People saying ‘we’ve had a year of this’ - what did you do last summer?

[Bubbinsmakesthree]

I keep seeing people saying things like “my child hasn’t played with anyone else in a year” or “I’ve not seen any friends in a year”. I know some people have been shielding or live in areas that have had tougher restrictions for longer...but if not, what were you doing last summer?

I think I’ve been fairly cautious but we still managed holidays/trips away in the UK, lots of (socially distanced) meet ups with friends and family and my children saw lots of their friends. We’ve been to museums, meals out, swimming etc. Other than children not social distancing with each other I don’t we broke any rules. It certainly wasn’t a normal summer but in comparison with the current (really miserable) lockdown things were pretty decent.

Lots of people I know were regularly in bars, making cinema trips, foreign holidays and taking the children soft play (i drew the line well before it got to soft play myself!)

Are people forgetting what actually happened or did some people remain in voluntary lockdown all year?

Never broken a guideline that I know of. I haven't seen my dad or brother for a year. When we have met up with in-laws, it has always been outdoors and the kids never hug or touch them. My dcs are entitled to keyworker places, but we haven't taken them as I was made redundant a while ago (pre covid) and became a SAHM, which has worked out well enough, as we can homeschool easily.

Last summer we didn't go anywhere. I did return to the gym, but certainly didn't break any guidelines.

Where's my prize/halo ?

@Redannie118

So sorry to hear everything you’ve been through on top of this bloody awful virus!

I think so often that other people forget or are blind to the snowball effect of this pandemic - job losses, ill health that’s not directly related to Covid, lack of social contact, money worries/stress and mental health problems all as an indirect result of lockdown/Covid.

Life is bloody tough for people in so many ways at the moment. I hope you are doing ok with the breast cancer and that life improves even marginally soon.

In the meantime, it’s worth remembering that we are not all in the same boat with this.....we are all in the same storm!

@Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady

The rule of 6 didn't come into force until September.

So over the summer we were allowed to meet outside with more people than that. Just googled it

No the rule from 23rd June was 6 people allowed to mix outside Or two households of any size so you couldn’t meet more than 6 unless you were from two households.

Then September the two household rule no longer applied and it was six total so as a family of five we couldn’t meet anyone else.

In the meantime, it’s worth remembering that we are not all in the same boat with this.....

Yes, exactly. I stayed within guidelines because it was relatively easy for me to do so. That isn't the case for everyone.

So, really, a bit less judgement and sweeping statements. Yes, some people did break the rules and are now complaining. Some people didn't break the rules and some people had bigger problems than the pandemic, which meant they couldn't "just stay at home".

All those people who met inside you must have very large properties . Distancing 2 metres or even 1 between everyone was difficult for us . My elder son did come up in August and we opened all the doors and windows and the grandparents sat with coats on ( cold weekend) but it wasn’t what I would call fun.

We are in the West Mids. We did the eat out to help out a few times, I took the DDs to the cinema when it was open, DH took them to Waterworld, we went on a UK holiday, met up with DD’s friends in the park for a play and picnic once a week. The kids played with their friends once schools went back and they played tennis when it was allowed and went to dance classes. All this was within the guidelines and no one I know who has children didn’t see anyone or do anything from March until now.

@Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady

At some stage, I'm sure it was up to thirty people could meet up- I doubt I know 30 people

I could remember the number but it was way more than 6.

So all the people saying they met up in line with the rule of 6 in the summer must have had a crystal ball

No 30 was the number they started prosecuting under. The law allowed 30 to allow the rules on weddings and sports to go ahead. The rule for other social gatherings was two households of any size or 6 people.

We've been voluntarily shielding, due to being older and having underlying conditions. Also, because so many people clearly don't give a shit, the risk is higher.

We've had no holidays other than a few day-trips out in the summer. We see friends and family online.

I'm middle aged and cautious as are my friends. We saw people outdoors under the 'rule of 6', when it wasn't raining. My 14 year old saw the one person they were still in contact with after being off school since March a few times. Went on holiday alone as opposed to the two group holidays we'd planned. No films, no eating out, just swimming and walking. So no, not much like normal. It's unconscionable that people in Leicester and elsewhere have been living under lockdown for so long.

Stayed at home. In my personal opinion, just because technically you can does not mean that you should.

I live in an area which has had low case rates throughout and it was very low over the summer, so it felt quite normal. Lots of parties outdoors, bbqs, camping, restaurants, etc. I still don't know anyone who has had covid which I realise is very lucky.

Your lockdown summer reads like a positive social whirl! Nothing here, with CEV and CV immediate family, elderly parents, daughter pregnant at the time.
Most exciting trips here were masked, lone timed appointment at rubbish tip to offload the sacks of used rabbit bedding and solitary walks in the dark to prevent the varicose vein from throbbing.
Can’t wait for the heady days of seeing wider family in the flesh again. Will probably keep poking them to see if they’re real 😁 oh, and choosing our own fruit and veg in an actual shop (though immensely grateful to the strangers who’ve been doing it for us).

