Exactly how much are our youngsters expected to give up?

[StayAGhost]

So after not been able to do her GCSE's, been locked down for 18 months, not able to grow and develop as a teenager should, no concerts, no Meeting with friends, no shopping or general hanging round, no holidays, no seeing grandparents the NCS have now CANCELLED their camp
For a virus that does NOT affect the young

Exactly when us enough enough??

DD sobbing in bedroom, this was what got her thru 14 assessments in 3 weeks

To take from her is cruel

And SO UNNECESSARY

It is a crying shame for young people.

I really think many people - especially on MN - have never been young or at any rate did not enjoy their youth.

Ds’s graduate training scheme was cancelled. And not rescheduled as now it’s wfh so no one in office to train/supervise. Lovely for existing employees, future ones - who cares? He has done temporary work, but no one seems to be hiring permanent new staff, ie the untrained.

And as for meeting any new people, let alone a girlfriend….

What is depressing is comparing their experiences with those a little bit older. Miserable so-and-so’s saying “Well, I never had a prom/holiday/food” are contemptible.

I hear you OP - mine have missed out of a lot of opportunites these past 18 months.

I'm also worried many things look like they won't come back - their school is talking about not doing any trips in future , haven't done prom for two years now and talking about maybe not in future - the guide group had just gone - scouts got in touch for fees but Ds had lost interest by then - summer school are on-line or not happening - volunteer positions are hard to come by.

I was hoping by September when all adults would have been offered vaccine would be fairly normal - now it looks like the next hurdle is doubbling vaccinating all the 12+ and even then there talk from welsh governement about keeping social distancing all 2021.

There not sure yr10 GCSE exams and assements won't be affected for middle child, DD1 having had most of her GCSE disrupted may face more in Y12 - even carrer fairs may not be on this winter for her.

Their GP have been double vaccinated for months - but I have concerns there as well -
Lockdown may have led to loss of strength and mobility - I know that's true of my parents but when we finally get to see IL and haven't for entire pandemic I suspect we'll see some adverse changes there as well.

We've all been quite stoic - it is what it is and make the best but it's fucking wearing on all of us now.

I agree that some things that were seen as rather inconvenient will be quietly binned permanently now, eg school trips, work experience, school concerts etc etc.

I expect private schools will fare better….

I’m not familiar with NCS, is it a government run thing?

'no concerts, no Meeting with friends, no shopping or general hanging round, no holidays, no seeing grandparents the NCS have now CANCELLED their camp'

Ours just seem to be really making the most of everything now being open and seeing their friends.

I don't think missing an NCS campout which is on par with a scouting camp trip will scar them for life op. Tell them to get a grip and try to be positive.

It's so very sad for young people isn't it. I'm in Sweden so things have been closer to normal for youngster than in many places but even so they are still missing out on so much which can't be replaced.

The other day I was in tears as I drove past and I saw a class 'running out'. Here it's a massive right of passage. All their friends and families wait outside school with plackards of their baby pictures and one by one the classes are released and the kids run out, dressed in their graduation clothes, to be met with cheers and celebrations. There's then a parade through the town and literally everyone lines the streets to cheer them on. It's very much a case of these are OUR children, our community. Even the doctors and nurses and patients at the little hospital come out. They they load up onto trailers and drive around partying.

But this year they're doing one class a day and this class was just around 10 kids, who only had their parents waiting for them, and then they went home. They'll never get that traditional graduation back. This is what they should have had (the annoying music is the traditional graduation song which should be blasting out across the country today):

No one is saying this will ‘scar them for life’ but it is depressing to see people minimising the many experiences and milestones this group have missed out on and will continue to do so.

I don’t see any particular reason why this is justified either. Certainly plenty of privately run camps are going ahead where I am.

Residential youth activities are currently limited to a maximum of 6 (including leaders) for the duration of the residential. No mixing with other groups.

They are saying (the NYA) that this MIGHT be increased to 30, but might be limited to 15. The group includes young people and leaders.

That why lots are cancelling.
The rules are different for schools.

'Why did you let her get her hopes up about a camp in the first place? You read the news, hear of things being cancelled. Your job as a parent to help manage their expectations a bit better maybe?'

This!

One of ours isn't having a prom I mean it's disappointing but it's no great surprise. Instead they are having leavers bbqs and parties on the beach. I quite like it tbh instead of all the silly glitzy frocks and limos carry on.

@TheKeatingFive if they are mixing groups of more than 6 they are breaking the rules.

JanieJones - you may not like proms, my dc certainly did not like proms - but many kids do and really look forward to them, complete with the dresses, limos etc.

Saying something doesn’t matter because you personally don’t like it or approve is cold and unkind.

