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Original poster

To burst all of these bloody bubbles

203 replies

kirktonhouse · 11/01/2021 19:52

A single person can bubble with one single other household, yes, I get it, it's really useful for those living alone, however there are so many other bloody fake bubbles.

Single elderly parents having 'bubbles' with every one of their children's families

Work bubbles

School bubbles (different in the morning and the afternoon)

Sport bubbles (stupid fucking footballers)

Camping bubbles (yes really, some friends in the summer)

Play bubbles (with whoever happens to be at the park/beach)

Dog walk bubbles

You can't call everyday life a fucking bubble. Just stop seeing so many bloody people and calling it a bubble to pretend that it's ok when it really, really isn't.

I feel better for that. I'm going back to my miserable bastard bubble, does anyone want to join me?

OP posts:
NailsNeedDoing · 12/01/2021 08:10

A friend posted about her bubble on Facebook asking if she could still be in one, she’s married (living with her dh) and has a child aged 8/9, pretty sure she shouldn’t be in a bubble?

That would depend who she is bubbling with. If the person she wants to have a bubble with is single and entitled to a bubble for their own reasons, then it’s fine.

inquietant · 12/01/2021 08:11

Stop ruining it for those of us that genuinely need it.

Agree with this. I don't need one (2-parent family) but see that many really do.

Feel frustrated when people talk about bubbles when they are not at all in keeping. Seems common to get elderly parents 'bubbled' with both/all their children.

islockdownoveryet · 12/01/2021 08:15

I know it’s simple do you live alone yes or no if no you are not to ‘bubble ‘
Childcare bubbles ok if you have to work you have no option but unless the other person is not seeing anyone else it’s not working is it .

User158340 · 12/01/2021 08:16

Just stay at home.

tatutata · 12/01/2021 08:23

Well there's 2 things, bubbles as designed, and people breaking the rules. Other countries are using the same concepts, but seem able to explain them better.

bigbluebus · 12/01/2021 08:23

Once again the Government has failed to emphasise enough that if you form a bubble then you can only form ONE and it must be exclusive - like the Christmas day arrangement (only that allowed 3 households). Most people eventually understood the Christmas bubble arrangement although some chose to ignore it.

BooBahBoo · 12/01/2021 08:26

I agree. I have a child under 1 (born during the first lockdown) and have bubbled with my mum and dad. Even then I see them once a week to drop the kids off (two under 2) so I can get a few things done. They're back by 2pm the same day! Since I've been off on maternity leave I saw my friend once over summer for a distanced walk. That's it!

People need to catch a fucking grip. You don't need to bubble with every bloody contact in your phone. At this point I wouldn't even be personally mad if they scrapped bubbles because it's became such a mockery I'm ashamed to even say I'm in one.

It should always have been one bubble maximum, whether that's for a child under 1, childcare or a support bubble. If you give people an inch, they take a bloody mile. And then some Envy

55larry · 12/01/2021 08:28

I am in a childcare bubble with my dd sil and 3 year old grandson. Dd is a teacher and sil works for the fire service and Dgs preschool is only open from 9 - 3. If I wasn’t in the bubble one of them wouldn’t be able to work. I am in no other bubbles because I know that I am not allowed to be.

Some bubbles are essential.

Seeline · 12/01/2021 08:31

It makes me really cross seeing them abused.

Both my mum and MIL are in their own, both in their 80s. We are their only family. But we haven't bubbled because WE can only be one person's support bubble and we couldn't be it for one and not the other. So we have just stuck to doing their shopping, and helping out in emergencies (trips to hospital, changing light bulbs etc). It seems really unfair in them when they see all their friends meeting up with all their children and grandchildren.

tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz · 12/01/2021 08:32

@hettyhooverdoover

As someone said the other way. There are more bubbles in their street than in a jacuzzi!
GrinGrin

Agree OP a fair few people are taking the piss out of a system intended to help others genuinely needing it.

As an aside I cannot wait until we see the back or terms like - bubble, new normal.

muddyford · 12/01/2021 08:35

I agree with the OP. Neighbour near us, single parent, primary-age children. So far this lockdown, there have been four different friends, the parents, and sister plus her family. Oh and STBXH comes too. It's more foam than bubbling. I appreciate they can have a childcare bubble and a support bubble, but the excuse is they get tested twice a week at work. That's OK then. The rules don't apply to them. Bloody arrogant and entitled behaviour.

Sunnydayhere · 12/01/2021 08:36

I feared that my 89 yo neighbour’s family would be the death of her.

So many bubbles it was like she was at a foam party.

Fortunately she’s had the jab now - but it’s a miracle she didn’t go down with it.

We’d dropped hints, made comments but none seemed to have any effect - we’d still see the newly returned from Uni’’s granddaughter’s car there.

I used to do lots of little jobs - but feel I can’t now as I’m not a spring chicken myself - I feel that the grandchildren can do these as they’ll be round anyway.

Emergencies would be a different thing and I can restart her boiler without going in.

