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Original poster

Are your kids meeting 1 other for exercise?

94 replies

OhDear2200 · 09/01/2021 08:05

I was going to arrange for my 10 year old to meet a friend to go for a walk. I would sit in the car (only 1 mile away) so they know where I am and they can walk together for an hour.

Also going to to the same for my DS so he can kick a football to a mate (no tackling).

This is reasonable yes?

OP posts:
JaninaDuszejko · 09/01/2021 09:03

It was snowing here yesterday, DD was called by a friend to go sledging. It was so good for her to meet up with someone. She's Y7 so old enough for them to go themselves. It is shit for kids right now.

Flyingbytheseatofmypullups · 09/01/2021 09:04

It’s allowed under lockdown, and mine will definitely be exercising. Similar age to yours, cycling rather than walking - hopefully to keep them further apart. I’ll be in the same park walking the dog.

Kab30 · 09/01/2021 09:04

My lo is 5 next week ...we are doing lots of home schooling ...we are also going to local park where he sees a little friend ...he looks forward to it and keeps us both going xx

Pinotwoman82 · 09/01/2021 09:04

In the summer and autumn I told my kids to really make the most of their freedom and seeing their friends as we will probably be locked down again. They now see their friends though phones and zoom.
I don’t understand no one is in tier 3 or 4 now??

lightand · 09/01/2021 09:05

@OhDear2200
I was thinking to start a thread on why I think some, or even just a few, have the fear a bit out of proportion to the virus[I have had it and long covid is still with me just].
But I can see[only recently rejoined mumsnet] it would be pounced on, misunderstood, 1000 mumsnetters not reading a thread like that properly, so am hanging back on it for now.
Starting a thread which may only apply to about 1 in 10 mumsnetters, has the word disaster written all over it!

inkandpen · 09/01/2021 09:06

The risk is very low. But it's still more of a risk than not doing it. If my child had Covid then I wouldn't let them do it (leaving the law aside), so I'm not now. But it's easier for us to make that decision than it is for some.

Desmondo2016 · 09/01/2021 09:10

Yes I would do it happily. My 16 year old regularly goes to kick a ball around with a mate or a walk round town.

midnightstar66 · 09/01/2021 09:18

Yes my dd did that last time and will do it again. Thankfully she's walking distance to all her friends so it doesn't involve me. Children 11 and under can meet in a group here as they do not count towards numbers or household groups outdoors so she can meet more friends if she wishes. They also used to plan bike rides etc. So important to keep contact with their friends

blametheparents · 09/01/2021 09:23

‘Yep, my DS is getting to the point where he won’t leave the house. He used to do sports 6 days a week, it breaks my heart.’

Same applies to my DD. It breaks my heart too. I just hope she can bounce back in the future.

iVampire · 09/01/2021 09:26

For exercise would be pushing it.

But she takes the dog for a walk daily, and has at least once met up with a friend doing the same.

She was very sporty (team sports) before all his, does seem to have lost motivation right now, but that will probably return there’s greater likelihood of being able to play

arethereanyleftatall · 09/01/2021 09:26

What are people talking about?!?

You are legally allowed to meet one person from another household to exercise.

Aren't you?!?

So, it's absolutely fine.

Yes, my girls (12& 10) are doing this.

Hoppinggreen · 09/01/2021 09:29

16 year old DD is going sledging with her friend later.
She wants to meet her BF too but he doesn’t live within walking distance and I don’t feel dropping her near his house is really within the rules, especially as I would have to go and get her again later

inkandpen · 09/01/2021 09:32

Yes, nobody's disputing whether it's legal or not. But just because something's legal it doesn't necessarily mean it's the right thing to do. The govt guidance today clearly suggests that we should do less than we're allowed to where possible (like at Christmas, where lots of people didn't meet even though they could). Which is why it becomes a matter for individual judgment based on your own circumstances.

schmockdown · 09/01/2021 09:39

No wonder we're fucked. There are no tiers. It's pretty simple.

MyOtherProfile · 09/01/2021 09:39

Being outside, socially distanced,for a walk or bike ride for an hour is extremely low risk. Balancing that against their mental health I practically encourage my two teens to go out a few days a week.

GalesThisMorning · 09/01/2021 09:48

My understanding is that the risk of passing on the virus is very low outdoors. My teenager went on a long walk in the mountains with his friend yesterday and I meet a friend who has a 4 year old for a walk with my 4 year old often. I think that's allowed, and it feels safe. I'm in Wales in an area with 75 positive cases per 100k. If I was in London or something it might feel different, but outdoors seems safe

Frazzled2207 · 09/01/2021 09:51

Mine are younger so no (fortunately there are
Two of them). However we did our local exercise at a big park yesterday and there were some pairs of teenagers going for a walk following the rules as far as I could see. Plus 14 yo boy next door is going for walks with his girlfriend as that’s the only way he can see her. Poor chap.

Beecham · 09/01/2021 10:01

Cripes - this thread is an eye opener about the challenge facing the government.

Tiers are gone in England!

They've been replaced with a full lockdown!

OP your daughter is fine to exercise on her own with one other person, ie not more than two of them. Your plan sounds reasonable.

annevonkleve · 09/01/2021 10:03

Mine will be today. He moaned and said he'll go out on his own, but I think it's good for him to meet someone who doesn't live in his computer from time to time.

FrazzledChip · 09/01/2021 10:04

Get a tape measure out, if they aren't 2m apart then they shouldn't be doing it. How many pavements are 2m plus wide? How many footpaths are 2m plus wide? Not many. And that's assuming that they don't just forget and drift to a closer walk. Honestly if everyone decides to do this cases won't come down and it's incredibly selfish. We are at the absolute peak - hospitals can't cope. We should all be doing everything we humanly can to stop the spread. Unless their mental health is at the point were there is a physical risk to their health I wouldn't consider it.

CovidPostingName · 09/01/2021 10:17

Side note on tiers etc - Legally the position is actually that the entirety of England is in Tier 4. Part 4 of Schedule 3 of The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (All Tiers) (England) Regulations 2020 defines this quite clearly. Other parts of the Regulations (amended on 6th Jan) further restrict movements, businesses etc to introduce a version of lockdown. Legally it's quite correct to say that we are all in enhanced Tier 4. All tiers still exist but there are no areas of England actually in any tier other than tier 4.

Jangle33 · 09/01/2021 10:23

@lightand

Jangle33
But in another thread, you advised someone to send their child to a childminder. So why is what this op suggesting, so "bad"?

It’s one thing sending a child to childminder when no other option to lose job and child destitute!

yankeedoodledandee · 09/01/2021 10:23

Again, as so many seem to have missed it Hmm

Are your kids meeting 1 other for exercise?
Tmpnamechange · 09/01/2021 10:27

@schmockdown

No wonder we're fucked. There are no tiers. It's pretty simple.
Not strictly true. The whole country has been added to tier 4 and extra restrictions added to tier 4 legislation. Removing being in a public open space for recreation and just leaving in exercise is the one that affects everybody. Guidance has also been changed to be much tighter than old tier 4 guidance, although this is not enforceable where it goes further than the legislation.
FrazzledChip · 09/01/2021 10:31

Also, police here have been fining people who haven't been doing clear exercise. Unless they are walking fast enough to be called exercise then they would be fined round by me. Likewise for the poster who says their kids went sledging. This isn't exercise this is a social meet up and the letter of the law is that social meet ups are not permitted whereas exercise with one other person is.

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