Childcare bubbles

[bubblebubbletoilandtrouble]

Ok, so I have read the most recent tiers guidance and my query is this:

• if my parents come over to provide childcare for my toddler to cover a mix of work and life admin (am pregnant and have a bit of sorting/planning to do), I assume they can come inside - guidance suggests yes, can provide in both households

• if they can, can they e.g. have lunch with/at same time as us between stints?

well technically I would say this is against the spirit of the rules but my parents come and help me with childcare and stay for tea with us all. And it's what all my friends are doing with their grandparents. I couldn't see them otherwise. Indefinitely.

If you are in a low enough tier to allow six people to be indoors, it’s fine. Otherwise it’s not what the childcare bubble is designed for although if you’re parents have been in the house with you all for several hours doing childcare, I can’t see what additional harm it would cause.

Thanks! Yes, i agree - the last guidance I saw was a bit more ambiguous (does anyone else think it changes bloody often?!)

No unfortunately not, you can't socialise with them the childcare bubbles are just for childcare. If you have a child under 1 you can now form a support bubble with them though and they will be an actual bubble with you.

It’s supposed to be for childcare purposes only, and it says that the parent/carer isn’t supposed to also be there at the same time

www.gov.uk/guidance/making-a-childcare-bubble-with-another-household#what-a-childcare-bubble-is

(Although in fairness, if you are working from home but in a different room I think that would be fine)

@ceeveebee
the part about not supposed be there as well refers to the current national lockdown not the tiering system which we are returning to.

I do zoom meetings which I literally can't do without childcare and will happily explain that to any copper who come along.

Well ours are there after school/ early evening with the kids. We don't kick them out as soon as we are home from work. The household germs are all mixing anyway. They stay while we have a cuppa/chat. No hugging though.

As I said that’s totally fair, as long as the primary purpose is childcare not just socialising.

(Also the link I posted is also linked to in the new tiers restrictions guidance section on childcare bubbles so don’t think that is expected to change
www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know#very-high-alert)

My mum comes over to provide childcare. We have lunch together while DD naps.

I have to admit that I wasn't clear on the current rules to be honest, because this childcare bubble stuff that specifically says if parent is there it doesn't count was added on 6th November, which is after the last time I looked for guidance for bubbles - doh!

I have been trying to make myself scarce in the same house in any case, but if feels like a bit of a farce at times and we are going to overlap in the kitchen over lunchtime to a degree, so I just wanted to check really where the line is.

I suspect we will be in Tier 2 after this, so really we should continue to be limiting time spent inside together.

I'm not keen to be a rule breaker, I just want to be reasonable- my parents are not very supportive of restrictions, they are just going along with things to see my DD so I have a lot of guilt about it. Sigh!!