It's 18th December. Christmas plans with family are made...

[ihatebikerides]

... and you receive a message from school to say that your child has been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid.

What will you do? Or, what might you do to avoid this situation from occurring?

I would cry. A lot. Because I've had enough now. But I'd do it to keep my elderly father safe.

We are staying at home, so on that basis we'd just get on with it...but we'd really struggle to stay in for a period of isolation. We have escaped so far!

Having just driven through my town and spotted several families out and about despite the fact they are only off school because they are meant to be isolating (currently 4 out of 8 year groups isolating in ds2's school) I am fairly sure a lot of people are going to do exactly what they want over Christmas and cases are going to shoot up again in January.

Was really hoping a few more things could re open next year, ds1 totally relies on a club he goes to for his socialising and for regulating his anxiety, he is slowly unravelling the longer he can't go and I really wanted to avoid another hospital admission for him. We are sticking to the rules, even though it's so tough on him, why the fuck can't others.

@TableCat

Also as a teacher, I'm hoping not many children in my class have parents who take them out for the last week as I will have to provide online work and I'm not sure 'watch Elf' will go down well with parents so I'll have to plan proper lessons until the end of term (which will have to be done at school as well as those isolating) so as well as no Carol Service no nativity and no party the children won't get to watch Christmas films and make cards and calendars either.

This is where it gets ridiculous, especially for Primary. As an ex primary school teacher I know no important work gets done that last week. Schools will have children off ‘with symptoms’ and teacher’s lives will be made harder.

Parents should be given a choice about whether their child is in school that week with the caveat that no work will be provided if they choose not to send them.

This government is truly shit.

I’m very worried about this as am separated from ex and it would mean the children not able to see one of us if they are isolating. Would be horrible for me ( and would mean I’d be completely in my own for the whole period) if it was me they weren’t with but really awful for the DC who wouldn’t want to miss seeing the other parent - particularly when they know they are near .

Be thrilled to not have to share food and booze 🤣

We'd isolate. And the DCs will definitely be in school that last week, as the school are making a huge efforts to do as many 'normal' Christmas things as possible and I know they'll love it. I think surely almost everyone accepts Christmas plans this year have to be a bit provisional.

We’ll isolate. We are planning on isolating anyway for a good 9-10 days and I’ve bought a box of lateral flow tests too so will be testing us all every 2 days.
25 tests for £200 available from medical supply companies but you need a GMC number or similar.

Good point @SleepingStandingUp! I've checked and it's ok. TBH I will still get the delivery as it has things I will want to take to in laws as gifts / contributions but I will take Christmas dinner items off.

We would self-isolate and would have Christmas just us four. We have ordered a turkey for that very reason even though Plan A is to be at mum and dads. A friend or relative would have to pick it up for us on Christmas Eve but I know somebody would as our family and friends are all lovely. I am about 30 per cent thinking this will happen anyway! and am planning things to do on Xmas Day like an escape room in the front room (have bought bike locks, invisible ink etc in preparation.
While it would not be as nice as being with extended family, it would be vastly, vastly better than actually having Covid on Christmas Day and I would be grateful we were all healthy.

Oh, actually we wouldn't need someone to get the turkey of course, one of us could, just not the kid in question!

I'd be secretely relieved. No endless arguments with teens about where they can and can't go and who with. No ILs for Xmas

Should say we are all in a low risk group but MIL is not.

As long as there weren't symptoms and we didn't all have to isolate I think we would be fine. We do have click and collects though. DS would love to have an excuse not to leave the house. I swear that child was a hibernating bear in his previous life.

We are not using the “travel window” to see DM or PiLs. Havn’t seen them since August, both live 4-6 hours away. We have 2 dc in different schools, I told DM we’d go for the last w/e of the holidays (1-3 Jan) if we could travel and had no symptoms after 2 weeks out of school, but since j big it’s sets of parents are in Tier 2, and we are in Tier 3, that’s not happening now either.

I am worried about dc class bubbles bursting before Christmas as for them it would mean they can't see their dad at all over Christmas hols and would mean that I can't see my dp at all over the festive season (he is my support bubble) as even if I wasn't having to isolate I wouldn't be able to leave the dc by themselves or want to risk it if dc had it asymptomatically from the contact and had passed it on to me! Ds has already missed out on seeing his dad over his bday weekend as his class bubble burst the day before! Heaven forbid that any of the step/half siblings bubbles should burst and they are self isolating over festive period or anyone in that household develops symptoms!argh

I'm isolating my son from the end of this week.

@Formicamouse interesting...I have been toying with the idea of doing the same for my dc from the 11th so will be a clear 2 weeks before their Christmas celebration with their dad.

We would stay home and isolate, I am buying Christmas food just in case (will eat at new year if we do go), will zoom those we should have been seeing and trying to make sure all presents are postable.

It's a no brainer for me, he's 4, I work flexibly from home and it's important for me that he sees his family.

We are hosting Christmas for 2 other family households. I'm going to brief them to have a back up plan in the event of this scenario, and we will isolate.
Most christmases I'm paranoid about norovirus!

We are currently in isolation and will not be returning for the 4 days before the kids officially break up as we are not willing to take the risk of having to isolate over Christmas. We return in January.

This scenario is exactly why we've decided not to go anywhere or see anyone for Christmas. Our kids have coped so well with all the upheaval, but the thought of cancelling a big family get together (and then trying to cobble together a nice Xmas at home without any food in!) was just too much for all of us. We'll celebrate together in the school hols next year, and it'll be far more enjoyable with fewer risks and more freedoms.

We have until next Thursday (realistically) to revive that call telling us to isolate before Christmas plans are spoiled.

Yes we would isolate. DS is in secondary and DD is primary. Both finish on the 18th although if staffing levels drop again in DS’s school then his year group are home learning 14-18 Dec.
I’ve decided to make this weekend my last for going to the shops and swimming. I have a food to order to pick up from M&S on the 22nd and a click and collect from Sainsbury’s on the 23rd so I want to reduce the chance of having to isolate myself. Obviously if any of us come down with symptoms/test positive then I’ll have to find someone to pick them up for us.

We’ve not made any solid plans with anyone else over Christmas. Christmas Day is just our household and we may meet up with PIL on Boxing Day outside, there are lots of NT gardens where we could meet in the middle and we’ll take our own picnics. My family are nearly 300 miles away so we’ll plan for Easter or just after.