Do you really keep DC indoors for 14 days?

[notevenat20]

DS's school year has been sent home for 14 days because someone in his year has covid. I know we are supposed to keep him indoors the whole time. But what have people really done in practice? It's a very long time not to walk further than the bathroom.

@walfordwatcher I'm genuinely very sorry to hear of your situation. I can imagine how difficult it is - but as we are on an open thread I would honestly question the impact of this on your teenagers and whether on balance it is fair on them and their health needs.

CHildren and teenagers are not personally at risk of suffering severe symptoms (for children it is less serious than flu) - so they are all making enormous changes and taking a hit for him.

I can only imagine how scary it is to be so at risk in a pandemic but I have personally followed the rules for a long time to the detriment of my own children and I'm not prepared to follow rules now that I consider to be not backed by science.

So yes my daughter goes for a walk etc - if there was actually covid in the family no I wouldn't let her out for a walk but as there isn't it's a step too far.

I hope your husband gets the vaccine as soon as possible.

My son isolating after his teacher developed COVID-19 and he has stuck to the rules. Seems slightly mad as his siblings still going to school as per guidelines. He is 15 though and I do pity parents of younger children isolating with no real understanding of why.

I had to shield from March - August, I was only allowed to leave the house for 1 hour a day from June. We followed those rules.
It's 2 weeks, stop being so blinking selfish!

Yes, today was DSs first day back after finishing his bubble’s 14 day isolation. He stayed indoors throughout, apart from nipping into the garden to pick veggies. Rules and all that jazz...

My 7 year old was in shielding for 4 months she was fine.

Me & my daughter had to self isolate for 14 days recently after possible contact. We both stayed in the whole time. She’s 18 months and it was extremely difficult mentally but we did it for the safety of others just in case...

We're on day 3 though luckily the weekend and Friday cunts so maybe day 6 and have done exercises indoors. Adults are allowed out so I sneak in the occasional walks here and there during lunchtime and watching screens otherwise I don't know how I would've managed.

Isolated 4 DCs who stayed in for 14 days its common sense too. Its a pandemic the virus soreads so quickly anyone can get it I qoukd feel really crap is someone cought of my children or myself or DP because we were selfish.

*counts not the c word.

We are on day 9 and yes. It is very hard with 7 year old especially a lively one but I think people are sticking to the rules generally. I am a sole parent and working remotely plus homeschooling so pushed to my limit...

@notevenat20

A friend whose DC are at a posh London school wern't told their DC had to stay indoors. I guess you get what you pay for.

My son is at an independent school in London and there have been a few cases among the children. Entire school years have had to stay at home for 14 days when this has happened. Some of his school friends had to stay home for 14 days too because they travel on the same school bus as a child who tested positive. As another poster has said, the schools don't make up their own rules, they are following government guidelines.

My 16 year old has done 2 lockdowns, she has been out for a walk on both occasions, we live in a village and she walks across fields etc, very rare that we meet anybody else. My parents live on the other side of the county and the during both lockdowns we were planning to go see parents, didn’t do that and haven’t seen them since July, we are hoping to see them after the 2nd Dec, thats if it’s not extended and one of us isn’t involved in another lockdown. This sucks.

Yes, that's the whole point.

Yep! Full 14 days here.
Why would I risk it over a bit of boredom. It’s 14 days not a year

We’ve done it twice. Once when I had COVID a few weeks back and yes, DH and DS (he’s 2) stayed inside for the full 14 days, luckily we have a small garden so we let him run riot in there - we didn’t even go out to walk the dog. Second time there was a positive case in his bubble at nursery so he had to isolate again. I’d rather do that than risk passing it on to someone more vulnerable. It was hard work but 14 days isn’t long in the grand scheme of things.

I find this thread very disappointing. I had thought that it was very clear that anyone told to isolate has to stay indoors for 14 days.

I can't understand why so many people think it's optional/advisory.

Yes it's a pain, but lots of people have made bigger sacrifices for the greater good.

Even more disturbing are the comments saying "he's more at risk by staying in than COVID". This entirely misses the point. You're not asked to stay in for your own safety or wellbeing - it's so that you don't spread a virus that has already caused unprecedented damage to the world economy and health. Secondly it's so you don't knowingly put someone vulnerable at risk of death.
You wouldn't send your kids out with a loaded gun, and let them randomly fire on a crowd. Why would you send them outside, knowing someone older or vulnerable could walk past or walk behind them and get infected?

There is a reason why large outdoor events are still cancelled. It's possible to spread it outside, just not as likely.

I'm so sad because everyonecthinks it's okay for them to be selfish but on a national scale this is why it has taken off so massively. Lots and lots of individual people thinking "Can I just....?"

Each of my 3 children are now on their 2nd 14 day isolation. For one of them the boy had lied on his close contact page and admitted to it but still my daughter taught in a girls only class had to self isolate based on his lies. She had never even spoke to him. So that week yes she did go out. My son is now self isolating for the second time and it’s his best friend with very close contact for days. So he is in strict lockdown and cleaning routine.

Sorry haven't read all 28 pages. You need to read the government's guidance:

^^Guidance for contacts of people with confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection who do not live with the person

What do you do when your child has chicken pox? Take them out for a walk too for mental health?!

I think this is more about the adults mental health than the childs.

Children in cancer wards having bone marrow transplants can be inside for months in 1 room.

Its 2 weeks and if you have a garden can use it. Even a tiny garden (do start jumps)

Get a routine planned. Online is saturated with ideas to cope.

Yes, well he did have access to the garden, but my ds (14)is quite happy with staying in his room on his Xbox, it's his default position anyway 😂. I can imagine it might be harder with smaller ones.

Our kid got sent home because someone in his class had a positive covid result. The letter said that parents could carry on going to work as normal. However, once we went on to the government website, it actually states that you don't need to stay home... Only if your kid begins to show symptoms or if they have been directly contacted by track and trace. For this reason... We had a brilliant time off.

Yes they absolutely should be kept it - and the private schools should be advising the same it has nothing to do with “getting what you pay for”

Clearly having enough money to send your children to private school does not necessarily equate to having enough brain cells to follow simple rules

10 year old DD is isolating following a positive case in her class. The only outing she’s had has been to the drive through test centre when we thought she was showing symptoms. Thankfully she was negative. Her isolation ends on Saturday and she can’t wait. Beyond the garden she’s been nowhere.

Working in a school desperate to keep cases down, please keep them in. I get reports daily of kids who are out doing paper rounds, seeing friends and going for a walk who should be isolating - we are helpless to do anything about this. It makes the message schools have to give really hard to enforce if parents tell them not to follow it.

We want to keep schools open and need everyone’s help!

We did 14 days keeping an 8yo at home. She went in the garden once. Fortunately her school streamed every lesson to the class so she was busy 8:45 to 16:00. The weekends were more tricky but we ordered things so she could makes Christmas cards and Christmas decorations. She google met some of her friends. It’s not easy but it’s important. I’d rather deal with that than her potentially pass it to someone who could become very ill just for the sake of them being a bored for two weeks