I can see why missing the prom can be a big deal. We all got this stuff

Yes I know the pandemic but still I feel for them, a lot

I was thinking this too OP the other day, when I heard that they might only delay June 21st until more >50's had had their second jab and I thought how terribly unfair.

After all the younger gens have sacrificed in the last year, to be thrown under the bus now the old people think they're safe, is just awful.

'can see why missing the prom can be a big deal. We all got this stuff'

Yes it is a big deal I'm just pointing out they are finding alternatives and as a parent it's actually quite nice to see them doing something low key, less expensive but still enjoy themselves.

I agree, young people have sacrificed so much to protect the very elderly. It’s time for them to get their lives back. It’s coming on for 18 months now- a huge proportion of a young life, especially those handful of teenage years

I agree, young people have sacrificed so much to protect the very elderly.

This is so short-sighted. It's not just "the very elderly". If a pandemic is allowed to run riot, even if you decide you don't care about the elderly, all aspects of society are basically fucked regardless.

Why people don't seem to grasp this basic fact I really, really do not understand. Do you really think a Tory government would shit on the economy in order to protect vulnerable people? No they wouldn't. Lockdown happened because the alternative was worth, economically and otherwise.

I really think people want to believe that there is some alternate choice here where all the young, healthy people could be out and about enjoying life and it wouldn't matter. It would.

After all the younger gens have sacrificed in the last year, to be thrown under the bus now the old people think they're safe, is just awful.

Agree, and for the sake of minimising the risk of variants 21 June should be delayed til all adults (and frankly all teenagers) have had both jabs.

One of ours isn't having a prom I mean it's disappointing but it's no great surprise. Instead they are having leavers bbqs and parties on the beach. I quite like it tbh instead of all the silly glitzy frocks and limos carry on.

DD1 is trying and had for a while to organise with many in her year something like this outside - but dates keep slipping plans keep changing.

IrmaFayLear - I agree it will add to the imbalance of opportunites.

There's talk if the local toddler group - not one I've used - not coming back as the mothers who were running children have aged out and next crop of people who might have taken over have't been as it's been closed 18 months and apparently there's no information when community center will be able to re-open their doors.

My IL have concerns about their walking group coming back.

Clearly many groups and activties will bounce back but I think some won't. It would be prime time next year for univeristy open days and career fairs for DD1 - but I don't know if any will happen. DH works at a university they're not yet sure if they'll be back full time on campus next year.

'I agree, young people have sacrificed so much to protect the very elderly'

Not to 'protect the elderly'. To reduce community transmission so critical care still had capacity should you need it. The 'very elderly' rarely would be candidates for ICU, however ICU still had more than 4 times it's usual admissions. If we hadn't had restrictions it would have been far, far worse.

Still think of the proms and the missed NCS campouts!

@sandyandkirsten that’s exactly what Florida did and it’s worked very well. Death rate lower than California who locked down for a year, despite their population being proportionally more elderly.

The average age of people dying with COVID was over the average life expectancy

Not to 'protect the elderly'. To reduce community transmission so critical care still had capacity should you need it. The 'very elderly' rarely would be candidates for ICU, however ICU still had more than 4 times it's usual admissions. If we hadn't had restrictions it would have been far, far worse.

There's no point Janiie, you might as well be shouting into a black hole.

Death rate lower than California

Er no, Florida's death rate topped California's. Florida's summer surge of covid was one of the US's worst.

@Covidworries

You do realise that health teens have died and many more are suffering from long covid Yes the % of risk to the age group maybe small but its still impacted many people, not to mention the numbers what have died or been effected across the world.

Yes its been a shit 18 months, yes lives have been impacted but thats the impacted of pandemics. The world has been fortunate that we havent had one in our life time before. In the UK we dont have impact of eathquakes, volcano, war, famine etc to deal with.

So whilst i appriciate this has been hard on everyone its just life which does have bad times.

40 - 40 children under the age of 20 have died with covid out of 66 MILLION people in the UK and they had other co- morbidities such as cancer, leukaemia and other serious life threatening illnesses.

So we must move away from covid kills teenagers as the data tells us thats untrue. Motor vehicle accidents kill more children/teenagers in the uk than Covid does.

Do you really think a Tory government would shit on the economy in order to protect vulnerable people? No they wouldn't. Lockdown happened because the alternative was worth, economically and otherwise

Hmm, I disagree it’s that simple

There were advantages to lockdown for the government.

It got them off the hook of having to do anything difficult themselves (decent track and trace systems, bolstering of the health service, manning borders properly). The immense implications of lockdown are obvious and becoming more so, but their true impact won’t be felt for years, so not this government’s problem.

'There's no point Janiie, you might as well be shouting into a black hole'.

True. It is depressing to still, even now see folk spout the ' but me civil liberties! and the average age death is 82!!' bollocks.

Just go and talk to an icu nurse and try to educate yourself.