one other person outdoors. You should SD. It can be 6 different people in one day if you want. You don’t have to bubble with one person. I could see my mum in the morning, my dad over lunch time, my friend in the afternoon .. so long as it’s one person at once & it’s outdoors. Children under 5 don’t count. So I could meet my mum with both my children.

Lindy2 · 05/11/2020 21:23

I'm saying no to my children meeting with friends. You can leave the house for work, school, essential shopping and exercise. Teens meeting up with friends or a friend is not going to be any of those. It will be for general socialising.

Cases are rising scarily fast where we live. My family will do everything we can to stop that so my kids will stay home after school.

sirfredfredgeorge · 05/11/2020 21:24

Maybe DS will meet with one person, but will that one person only meet with him?

It's not one specific person for the month, it's one person at a time, there is no reason for your DS or his friend to just meet each other. Just don't meet more than one person at the same time.

There is also no requirement that it before exercise (although that is also a reason) simply meeting someone and chatting is fine - outdoors, public place, socially distanced.

LampHat · 05/11/2020 21:25

And they can each take a preschooler if they want!

ArtieFufkinPolymerRecords · 05/11/2020 21:27

@CovidStoleTheRainbow

Came home from a long shift tonight and teenager is out. DH forgot it was lockdown, DS claimed you're allowed to meet with one person, and I said nay.

Maybe DS will meet with one person, but will that one person only meet with him?

And can I trust DS to meet with one person for a month? Probably not.

I assumed the blanket rule would be, go to school, come home and stay in.

His argument is, is that the friends he meets are the friends he's with at school.

I argued the bubble thing and that didn't make sense either.

How is everyone else handling the teenage/freedom thing??

He doesn't have to meet with one person for a month. He could meet a different person every day for a month, as long as it is only him and one other person at a time.

sirfredfredgeorge · 05/11/2020 21:27

You can leave the house for work, school, essential shopping and exercise. Teens meeting up with friends or a friend is not going to be any of those. It will be for general socialising

You've completely ignored one of the reasons for leaving the house, "open air recreation" with one other person - which is general socialising, so no the teen cannot meet up with friends - but they can meet up with a friend.

SufferingFromLongLockdown · 05/11/2020 21:27

They can go out for any reason an adult can go out.

KitKatastrophe · 05/11/2020 21:29

And can I trust DS to meet with one person for a month? Probably not.

It's not one person in total for the month. It's one person at a time. He could meet 60 people in a month as long as there are only two of them together at any one time. The guidelines suggest he should also maintain social distance with any person he meets.

AlwaysLatte · 05/11/2020 21:29

He's allowed to meet one other outside. Let him, it's within the rules!

CodenameVillanelle · 05/11/2020 21:33

Yes he can meet one person at a time and no it doesn't have to be the same person each time. Just no more than 2 together and outdoors only

Original poster

CovidStoleTheRainbow · 05/11/2020 21:38

@Lululatch

Why would teenagers have rules different to others? If they obey the rule - go for a cycle or walk with a friend then why not?

They aren't. That's exactly the point of the thread.

I want to know what other teens are doing/expecting/allowed and what are they challenging.

OP posts:

Chloemol · 05/11/2020 21:38

From the gov.uk website

In general, you must not meet people socially. However, you can exercise or meet in a public, outdoors space with people you live with, your support bubble (or as part of a childcare bubble), or with one other person. You should minimise time spent outside your home. When around other people, stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household - meaning the people you live with - or your support bubble. Where this is not possible, stay 1 metre apart with extra precautions (e.g. wearing a face covering).

So to me technically I suppose he can, but it clearly says generally you must not meet people socially, and I doubt that it’s in the spirt of the lockdown to meet one person for hours

Is he likely to SD? Is he likely to minimise his time outside

Personally I would be asking him to stay in,

Bitbusyattheminute · 05/11/2020 21:44

Teenagers and slightly older people can:
Go out in groups
Go on the bus across the border when they're isolating from school
Go to Halloween parties
Come and go from uni as they wish
Tell everyone in local fb groups that cv isn't real and only affects old people

Middle aged people:
Can go to work and come home.
When pubs open next week, they can't go out as a couple cos they can't get babysitters.

Old people:
Can, if they wish, spend all day in Spoonies and see their mates.

That's what lockdown by me has been like for 2 weeks, anyway.

LindaEllen · 05/11/2020 21:58

We are all allowed to meet with one other person not from our household. It doesn't have to be the same person each time. We must distance while meeting, and it must be some form of exercise (i.e. not just sitting in town smoking).

If you feel you can trust him to stick to those rules, of course he's allowed out like anyone else, in fact it's probably good for him.

LindaEllen · 05/11/2020 22:00

@LampHat

And they can each take a preschooler if they want!

They could take several! This sounds more and more fun by the minute! :D

Ihatemyseleffordoingthis · 05/11/2020 22:13

I shall let my 2 teenagers go out (separately to each other) to meet one friend each (for a walk, a run, a bike ride or to go skateboarding) at the weekend, if they wish to.

TibetanTerrier · 05/11/2020 22:13

@sirfredfredgeorge
You've completely ignored one of the reasons for leaving the house, "open air recreation" with one other person - which is general socialising, so no the teen cannot meet up with friends - but they can meet up with a friend.

"Open air recreation" isn't mentioned in the 5th Nov instructions. In fact, they say "In general, you must not meet people socially...... You should minimise time spent outside your home."

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