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Original poster

Covid safe Christmas 🎄

95 replies

Anotherducker · 05/12/2020 15:14

Would anyone else like to share tips for keeping safe within a Christmas bubble on Christmas Day? We have young children and the grandparents will be eating with us.

So far I thought:
We can isolate mostly for two weeks beforehand.
Detol wipes in the bathroom
Keep some Windows open (within reason I don’t want to freeze everyone to death)
Apparently it’s better if one person serves the food so there is no sharing of serving bowls and spoons.
Make the day shorter than normal.
Maybe a walk outdoors.

What are you thinking of doing? (It would be nice to keep this a safe space for those who are mixing households as per the rules and not a debate about whether we should do so).

OP posts:
MadameBlobby · 06/12/2020 19:52

Face coverings that waitresses and restaurant staff wear are not PPE.

JillyCareful · 06/12/2020 22:25

But are you just putting the face visors etc on to serve food, not all the time when the visitors are there? That’s the bit that makes no sense. When in a cafe or restaurant that is all your interaction is, so a level of protection is sensible.

MadameBlobby · 06/12/2020 23:21

@JillyCareful

But are you just putting the face visors etc on to serve food, not all the time when the visitors are there? That’s the bit that makes no sense. When in a cafe or restaurant that is all your interaction is, so a level of protection is sensible.
This too

If you’re spending the duration of the meal in their company what possible difference is wearing a mask when serving dinner going to make?

MadameBlobby · 06/12/2020 23:23

Dinner ladies in school, staff in care homes, waiters and waitresses are all wearing them. Does serving food to relatives instead of strangers make a difference to viral transmission?

They have many more interactions with more people than you serving dinner to your ILs.

middleager · 06/12/2020 23:51

Wash everything up in the dishwasher!

JamieLeeCurtains · 07/12/2020 00:25

Kitchen roll in the loo instead of a hand towel

That's a good idea for one day.

DirtyBlonde · 07/12/2020 06:40

Except there's bound to be someone who chucks it down the loo....

Tarararara · 07/12/2020 07:41

Sit the children at the other end of the table from grandparents- they are more likely to be asymptomatic if infected.

I think this is an important one.

Skipsurvey · 07/12/2020 07:44

my dm is worried about eating with us but it is a meal, that is all.

hoping to do christmas different.

ventilation.

Skipsurvey · 07/12/2020 07:45

i suggested masks, apart from when we are eating.

TheGreatWave · 07/12/2020 07:58

The only person we might have on Christmas Day is MIL, she is currently in hospital, she is likely to pose more of a risk to us than other way round.

SillyOldMummy · 07/12/2020 08:06

I have kids so it is the discipline with them that is the hardest thing. When we have had grandparents over I have blu-tacked a sign on the door that says "guests only", luckily I can lock the bathroom from the outside so I've done that, otherwise I find me and my family all just go in there out of habit! I also put a little stack of flannels in there to dry their hands on, with a bag on the floor to put them in, so they can use a new flannel each time and pop it in the bag which I can then tip into the washing machine. I have some laundry disinfectant additive I use to wash things that have been touched by people outside the family (this includes new clothes).

Thorough cleaning before and after guests. This is a right pain at the end of Christmas day! Don't forget to clean the outside of the front door and the doorbell.

Wrap the remote control in cling film, it is easy to wipe it with a disinfectant wipe and remove at the end of the day.

I have some extra boxes of tissues and have them all over the place where people will be sitting. And bring down spare wastebins from bedrooms so people don't have to move around to dipose of tissues.

Regarding food, wearing a mask to prepare/serve food does makes sense. When I did my daughter's birthday party tea (outside of lockdown) I wore a pair of food-preparation gloves too.

At mealtime, obviously everyone should wash hands before and after the meal.

At my DD's school, singing is banned - they are only allowed to whisper along with carols in their class-bubble party this year! Just in case singing is a thing in your house.

Skipsurvey · 07/12/2020 08:07

i guess one person can serve the whole plate, all sanitise hands before eating.