Its a difficult situation - how to tell those, possibly with a limited time left anyway, how to behave.

Skipsurvey · 12/01/2021 08:38

Drives me mad,
certain colleagues in particular,
they are misunderstanding.

there is no such thing as a work bubble.

catmandont · 12/01/2021 08:42

Watching the football on tv last night, they were talking about how stressful it is waiting for the COVID tests to come back (valid), but then continued to say something along the lines of, of course the players are going home to their families who are going out to work and shopping.... WAIT, WHAT!?

If the footballers are so special they get to carry on playing, then the household they are going back to should be shielding completely! Don't even get me started on the ridiculous partying some have been doing 🤬

Surely if their families are unable / unwilling to shield so they can play they move out and live alone, as the dancers did for strictly.

Other (womens) sports have done this - in order to finish the New Zealand netball league last year, the players left their families completely and isolated together in a hotel.

MrsJBaptiste · 12/01/2021 08:42

'Bubbles' and 'Key Workers'

The most annoying words at the moment Angry

Just found out I'm a key worker I work in Admin at a University FFS.

IrmaFayLear · 12/01/2021 08:43

I really think the govt should have public information adverts with an extremely clear message.

Bubbles are for single people to maintain some human contact and those who really need help. And if you are a bubble, that’s it.

The problem is that either people are dense or wilfully misunderstanding the issue that if Jan is in a bubble with Sandra, that’s it. It’s no bubble if Sandra is also in a bubble with her DD’s family who are also in a bubble with her dh’s family, and then Jan sees a bit of her cousin too, who has..... ad infinitum.

PinkSpring · 12/01/2021 08:43

I am sure some people abuse it and the rules/criteria need to be made clearer as some people think they can have a bubble for everything....

However can we just stop with the demands for bubbles to be removed / banned. Some people rely on them and are using them as intended

FippertyGibbett · 12/01/2021 08:44

My DS says he’s a key worker and he works part time in Costa !

stillhappytohelp · 12/01/2021 08:44

I agree. MIL tried to use this with us and say that we didn’t need to form a bubble (we couldn’t anyway there’s too many of us!) because we used to live with her and uni students etc are allowed to go home to their parents so we can too... I had to remind her we were at uni some 30+ years ago!

peppermintteadrinker · 12/01/2021 08:45

@Frouby

Bubbles for single adult households, bubbles for childcare, bubbles for work and school, bubbles for the vulnerable, bubbles for those with very young children. We aren't in any bubbles, except dh at work who is in a bubble of 3.

Wish they would just say every family can have 1 bubble and that's it. My ds is 7 and likely won't see his friends for months. So an adult can pick and chose a number of bubbles and go to work, but children will only see their parents or siblings for months at a time. If we qualified for any bubble I'd chose a friend from school for ds.

But an adult can't pick all those bubbles. They can have one bubble if they are a single person or lone parent. Or they can have childcare but just for childcare not socialising. Or a support bubble if you have a baby. That's it.

Any other bubbles are made up.

Sarcobaleno · 12/01/2021 08:45

Agree 100%. If my in-laws tell me they're in a bubble with x,y or z one more time I'm going to stab them with a safety pin.

AmoElCafe · 12/01/2021 08:46

@Lovemusic33

A friend posted about her bubble on Facebook asking if she could still be in one, she’s married (living with her dh) and has a child aged 8/9, pretty sure she shouldn’t be in a bubble?

My mum is my bubble (I’m a single parent and I also pay my mum as respite for dd) but have just found out my brother has been using her for his bubble, my brother lives with his partner and 2 kids so they shouldn’t be in a bubble? It’s made me worry about how many people have been in contact with my mum and now I’m not keen on her looking after dd (but I don’t have much choice as I have no one else).

The bubble thing is pretty clear so I’m not sure why people are stretching the rules.

I am married with children and have a support bubble with my mum, who lives alone. That is perfectly allowed, and the support is for her (living alone) rather than for us. It doesn’t mean that both parties to the bubble have to be single adults. So your brother could support bubble with your mum, except she has a support bubble with you so she can’t have more than one. So it’s obviously not as clear as you think. Your mum really needs to decide which one of you she is bubbling with and tell the other no.
alienspiderbee · 12/01/2021 08:46

I know a few people who are using bubbles legitimately but their setups mean you end up having a number of linked households.

e.g. single friend paired with boyfriend, he has a daughter who goes between dad and mum. Mum is also single so is bubbled with her sister, her husband and 3 kids who are still going to school as parents are keyworkers.

AmoElCafe · 12/01/2021 08:47

However can we just stop with the demands for bubbles to be removed / banned. Some people rely on them and are using them as intended

Exactly. We are using it exactly as intended, and without it I think my mum, who lives alone and has some MH issues, would be in a really really dark place.

SuperSange · 12/01/2021 08:49

It's not just individuals though; we've been really careful, then , as if by magic, where I work (college) I'm told I'm in a bubble with 2000 staff and students. Go figure.