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Original poster

Will you see more than 2 households at Christmas?

190 replies

MummaBear4321 · 25/11/2020 09:05

My family live abroad, so we only have DHs parents and sister to see. We wont be seeing DHs GPs as to us that's too much of a risk. So we dont have any decisions to make about who to see and not see. However, DHs parents will most likely see us, their daughter, and their parents, so basically they will break the rules. I also imagine DHs sister will see her inlaws as well as her own parents and will justify it as 'how can we be expected to choose?'. I have seen lots of people on MN talking about choosing between one side of the family and the other, seeing one set of parents but not the other. Also, I see people struggling to get their head around the idea that if you see both set of parents, you are in a bubble, and none of you can see anyone else, despite both sets of parents not meeting each other.

So, my question is, will you be sticking to the 2 families, or just ignoring it and seeing who you want? Or will you just be staying at home and seeing nobody?

OP posts:
Racoonworld · 25/11/2020 09:07

Sticking to a bubble of three households. It’s so much better than I thought would be allowed and I know that a free for all wouldn’t be sensible. I do want to see some family though so won’t be staying home.

Frazzled2207 · 25/11/2020 09:07

Well husband’s family is 3 (other) households, mine is 1. I’m not telling my dh that one of his family has to be excluded nor am I not seeing my parents.

Sparklingbrook · 25/11/2020 09:07

Technically we could see my parents and my DB, but I haven't been careful for all these months to blow it all now.
Just because I can doesn't mean I should see others at Christmas, we'll catch up as soon as it feels safer to do so.

PinkSpring · 25/11/2020 09:09

I think we will be seeing three different households, not all at the same time though.

Racoonworld · 25/11/2020 09:09

@Frazzled2207

Well husband’s family is 3 (other) households, mine is 1. I’m not telling my dh that one of his family has to be excluded nor am I not seeing my parents.
That’s easy surely? You each see one household from each of you families to make the three households bubble. If you see everyone tats 5 households!
IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 25/11/2020 09:10

No, won’t be mixing. The virus hasn’t agreed to stay away for five days so all that will happen is an awful January. All those mixing will put others at risk as how many will self isolate after to be sure of not passing anything onto those that didn’t mix.

SprogletsMum · 25/11/2020 09:10

The only one I know for sure I will be seeing is my mum.
I will probably see my dad and my sister too. The kids have had such a shitty shitty year that we would have done anyway. People can say all they like that its one day or just another day, which is true but this has been dragging on now since March with no real end in sight and they miss their grandparents desperately.

middleager · 25/11/2020 09:15

Our household has been in a perpetual cycle of self isolation for months now due to cases at school.
Now DS has the virus as it's so rife in school.

I'd say this 'imprisonment' for months is worse than the virus for us. I not sure people like my aunt in her 70s who is pressuring us over Xmas realise that the self isolation can be a tough slog, the basics like having food in, how do you ensure your car remains active if you can't take it out etc?

We won't be mixing. Even if our family of four catches this off my son Im still not sure we will mix.

KihoBebiluPute · 25/11/2020 09:16

We are going to mostly stick at home and not mingle. We will meet up outdoors and socially distanced with 3 different households but won't go indoors with them. The mass mixing of households which is allowed is really not sensible and I won't go along with it.

I wish they had incorporated into the announcement "but if you do this, then everyone who has mixed with another household indoors must assume that they are probably carrying the infection and must self-quarantine in total isolation for 2 weeks after the 5 day shindig to prevent further spread" - the greatest damage will be done not during the 5 day relaxation, but during the 2 weeks afterwards when everyone returns "back to normal" and spreads around the germs they picked up from the families they met up with.

middleager · 25/11/2020 09:16

Completely agree.

middleager · 25/11/2020 09:17

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

No, won’t be mixing. The virus hasn’t agreed to stay away for five days so all that will happen is an awful January. All those mixing will put others at risk as how many will self isolate after to be sure of not passing anything onto those that didn’t mix.
Completely agree with this!
FinallyFluid · 25/11/2020 09:18

Us and my bestie and her partner and son for an hour or so on Christmas morning, DS in hospitality (nothing I can do about that), but in essence no we will not be going large just because we can.