Can honestly say, now that the vaccines are here and every one of our family have thankfully come through so far healthy, I don’t resent it now, try instead to think of how much worse it could have been. Just happily looking forward to better times and holding our grandchild on their 1st birthday in the summer and eldest starting uni in September (after studying at home since mid-Feb 2020).

🥳 for the vaccines.

Our main holiday was cancelled, but we managed a couple of short breaks, one by the coast, the other in the countryside - both lovely areas. Not very often, but we did meet up with others, all within the guidelines at the time, ie walks with friends, girly evenings together outside, we saw all family outside and met my BIL&family at a pub - we prebooked two tables outside which we separated slightly so we could chat and distance. Most day trips were walks in the country.

The only things we did indoors was eat inside when we were away - the last time just before we locked down again in November and we were literally only ones in pub.

Really hoping we can start to do some more of the same in spring/summer. If that's all it is, I'll take it as we had some nice time, fun, a change of scenery and company.

I also live in an area with extremely low cases but because I have an OL postcode we've had additional restrictions put in place.
It's been very frustrating.

The long and short of it is that you weren't "fairly cautious" @Bubbinsmakesthree. You did a lot. A lot of other people didn't, because they didn't want to risk catching or further spreading the virus in the hope it would mean all restrictions would be lifted sooner. More fool us I guess, as we've had a shit year but without the payoff of it getting better, whereas all those who went out more and met up with people enjoyed themselves and spread the virus more. Great.

In the NW we've been under pretty strict rules for almost the whole time. There were about 3 weeks when they were lessened. Most people were still nervous about meeting up then. I suppose if we'd known it was going to go on this long we might have made the most of it (but then that's hardly the point of staying apart for the greater good)

I know this is an unpopular option but until the December sudden rise our area had very low cases and very high adherence to the rules. Where ds lived in contrast very low adherence lots of mixing eating out and complaining about rules , but very high cases .

The high case incidence did not seem to deter people from mixing and likewise the low incidence here did not seem to make people more comfortable with mixing . In fact people seemed to be one almost more reclusive because they wanted to preserve our lower case level.

It didn’t work we still ended up in a higher tier in December and cases of the hew variant rocketed with a lot of locals blaming the influx of second home owners , but cases are now one of the lowest again.

I’m north west near Liverpool/tech Lancashire

Even with our strict rules in place we did a lot and all was allowed so think people put themselves in a lockdown that wasn’t needed

Bars and restaurants open

I met friends outside for drinks and food

As families 6 of us went camping - each family in our own tent

I went to Greece with my family - allowed!

I went to theme parks
Water parks
Indoor skiing

All open so why wouldn’t you go

God I feel so bad for kids who’s parents kept them inside

Even now my kids meet a different friend everyday for walk -it’s allowed!

"God I feel so bad for kids who’s parents kept them inside

Even now my kids meet a different friend everyday for walk -it’s allowed!"

@Pastanred you get a gold star for loving your children more. Well done.

It’s pretty tone deaf from the OP to basically say “I’ve not been locked down for a year, why are you moaning you have?”

OP are you also one of those people who were surprised we had a second wave? Shocked we couldn’t mix at Christmas?

Sounds like you did a lot, bent the rules, pushed it as “it’s ok for us” and yes, were part of the problem...

People's lives are different, so people had different summers, thrilled that you could afford to go on holiday, people were starting to lose their jobs or could see the writing on the wall and couldn't afford holidays.

I do wonder if the same person is posting these I don't understand that people have different lives threads, because there are alot of them around at the moment

God I feel so bad for kids who’s parents kept them inside

Who has kept their kids inside?

That's not what people are saying.

"God I feel so bad for kids who’s parents kept them inside“

That’s been the worst thing for us. No choice with CEV husband and our eldest himself CV. He’s been remarkable and it’s been far from easy for him but he will move on positively. I know that won’t be the case for all though

@Bubbinsmakesthree

I keep seeing people saying things like “my child hasn’t played with anyone else in a year” or “I’ve not seen any friends in a year”. I know some people have been shielding or live in areas that have had tougher restrictions for longer...but if not, what were you doing last summer?

I think I’ve been fairly cautious but we still managed holidays/trips away in the UK, lots of (socially distanced) meet ups with friends and family and my children saw lots of their friends. We’ve been to museums, meals out, swimming etc. Other than children not social distancing with each other I don’t we broke any rules. It certainly wasn’t a normal summer but in comparison with the current (really miserable) lockdown things were pretty decent.

Lots of people I know were regularly in bars, making cinema trips, foreign holidays and taking the children soft play (i drew the line well before it got to soft play myself!)

Are people forgetting what actually happened or did some people remain in voluntary lockdown all year?

A very different summer to me. One social distanced friends visit to the beach, which is a mile away. We did spend time with parents and a sibling, Socially distanced in the garden. I went to a supermarket once after another appointment. No holidays, breaks, camping. No museums, swimming, meals out. No bars, cinema, soft play. Imo having these open was reckless in the first place, let alone those that went! It was far from a normal summer. The people I know that carried on as you did op are minimal in number. I was shielding so cautious, but most people I know were more cautious than you tbh and not sheilding.

A surprising number of people don't seem to understand that other people lead very different lives: even people who are 'like them'.

Enter Mumsnet!