Can I go home a couple of days before the 23rd?

[Wednesday89]

I live in a tier 2 zone in Hampshire and my parents live in South Wales. My husband, baby and I are going there for Christmas under the rules they announced. I was then reading that people in tier 2 are allowed to go to Wales so I thought me and baby would go to my parents a bit earlier than planned so we have more time there. I'm finding the rules confusing so I'm not sure this is okay? Side note: my family in Wales isolate and only go for groceries and the same for me too. We're not mixing with other households.

You can form a support bubble with them as long as neither households are already in one as you have a baby under one. You're then classed as one household so doesn't matter when you travel to them.

OP just do it. Nobody is going to stop you on the Severn bridges.

To be honest, I think the Christmas relaxations are ridiculous and they're going to lead to massive spikes of cases and therefore deaths. If you're mixing for the allocated days, I see no (greater) harm in doing a few more days, particularly if you can minimise being out and about in the run-up.

They are not your childcare help bubble though, which is what this is supposed to be let’s be honest here

Therefore you are breaking the rules

But as you think you can why are you even asking?

@Chloemol People with babies under one are now allowed a support bubble so it is allowed if they form this. It's different from a childcare bubble.

I genuinely can not see why there's a higher risk to you, the baby, your parents or the wider community if you turn up 2 days earlier. Legally there might be an issue, but its allowed under childcare bubble.

I would suggest you are better off not traveling on 23rd, which will be crazy busy.

They are not your childcare help bubble though,

For under 1s it’s not a childcare bubble it’s a social/support bubble

@IncludeWomenInTheSequel

God, who cares? What difference does it make if you travel on the 21st or the 23rd? None.

Yeah, just go OP and enjoy!! 🎄

I can't wait until I don't have to read the word bubble any more. The word has ceased to have all meaning.

And I get inordinately angry when it's used as a verb.

Yeah I’m doing the same going back to Ireland - I actually flew yesterday and am staying in my grannies empty house to isolate for 2 weeks then il move into my parents for Christmas period for 2 weeks before coming back to the U.K. - technically not really allowed but I don’t see how what I’m doing is any worse than families getting together on the 23rd - if you start isolating now then I’d head down to your parents early for sure

As a under 1 support bubble, it makes sense to me. I’m using my parents (who live 300 miles away) as our support bubble once our newborn arrives.

Having read the guidelines, I fail to see how this (or OP) breaks them. There is no mention of distance of support bubble in the Winter Plan.

@nicky7654

Goodness sake just do it. Asking on this site your get people who love to be anal and those who arnt as strict. The rules are rubbish anyway.

Totally misread this post as "some people just love anal".....

Apologies!

I would just go whenever you want

@IncludeWomenInTheSequel

I can't wait until I don't have to read the word bubble any more. The word has ceased to have all meaning.

And I get inordinately angry when it's used as a verb.

I hate verbing nouns as much as the next person ( ire, probably), but bubble has always been a verb as well as a noun, eg the stew bubbled on the stove, she was bubbling with happiness etc.

Oh that's true! Maybe it's just used irritatingly frequently now.

Yes, just go, DS is coming to us from 24th - 28th which isn't the exact days

If people don’t understand the rules around the under 1 year old child support bubble why bother posting as if what you are saying is a fact? There is no distance limit for support bubbles they can live anywhere in the UK how do you think people go on who don’t have family or friends close? My parents are mine and they live 100 miles away. The under 1 support bubble is new and different from a childcare bubble. OP go ahead with your plans you are doing nothing wrong. Enjoy your Christmas

The baby exemption is ridiculous anyway. People with a healthy baby and a supportive partner can form a support bubble but a lone parent with a disabled (but not 100% dependant) over 18 child can't. Both should be allowed rather than both not, I'm not looking for a race to the bottom.

Aldi when my kids were babies, it was my parents or inlaws who looked after them when they were ill (If I had to work).

They drove hundreds of miles to do it, bit they absolutely were our support.

technically you might be breaking the rules but a. i believe in Wales right now staying over is permitted under the 'extended households' rule (that could change any day) - they've never said that extended households can't include people from England to my knowledge. Also b. clearly it doesn't significantly increase the risk if you're going anyway.

Not sure about the baby support bubble but it sounds like that probably counts so in your situation I'd go.

@Chloemol
*They are not your childcare help bubble though, which is what this is supposed to be let’s be honest here

Therefore you are breaking the rules*

This is incorrect. A support bubble is NOT for childcare. OP can make a support bubble with her parents.

I wish people wouldn't throw lies around here just because they don't like the rules themselves.

Op go. And I would tell you to go anyway, support bubble or not.

@Wednesday89

have a lovely Christmas and safe journey! Here’s to a better year next year!