I have had a dreadful few years health wise, (two different cancers in five years) we are as the posting names suggests finally fluid and had hoped to buy loads of fizz and order canapes and throw open our doors to celebrate, we will be a tribe of three with BF for an hour or so.

My family are in a different country, we will miss them.

DH's sister and partner ran away to Spain last year or the year before and is no loss to us at all.Grin

Santaisironingwrappingpaper · 25/11/2020 09:19

Our 2 adult dc who live alone in separate houses. That's it..
No other family to see!!. I absolutely do appreciate that we have been 'lucky' in not having to be without loved ones during this almighty mess..

ApolloandDaphne · 25/11/2020 09:23

My DM and my DDs are all coming to mine. Technically they are three households, 4 including us, but my DM lives alone and is in a household bubble with us so I think that is still within the rules.

Sparklingbrook · 25/11/2020 09:25

I have been watching the news this morning and the overwhelming message is that this mixing of 3 households over 5 days if people do this will spark a huge disaster in January.

Original poster
MummaBear4321 · 25/11/2020 09:27

I am surprised at how many responses so far are sticking to the rules, either by choice or just situation. I thought more would just do as they pleased. I will admit, if my parents and sister were living near me, I would insist on seeing them as both my mom and sister work on the healthcare frontline. They both get tested every 2 weeks so I would tell myself that means they are safe to see and they have had such a horrendous year that I had to see them. But then I cant see how I would tell DH that we cant see his family. I would probably break the rules rather than choose.

OP posts:
Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady · 25/11/2020 09:27

Isolation or symptoms aside, I will be seeing my parents and my siblings family for a propper Xmas day

We will be doing doorstep visits to OHs parents and sister. Think that's probably against the rules (unless it counts as a delivery as we will be delivering presents?!)

Megan2018 · 25/11/2020 09:27

We will stick to the rules. It’s one Christmas in a lifetime that won’t be what people might want- people who can’t cope with that need to get a bloody grip

storminabuttercup · 25/11/2020 09:28

I honestly don't know what we will do.
My mum will want to see both me and Dsis, but also DGD who is alone after losing gran, but then me and DSis also have in laws. How the hell do you choose. I think it will be door step swapping of Xmas presents and not seeing anyone indoors even if technically meeting on the door step isn't allowed. I actually think this rule will make people mix more than a blanket no mixing rule to be honest. I'm not blaming people, it's an impossible situation

OpheliasCrayon · 25/11/2020 09:30

4 I think. I'm past caring. My job is so risky that if people want to see me I'm happy to see them

Babdoc · 25/11/2020 09:30

I have lung damage from long Covid. I am only seeing one DD and her partner. My other DD has a partner who is shielding due to heart disease, so they are spending Christmas by themselves.
With the vaccine due in January, it is not worth the risk of infection for the sake of two more months. We will wait and have a meet up when we are all protected.

Decemberblues1 · 25/11/2020 09:31

No, we usually spend Christmas with my mum and my sister but have decided not to this year as mum is ecv and our two dc are both at school. My sister will stay with my mum and we will travel over to see them on Christmas Eve to have mince pies and hot chocolate together in the garden.

PurpleDaisies · 25/11/2020 09:31

No, it’s already got complicated with who is going where. We’re not seeing anyone.

Kidneybingo · 25/11/2020 09:31

I think we'll probably not mix, even though we're desperate, and have a large, close family. We might possibly meet my parents outside.

lynsey91 · 25/11/2020 09:33

Me and DH normally spend Christmas with my family but that is 8 households.

We have decided to spend Christmas on our own. First time in 66 years I will not have spent it with my parents but I would rather us and them be safe than sorry.

I don't want the virus nor do I want to be responsible for giving it to any of my family.