Household gatherings

[daffodil10]

As we trail towards the next deadline, truthfully are people sticking absolutely to the no household mixing etc? Or are people sneaking round to each other's for meals etc

I am sticking to it but only because my husband keeps me on the straight and narrow which is obviously the right thing to do. Just wondered?

Yes I am because I want this to end.

The thing is, this will not end. We will get to a point where a combination of low numbers, high % of vaccinated population and low hospital occupancy will mean restrictions are lifted and we start to co-exist with Covid. No more 10 day isolations if you catch the virus, people will just go out and about and spread it in a similar way we spread flu every year. Some people will die, yes, but this virus isn’t going away any time soon.

I am sticking to the rules myself, always have. But where I live we can mix up to two households, and this never changed, even during lockdowns. I’m not sure I’d be doing the same in the UK, it’s starting to get ridiculous. My friend hasn’t legally been allowed to see her long-term boyfriend except for walks since September, because they both live in house shares. Yet she can teach hundreds of non-masked, not-tested children at a school since this Monday. Ridiculous.

Within reason yes, but I have ended up with 2 support bubbles.
This virus isn't going anywhere and I needed two different types of support so as is.

@Ilovemypantry to answer your question, I don’t expect other people to stick to the rules I am breaking. I think anyone who is still not seeing close family and friends indoors is making the wrong call - and that a lot of them will regret it when their elderly parents die in the next couple of months of things that aren’t Covid, having not seen their children for a year.

I understand you may disagree with my position but I am not selfish or thoughtless: I support many of the restrictions and think they are necessary. I think keeping people away from close friends and family when 20 million people have been vaccinated is an unacceptable breach of civil liberties.

I’m aware this means numbers might increase but many countries have found ways of fighting the virus that don’t include a household mixing ban that lasts the best part of a year. So let’s not pretend there is only one solution to this.

So we can only give in-person mental health support if a person is actually suicidal to the point of having a plan? Bollocks to that. That's like saying you're going to eat chips/drink 4l of wine/smoke 40 a day... but only address your health when you have cancer.

The restrictions placed upon us have been the ideal circumstances to create new mental health problems for some people and exacerbate existing ones in others.

I'm sticking to the rules. Party because I think it's important just now and partly because the people I most want to mix with are rule followers who wouldn't agree to it.

I'm a single parent, my parents are in my support bubble which is lovely but I don't see them often. As cases fall I'm considering asking a friend to form a second "bubble" so I can have a few evenings where we have a glass of wine and a laugh......that would be amazing.

No. Been to see my mom a couple of times (vaccinated ages ago) and my friend

Yes. I have not seen family or ILs for over a year now. This is their choice though not ours. They don't want to mix until after their 2nd vaccinations.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

For those calling people selfish for meeting up yes it is selfish but guess what some of us, those of us who really aren’t at huge risk of Covid, are utterly over sacrificing for the greater good. Peoples children have forgone a year of proper education, many people have lost an income, domestic violence has surged, self harm in children has surged, our children’s drs appointments have been pushed (save the nhs aka don’t use it), weddings cancelled, holidays non existent -all for those in high risk groups. We don’t get thanked, we get told to be grateful for our daily walk and to stop complaining because we can watch Netflix! We get rewarded by being vaccinated last with talk of further penalties and restrictions if we aren’t vaccinated. And yes someone will come along and try and beat me with a long Covid stick shortly but quite frankly that risk is still not worth the year of hell many have been put through for the “greater good”. So rather than scorn us for giving in a few weeks towards the end, how about those being protected by other people’s sacrifices say thank you for what we’ve done/ or have not done to date for them!

Well said

We are still sticking to it.

My parents would be too nervous to bend the rules and my in laws are very law abiding, also dh hasn't been vaccinated yet, we've come this far and is hates to see him catch it and get very unwell.

I want my dc in school and am willing to trade off my social activities to keep them in school so to speak.

We have met people outdoors for a walk on a couple of occasions, and one of my dc goes out with a friend outside to exercise, by chance it is just one friend, but in all honesty if he was going with a small group I wouldn't have stopped it. His mental health as rock bottom last year.

I try not to judge anyone, this year has been extremely trying and it not selfish to want to live your life or see your own family.

I do think that people really should think twice though for their own sakes.

@Tootsey11

To those who have/are mixing. How many of you has been affected by covid directly or had someone die in their family? Im guessing not many.

I have had a family member die actually. Not from Covid - but as a result of lockdown.

Sorry, it’s not tragic unless it’s Covid though, right?

