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Original poster

Those of us with family/friends at a distance have been forgotten again

95 replies

Thecoppertree · 22/02/2021 11:14

My family and close friends live too far away to visit for the day and we have a toddler so the journey would be unbearable as it’s 4 hours there and 4 hours back.
I thought overnight stays with one household or bubble would be permitted by Easter, but I’m reading/hearing possibly June?! So that means I won’t see my family until then. There is an option to meet somewhere halfway, but as my parents don’t drive and they have physical limitations on getting around, it would be difficult to organise. I just feel gutted that everyone is feeling happy about the rule of 6 outdoors in parks and gardens, but those of us who don’t have family/friends nearby have nothing to look forward to.
Sorry for the downer post, but it’s making me feel really sad.

OP posts:
Racoonworld · 22/02/2021 11:17

It’s not that we’ve been forgotten, it’s just that indoor mixing can’t happen at the moment. Outside is a lot safer so of course that will get the go ahead first. Unfortunately that means we have to wait longer.

PinkPlantCase · 22/02/2021 11:20

We’re in the same boat. I’m hopeful that we could stay in self catering accommodation close to family and maybe go out for walks etc with them.

Waiting to hear the full announcement tonight

zafferana · 22/02/2021 11:21

How about meeting halfway OP? My family are 100 miles away, which is a long way to go for an outside meeting, but if we meet halfway it's only 50 miles and just over an hour's drive.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 22/02/2021 11:30

I make it a rule not to get upset about announcements till I hear the actual announcement not just rumours, so I am holding on, but same boat here.
Mil lives alone and the plan was to do what we did last summer and stay somewhere else and meet outside. She can’t possibly travel to us.

I was happy to be stoical about Christmas because it was clear there were all kinds of risks, but what we would be doing at Easter, with her fully vaccinated (and probably dh and me partly by then) and being outside anyway and community transmission lower by many times is so unrisky it’s ridiculous.

Lubiluxe · 22/02/2021 11:31

@zafferana

How about meeting halfway OP? My family are 100 miles away, which is a long way to go for an outside meeting, but if we meet halfway it's only 50 miles and just over an hour's drive.
Op said they don't drive unfortunately.

I'm sorry op, it is really tough. We are going for halfway option which will still be about 90 miles each way each but better than nothing.

starfish88 · 22/02/2021 11:31

Expat here and I miss my family so much. I knew I wouldn't see them as much living abroad but they have missed so much of DSs first 2 years it's really heartbreaking. They had been visiting every month or so before covid. But travel will probably be one of the last things to come back.

SheCannaeTakeNoMoreCapt · 22/02/2021 11:33

Everyone is complaining that their personal grouping has been forgotten about. You haven't, its just not a priority for anyone.

Racoonworld · 22/02/2021 11:39

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel

I make it a rule not to get upset about announcements till I hear the actual announcement not just rumours, so I am holding on, but same boat here. Mil lives alone and the plan was to do what we did last summer and stay somewhere else and meet outside. She can’t possibly travel to us.

I was happy to be stoical about Christmas because it was clear there were all kinds of risks, but what we would be doing at Easter, with her fully vaccinated (and probably dh and me partly by then) and being outside anyway and community transmission lower by many times is so unrisky it’s ridiculous.

If your MIL lives alone can’t you form a support bubble with her then go and stay?
Ellpellwood · 22/02/2021 11:41

Indeed. All 4 of DS's grandparents have been vaccinated, but live 200 miles away in different directions. We have absolutely no other family here. It sucks.

Original poster
Thecoppertree · 22/02/2021 11:43

@Racoonworld we were planning on meeting outside, but like previous posters have said, we would find an air b&b or somewhere to stay in nearby and then meet outdoors. But doesn’t look like overnight stays in self contained accommodation will be allowed either!

OP posts:
clto2021 · 22/02/2021 11:45

I feel sad about this too 😔 my family are all a 3 hour drive away which I can't do with 2 young children in one day 😢

Reallybadidea · 22/02/2021 11:45

So what do you think should happen?

twelly · 22/02/2021 11:48

I think we should allow people to make their own choices that way people can assess their risk. The virus will not go away and like everything we do there is a risk. Staying with relatives is not so dissimilar to meeting friends

Bluebelle41 · 22/02/2021 11:51

You’re not forgotten about, it is simply that everyone has different circumstances. My family all live a long haul flight away and there are additional factors which means we will probably not see them this year either. I’d love to look forward to seeing them in June but our situation makes that impossible.

Nonamesavail · 22/02/2021 11:52

Same. Mine are 4 hrs drive away.

Ellpellwood · 22/02/2021 11:53

Well, ideally I'd like them to be able to come and stay in the empty house my in-laws own that I can see out of my kitchen window.

joystir59 · 22/02/2021 11:54

Id go and visit them tbh

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 22/02/2021 11:57

Raccoonworld - thanks, you’re absolutely right, it’s just dawning on me. We haven’t support bubbled with anyone else and neither has she.
It would mean staying in her house rather than our super low risk version of staying elsewhere and meeting outside so it would be much higher risk but allowed.
I will put it to her and dh and see what they say. (Maybe we could camp in her garden...)

Boohooyouho · 22/02/2021 12:01

Same here. It’s 3.5 hours to my parents. I’d anticipated not being able to meet indoors so I booked a holiday let nearby for us to stay in so we could meet up outside. Looks like that won’t be allowed to happen. We’re all just desperate to see each other. I’m actually tempted to drive there for the day. Because apparently that’s safer than us staying on our own in a holiday let.

WatchWatch · 22/02/2021 12:02

Yes, on 28th it'll be a year since I have seen any of my family.

I may do a day trip myself when it is allowed, leave the kids with DH at home.

Original poster
Thecoppertree · 22/02/2021 12:04

@Reallybadidea I think they should allow air b&bs and self contained holiday accommodation to open so people can stay nearby and visit their families/friends outdoors if they live a distance away.

OP posts:
Jelly0naplate · 22/02/2021 12:04

We're in the same boat. Last time I saw my parents (and my kids their grandparents) was Christmas 2019, they live a 5-6 hour drive so really impossible to got here and back in a day. I'm hoping we can possibly book some accommodation and see them that way but will have to see what tonight brings.

FinallyFluid · 22/02/2021 12:07

I need to go to my country and grieve family members.

Soon I hope.

Figgygal · 22/02/2021 12:07

Same my family are 500 miles away we usually fly as otherwise it’s a 10 hour drive with two children one of whom gets carsick

They are in Scotland so we wouldn’t be able to stay with them even if we had travelled

Haven’t seen my parents since Christmas 2019, they haven’t seen their grandchildren who haven’t seen their cousins. Some of my best friends still live up there so I haven’t seen them either.

Had already written off Easter and was hoping for May half term that looks like it’s not going to happen either.

It’s shit

HazelWong · 22/02/2021 12:07

Honestly, once both my parents have had time for the vaccine to take effect, I am just not bothered about indoor Vs outdoor socialising, I will just go for the overnights. They have missed out on so much time with my young kids and I just don't think the risks post vaccination are severe enough to be a problem.