MadameBlobby · 07/12/2020 08:33

@SillyOldMummy

I have kids so it is the discipline with them that is the hardest thing. When we have had grandparents over I have blu-tacked a sign on the door that says "guests only", luckily I can lock the bathroom from the outside so I've done that, otherwise I find me and my family all just go in there out of habit! I also put a little stack of flannels in there to dry their hands on, with a bag on the floor to put them in, so they can use a new flannel each time and pop it in the bag which I can then tip into the washing machine. I have some laundry disinfectant additive I use to wash things that have been touched by people outside the family (this includes new clothes).

Thorough cleaning before and after guests. This is a right pain at the end of Christmas day! Don't forget to clean the outside of the front door and the doorbell.

Wrap the remote control in cling film, it is easy to wipe it with a disinfectant wipe and remove at the end of the day.

I have some extra boxes of tissues and have them all over the place where people will be sitting. And bring down spare wastebins from bedrooms so people don't have to move around to dipose of tissues.

Regarding food, wearing a mask to prepare/serve food does makes sense. When I did my daughter's birthday party tea (outside of lockdown) I wore a pair of food-preparation gloves too.

At mealtime, obviously everyone should wash hands before and after the meal.

At my DD's school, singing is banned - they are only allowed to whisper along with carols in their class-bubble party this year! Just in case singing is a thing in your house.

Oh Jesus wept

Some people appear to have lost the ability to sensibly assess risk.

Why would you need that additive in your wash? More chemicals added to the water system. The cling film on the remote control is utterly bonkers and why do you need bins everywhere? Just how much do you expect people to sneeze and cough that walking to another bin would be an issue?

Srslydontgiveacrap · 07/12/2020 08:50

Sillyoldmummy is about right. This is all over the top. Surprised anybody wants to spend Christmas in your household, sounds like a fucking nightmare.

Srslydontgiveacrap · 07/12/2020 08:52

@Skipsurvey

i suggested masks, apart from when we are eating.
you cannot be serious!
Timbucktime · 07/12/2020 08:55

I’m so sorry that you feel that you need to take such measures. Maybe it might be better to have a ‘delayed’ Christmas in a few months time which you can all enjoy together.

LuckyAmy1986 · 07/12/2020 11:06

I’m so sorry that you feel that you need to take such measures. Maybe it might be better to have a ‘delayed’ Christmas in a few months time which you can all enjoy together

This!!! what is the point, honestly? it sounds beyond stressful.

emmathedilemma · 07/12/2020 11:58

I'll be going to my parents house and apart from probably not kissing them will be carrying on as normal. They only have one bathroom so no option to not share. I made it their decision if I went or not and they're happy for me to go (I was willing to stay in a nearby hotel but they won't hear of it). I'm working from home and don't intend to go in the gym or do group exercise outside the week before I go, and I'll do my shopping online. I'm driving and will probably have to stop for a toilet break but I'll take food for in the car and literally just go in the services to use the loo.

alreadytaken · 07/12/2020 19:00

I've ordered an air filter with a uv light in addition to the HEPA filter. No guarantee that will actually kill off any virus but it should at least weaken it. We'll be ventilating the room more than usual and using the filter when the windows are not open.

I shall be using a mouthwash a couple of times a day, should cut down viral load.

Our visitor will be getting regular lateral flow tests and using mouthwash but is still a risk. If they have lost taste or smell they wont be getting in the door!

It's not at all mad to consider masks if you have any vulnerable people around.

TableCat · 07/12/2020 19:17

Honestly those of you that feel you need to take so many steps should probably be staying home without visitors and having a family celebration in the summer.
You are not going to have a nice time implementing so many rules.

OverTheRainbow88 · 07/12/2020 19:26

regular lateral flow tests

What does that mean?

Skipsurvey · 07/12/2020 20:36

Some guests are very nervous

Skipsurvey · 07/12/2020 20:36

Just ideas to make them feel more secure in a worrying time

Skipsurvey · 07/12/2020 20:37

Good for you those who don't have such worries

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