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Original poster

Confused over children and outdoor exercise. Help?

102 replies

TheWindBeneathMyPits · 17/02/2021 22:32

I was texting a friend sounding off about how challenging DS8 behaviour has become recently so she suggested we get the children out for some exercise tomorrow with a walk.

I’ve agreed and I think DS will really benefit as he’s been so very down lately. But I’m now wondering if it’s actually ok to do what we’re planning. I know you can meet one other person outside for a walk but what happens with the children? Confused

She has 1 DD8 . I also have a DD4. Neither of my children are old enough to be left at home alone so they would both have to come along.

Are two of the children classed as meeting one other person and then friend and I as meeting one other person ? Or is it one household can meet one other person ? Confused

I was really looking forward to it as my DC haven’t seen any other children for months but I’m worried about breaking the rules (morally!).

OP posts:
RedSoloCup · 17/02/2021 23:15

I actually thought this was fine with primary aged children !!!

I've been following all rules but have met friends for the odd walk with dd10 and a friend the same age I thought this was fine 🤦‍♀️

Quit4me · 17/02/2021 23:23

No it’s not allowed, but every other man woman and child between the ages of 0-4 and 11+ are able to meet someone outside their family outside (unless you are a cared for adult I guess)
Kids aged 5-11 are the only age group not allowed to see anyone outside their family / bubble at all

CrazyFoxLady · 17/02/2021 23:40

Do it. As long as parks are open, this rule is bonkers. I have taken DD10 for a walk and 'accidentally' bumped into her friends at the park. Enough of this shit now, our children matter Thanks

CornishYarg · 17/02/2021 23:46

We've been meeting with one another adult and child. DS (aged 9 and an only child) and his friend walk, cycle or scoot ahead and his friend's mum and I walk a few metres behind. Technically it's breaking the rules, but having seen the damage that having no face to face contact with another child for 2 and a half months in the first lockdown did to DS, I'm entirely comfortable with what we're doing. Both families work from home and the children aren't going to school, so other than a weekly supermarket trip we're very low risk.

I have written to my (Tory) MP to express my anger that primary aged children are uniquely banned from seeing someone their own age under the rule of meeting one person outside, due to them needing to be supervised and still counting towards the numbers. Other than some guff about investment in schools, I've not had any reply to the point I made. They couldn't care less, it appears.

IloveJKRowling · 18/02/2021 00:11

Maybe the Tories think that parents don't need to supervise kids over 5?

Could they be that clueless (answer, yes).

TryingNotToPanicOverCovid · 18/02/2021 00:15

Absolutely not allowed, and very frowned upon in one of my immediate friendship circles. But I have now got to the point where my mental health and my child's mental health needs Someone Else to speak to so we are hoping to either accidently meet at a park or happen to walk the same way as someone soon.

3littlewords · 18/02/2021 00:23

Theres a huge black hole in the guidelines in this situation. If your dc were under 5 you could meet legally altogether, yet dc over 5 can't possibly be left home alone or go out unsupervised for many more years so whats the alternative? Aside from the fact these children are too young to socialise online with friends like older dc can they are supposed to just accept no interaction whatsoever either physically or virtually with their peers whilst everyone else can at least see 1 other person outside the home or at least be old enough to converse virtually. The whole thing stinks, go on your walk , enjoy yourselves it will do you both good.

whattodo2019 · 18/02/2021 00:27

We have started to meet two local families for walks. We live very rurally and aren't mixing or going to work. It has helped my teens enormously

Original poster
TheWindBeneathMyPits · 18/02/2021 07:06

After reading all the responses we’re going on the walk Smile

I didn’t want to sway any opinions so never mentioned in my OP that I’m very worried about what this confinement is doing to my DS. He used to be bright, bubbly and sociable and now he’s regularly upset , awake at night and just not himself .
We have followed every rule made but I’m now worried about the effects of this after so long and feel I need to put my DS first (within reason and within the rules as much as possible).

OP posts:
SnuggyBuggy · 18/02/2021 07:18

Go for it. I've been meeting friends at the park all through this lockdown. The police aren't going to be interested.

kowari · 18/02/2021 07:35

The four year old doesn't count. The eight year olds can meet up together without you. If you were worried about the rules you could just drop the 8 year olds at a park then technically it's fine.

kowari · 18/02/2021 07:38

No one is going to know you are not single parents in a bubble together though.

ThursdayLastWeek · 18/02/2021 07:39

We broke this very rule in the very same way yesterday.

Neither my children nor my friends had seen another child except in passing for nearly two months and we were moved by how well they played together.

Honestly. Breaking the law by going for a walk and moved by children playing. What a fucking world.

Timeturnerplease · 18/02/2021 07:44

What I find amusing is that my two year old and I can meet my friend and her three under fives at the park for the children to exercise, but I cannot go for a walk with my friend and her eight year old who is in my class and with whom I work closely to help her with her schoolwork. We must walk separately even if it’s at the same time and at the same place.

