Christmas households: just to confirm..

[Lelophants]

If we see my parents on Christmas day and DH parents boxing day, that means we are three households. So my parents can't then visit their elderly parents or my brother. And my in laws can't visit their other children. 🙈

hf2345 Tue 24-Nov-20 20:01:20
Jesus you all really stick to the rules 100% don’t you.

We've been sensible, but DS has had COVID19 thanks to embracing the get to know your fellow students during freshers week. For us, it's more about distances than diseases. We could visit my DM/DSis cluster but DMIL is in a care home and they wouldn't welcome a visit. They prefer us to FaceTime.

Wundersun
No, Lelophants, parents and ILs make one bubble. That bubble is exclusive for the 5 days and can only see one another. I'm just explaining the same to my DM as we have exactly the same situation.

@wondersun - no, you can be in a bubble with 2 other households in those 5 days. Even if you don't spent all 5 days together.

So if the OPs bubble is 1) her household 2) her parents household and 3) her PILs household, that means even if households 2 and 3 were never in the same room, they cant be in a 2nd bubble with another household.

It assumes you meet up with one side of the family only each year. It doesn't work.

Realistically, most people won't stick to it, as long as there aren't more than 3 households in the same building, they won't bother worrying about it.

I can foresee hours of discussions of logistics with my in laws, SIL (and her extended family). Honestly wish the government had just said no mixing, see each other in jab/feb and get on with it, etc so that I don’t have to endure torturous conversations and also everyone’s pissed off reaction when I tell them that I’m taking the advice of @beela and staying at home with my quality street/celebrations/heroes/gin collection

Bah humbug

I predict, with a degree of confidence, that there will be another burst of infection just after New Year -- as the contagion spreads among families. Like I said, we'll take a picnic to the beach if the weather is decent.

If you read the actual government advice here www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-a-christmas-bubble-with-friends-and-family/making-a-christmas-bubble-with-friends-and-family it very clearly says that you can continue to meet people outside the bubble as long as you follow the tier rules in the area.

My understanding is that the bubble is to allow household A to stay with/travel with/celebrate indoors with households B and C at any point during the 5 days. In addition, if your tier allows, you could meet household D, E, F, G outside or in whatever hospitality is allowed, as long as you're following the rules of the tier.

If we see my parents on Christmas day and DH parents boxing day, that means we are three households. So my parents can't then visit their elderly parents or my brother. And my in laws can't visit their other children.

Correct. Up to three families, must be exclusive so you cannot meet anyone else anywhere. I understand rules relating to tiers are suspended over the five days, so it’s up to three households and that’s it but happy to be told I am wrong, I just don’t see why they would do that though

It doesn’t work in my family either which might leave my elderly mother alone over Christmas.

[quote MargosKaftan]@wondersun - no, you can be in a bubble with 2 other households in those 5 days. Even if you don't spent all 5 days together.

So if the OPs bubble is 1) her household 2) her parents household and 3) her PILs household, that means even if households 2 and 3 were never in the same room, they cant be in a 2nd bubble with another household.

It assumes you meet up with one side of the family only each year. It doesn't work.

Realistically, most people won't stick to it, as long as there aren't more than 3 households in the same building, they won't bother worrying about it. [/quote]
Oh ok, I get it, I guess they are trying to keep it simple. We have been isolating with my mum and won’t add to my bubble so haven’t had it fully on my radar. Thanks for clarifying 😊

People will do as they please because , regardless of guidelines or lack thereof. How could they possibly police it anyway? We'll be back in lockdown in January, that is almost certain so everyone is thinking 'fuck it, I'll do what I want.'
I just hope that some will be able to live with potentially infecting and causing the deaths of their vunerable relatives.

I'm staying home with DP and cheese. The kids are going to their Dads for Xmas Day and back home on Boxing Day. DP and I aren't seeing any other households.