We aren’t seeing others inside, but are pretty much doing Whatever outside, and so is most people I know. Risk outside is minimal.

Sticking to it. But resentful now.

But so many people I know aren't. My boss has had his friend round for drinks when watching football/rugby on a Sunday, for months.

I really do agree with the pp that the way we've been made to live has been the perfect storm for mental health problems.

I learnt from the first lockdown don't wait until someone is suicidal before you do something. Covid isn't the only thing going on.

Sticking to it, but suspect in 2 weeks when my mums vaccines have kicked in it'll be a different matter.

I'm suffering with terrible morning sickness and trying to look after a 15 month old (who missed the 'born after 2nd Dec 2019 you can have a support bubble' by a week).

I could massively do with the support, because I feel like I'm hanging on my a thread.

I'm amazed and a bit annoyed how many people aren't sticking to it, but I suppose if you and the people you're mixing with aren't vulnerable you feel like you have less to loose.

Not sure if I'm more annoyed at myself for being a mug or others for braking the rules.

Haven't broken the rules, none of my friends have either because we actually want to get out of this mess. If everyone stuck to a strict lockdown we would all be seeing friends now

Only people we've had in house were for essential work on the house. All of our friends and family have been happy to mix outside even in rain. So we're still sticking to the household rules, it can easily be done.

A family member broke the rules last week, it was their child's first birthday and they went to their parents and saw them for the first time in 4 months. They were meant to go in the garden but it was freezing so ended up inside. The day after one of them woke up with cold like symptoms and not being able to smell or taste anything and then had a positive covid test. Now 2 families are in isolation and worrying themselves silly as parents are older.

I was tempted to break the rules but this has really put me off :(

STOP MIXING HOUSEHOLDS YOU FUCKING SELFISH MORONS!

This is making me feel quite nostalgic for STAY THE FUCK AT HOME.

Selfish, as an insult, really doesn't work anymore. You will have to try harder.

I think anyone who is still not seeing close family and friends indoors is making the wrong call - and that a lot of them will regret it when their elderly parents die in the next couple of months of things that aren’t Covid, having not seen their children for a year.
You do realise that there are plenty of people this has already happened to? Nice for grieving people to be told they are mugs who made the wrong call, another thing to add to how awful they already feel.

Honestly I am so fed up of people on here bragging about how much they are seeing friends and family, and telling those who are sticking to the rules they are, essentially, stupid mugs. If you want to mix with others indoors, go ahead, I don't really care, but bragging about it, acting all superior, saying you have made the right decision and others haven't, and declaring rule followers mugs is just nasty.

ElephantBabies
STOP MIXING HOUSEHOLDS YOU FUCKING SELFISH MORONS!
I haven't mixed apart from childcare. But I might just to wind you up. Who do you think you are? Calm down.

This makes me nostalgic for last year when people were going mad about Easter Eggs being non-essential purchases. I bought one every time I did a food shop

Yes. Feeling that I’m in the minority after reading all these. It really worries me TBH. I’d love to mix more, but I would hate to pass the virus on to older loved ones. Aren’t people thinking about that?

Mostly sticking to the rules. Kids in two different schools, I WFH, DP lives alone and sees us indoors but noone else. We are going to see my healthy 62 year old mum, who lives alone, at the weekend. She has had her first jab but works out of home. We are testing twice a week at home, a lot of stuff is delivered and rarely go in shops.

By contrast, my neighbours on one side have regular parties (which the police have no interest in) and on the other side they have a house full of kids/grandkids every weekend.

The physical impact on any of us getting covid is overwhelming likely to be minimal. The mental toll has been huge. I'll take my chances as its clear that most people are happy to take theirs.

DD, in a support bubble with her BF's family, comes round for a cuppa every couple of weeks. Her MH is fragile, she is seeing no one except her support bubble and I do LFTs twice a week for my job.

We've also met friends for walk (2 couples) three times since this all began.

Other than that, essential visits only (roofer, to fix leaking roof, for example).

Loads of my colleagues have had Covid and I am well aware of the risks. And my risk is, being at work with unmasked children. Not seeing two friends for a walk and stopping to eat a slice of cake at a social distance.

I'm sticking to it in terms of no indoor mixing for the moment, as is everyone I know well. I think the crunch will come for a lot of us if some of these deadlines are pushed back at a time when large numbers of us are vaccinated. I'm due for my 2nd vaccination at about the time that indoor mixing should be allowed, so I'll find it really hard to comply if that date shifts.

My entire family is vaccinated now. So we're all being a bit less strict with seeing each other indoors. No wild parties though