I do follow the rules and only go out to exercise the toddler, but sometimes the nuances are a bit odd.

Original poster
TheWindBeneathMyPits · 18/02/2021 07:49

Interesting information about children not having to social distance in playgrounds.... my child can now go to the playground and freely mix with lots of random kids but it’s illegal for him to go on a walk with one other child outside Confused

OP posts:
DrunkenKoala · 18/02/2021 08:05

Technically against the rules but I’d do it (Did a couple of weeks ago). Outdoor transmission is low.

Mental health is as important as physical health for both adults and children.

Frouby · 18/02/2021 08:10

I've followed all the rules apart from 1 person meets 1 other. Well I have. Technically if asked my 7 year old meets his 7 year old friend, and I meet my friend and we go for a walk.

Children aged between 5 and 10/11 have been completely forgotten. An 11 year old could go meet a friend. A 5 year old could meet a friend with parents. But if they are too young to walk independently and too old to walk with parents they have been left to live in splendid isolation.

It keeps my 7 year old sane, do it. And don't worry about it.

Unanananana · 18/02/2021 08:11

I saw one off my friends for a long walk yesterday. We both had our DC with us. Almost everyone we passed was in a larger group. I am a rule follower, but its getting silly now. Oh, and we drove there!

ChocOrange1 · 18/02/2021 08:13

Something as blatantly illegal as the walk I'd be less sure about doing.
I really still can't believe that going for a walk with two 8 year olds is "blatantly illegal". What is the world coming to?

mightbealittlebitmad · 18/02/2021 08:15

I take both my kids wherever I go and whoever I am meeting. One is under 5 so technically doesn't count but what should I do with the other one? Can't leave him at home and he is entitled to go for a walk just as much as me.

It makes no sense to me that I can meet up with my friend, they could have 20 4 year olds as could I and we would be within the rules but if I have my 2 kids and she has her 3 then we would be breaking the rules because 2 of the kids are 5.

Just do it, it's hardly like you are throwing a party for hundreds. Don't lick your friend and you will be fine 👌

justanotherneighinparadise · 18/02/2021 08:16

I took the children to a playground recently and no one was socially distancing. Adults and children all playing together. If they are allowing play areas to be open they’ve got to assume they’ll be some mixing there.

itsgettingwierd · 18/02/2021 08:18

'Technically' it's breaking rules.

But also you can have a support bubble if you're a single adult household with kids under 18. (If this applies you aren't breaking rules).

But I'd still say go. An outdoor walk through woods or a beach for MH reasons is much better and a lower risk than the effect of staying indoors with declining MH.

Have a lovely time.

Frazzled2207 · 18/02/2021 08:18

Technically against the rules but it makes no sense and it’s horrendous how kids have been forgotten about with the “meet one person only” rule when they’re not old enough to go by themselves.
Crack on, it’s fine

itsgettingwierd · 18/02/2021 08:26

My friend and I did a walk last week with our kids (14 and 16).

We did actually do it as 2 groups as kids want to chat and walked off and so did friend and I.

We then got to the pop up coffee shop. We had to queue separately to the kids (we were paying) or swap so we queued with our own kids (which technically broke rules but we were in household ps at the time).

In the end I gave ds my phone to use Apple Pay and said I'd treat and told kids to order and 1 ferry the stuff to us when done.

It still invited some nosy twat to inform us we shouldn't be passing items between people (ds did more and her dd hers).

I pointed out I lived with ds and I didn't think him handing me a cup of coffee outdoors was going to increase our risk when I already live with him.

They just couldn't accept it though as "it's against the roolz"

My friend and I didnt help matters - we admit - by finding her insistence we were going to kill everyone in the queue for taking a cup of coffee from our kids HmmGrin

Iootraw1 · 18/02/2021 08:27

@TempsPerdu

Assuming you’re in England you would be technically breaking the rules by meeting another adult with any child over the age of 5.

But tbh at this point I’d be saying sod the rules and meeting up anyway. It sounds like you and DS need support and real life contact, and meeting up outdoors is extremely low risk. Children have been neglected, demonised and generally shat on throughout the pandemic and it sounds like a walk could make the world of difference to you both.

As far as I’m concerned, it might be the law, but the law is an ass in this respect!

THIS OP ^

My 14yr old daughter had a grumpy old man mutter loudly “bloody kids” as she passed him in our local co-op. She was following one way system (they insist you use) and passed him with as much space as was allowed by aisle. It upset her. She said he’d stood uncomfortably close to her in queue outside and didn’t have a mask on at that point and was coughing in her hair. But he had the cheek to say that - it’s like children have been demonised and should stay locked up. She only goes out once a week to take post for me or get a few necessities from Co-op for me. 😩

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