We’ve realised this evening that the rules mean not seeing my parents at all this year over Christmas. Normally we rotate Christmas and new year as the travel is too much and my husband doesn’t get time off at Christmas. It is my in laws turn for Christmas and we’ll hit our 3 households. I suspect we’ll be tier 2 so can’t travel before then.

One thought it did have was that the motorways over those 5 days are going to be hideous.

@Lelophants

Sounds very smart *@beela*

Think there will be a lot of broken hearts here. Ah dear!

But fewer funerals in January hopefully.

If I can convince my whole extended family to stay in our own houses, I think I would be pretty excited to have the whole Christmas holidays with no motorway trips, no packing overnight bags for kids and full freedom. I may meet a friend or two for a socially distanced walk, and that would be about it. Perfect

@wondersun it doesn't matter if you see each other different days. Over the Christmas period you can only see each other.

Ok that sounded way more confusing.

You are three exclusive households over 23rd-27th December. You can meet all on the same day or on different days. It doesnt matter. None of you can meet anyone else.

@Longwhiskers14 I completely agree. I'm just having to work out who on earth to see as all the different groups are pretty miserable!

I am not going to be spending any time working out how the rules apply because our circumstances mean it is likley too risky for any of the households in our family to mix, certainly not enough to be three mixing or anything. I don't actually know anyone who will be mixing in ways they perceive as too risky just because they are allowed to.

If your family are all under 50, in very good health etc I can see it might be different. Unfortunately though even the spread amongst those groups will include severe and fatal cases but more, will then start to spread after Christmas to other more vulnerable groups. Also probably going to wreak havoc on schools and isolations for January, and result in stricter lockdowns.

[quote MargosKaftan]@wondersun - no, you can be in a bubble with 2 other households in those 5 days. Even if you don't spent all 5 days together.

So if the OPs bubble is 1) her household 2) her parents household and 3) her PILs household, that means even if households 2 and 3 were never in the same room, they cant be in a 2nd bubble with another household.

It assumes you meet up with one side of the family only each year. It doesn't work.

Realistically, most people won't stick to it, as long as there aren't more than 3 households in the same building, they won't bother worrying about it. [/quote]
I don't think your correct actually!!!
If the two sets of parents were never in contact then they have not formed a bubble!
Even if op went to one set of parents and picked covid up from them the odds of them being infectious the next day is tiny - it takes time for viruses to incubate and multiply sufficiently for you to start being infectious.

So each set of parents should be free to bubble with one other household.

I am understanding it as per link posted above exclusive bubble for xmas is 3 households , but you can meet others depending on tier but under those restrictions if tier 3 nobody , tier 2 upto 6 in total outside and tier 1 upto 6 inside / out but obviously following sd and I don't think many will be in tier one .

But I could be wrong but that is my interpretation , but they are encouraging not too many meet ups etc

So do we think the existing bubbles if we are in them stay the same and then add 2 more? But then you'd have to agree and your bubble person if you're single may not be connected to family.

Urgh. Too exhausting.

And what about when you're divorced and your child is going between your household and ex but ex doesn't give a shit and takes ds to his gf and her kids house? 😭

Basically I'm going to be on my own cos it will all just be too hard.

OP (and anyone in a simialr position) I know it's easier said than done, but don't let anyone pressure you into meeting or doign anything just because it is technically allowed. There are multiple reasons why the govt may have done what they have, and it being safe or reaponsible to meet isn't one of them.

I'm not even convinced we'll have a bubble. DH's parents are staying isolated as they are very vulnerable. My parents have passed away. Siblings are likely to be in bubbles with their inlaws so their kids can see grandparents.

No idea where we really go from here - a very quiet and pretty lonely Cmas tbh...

Students are part of their “home” household for the op who asked, and if you already bubble with someone they are also part of your household.

@compulsiveliar2019 that was what was confusing me, if I had my life 15 years ago I would totally be applying such logic. But a bit older, with kids and an older mother, I’m just going to hunker down!