Children’s indoor birthday party, masks?

[Tianatiers]

DC has been invited to a birthday party tomorrow, indoors, in a village hall. The whole class has been invited and I’m fine for my DC to go as they’ve been in school together all week… but it’s not a drop off so adults are asked to stay and look after their child. I want to wear a mask, at least when moving around, maybe take it off if I’m sat down and socially distanced… but is that soooo last week? Seems little point in wearing one if nobody else is doing it. WWYD? I’m thinking I’ll take one and if I see anyone else wearing one I’ll put it on, but if nobody is wearing them then I just won’t want to be there. But I’ll have to be, as I don’t want my DC to miss out. They’re so excited.

Gosh, I'd not be going. A full class plus one or 2 parents each crammed in a hall, running around, talking loudly. Sounds like a great way to have to spend 10 days of the summer isolating to me. Crazy!

Wouldn’t be going either. Maybe you could sit outdoors if you really need to go.

Covid is nothing like a stomach bug so simply can’t be compared.

Look at this way OP - would you have not gone pre-covid when your child & you could easily have caught say a stomach bug if one happened to be around

The difference is that a dc catching a stomach bug at a party wouldn't mean the entire household being stuck at home for 10 days. Not to mention my dc have never had a stomach bug and let's face it, likely wouldn't be particularly unwell from covid either but I've spent enough time under house arrest this year. It's one thing in winter but my precious summer holidays. I'm going to mitigate that risk to a point.

@Bobholll thanks that does make me feel a bit better about it, thanks. Although catching this means we all have to isolate which is disruptive. But then I’m just going to have to take that risk I guess because I can’t bring myself to exclude my DC from the fun.

I used to be a parent volunteer at DS’s Primary School, if I knew there was a stomach bug going round the class I would avoid helping that week. I also wouldn’t be rushing to hang around at a party either

Are you able to drive there, OP? I think in your circumstances I would be tempted to drop DC off, let them know that they are to stay at the party, but that you will be sitting outside in the car until the end of the party when you will come back in to collect.

You do as you wish. I probably would also wear a mask in that situation

Thanks all. I’ve decided to go but wear a mask if I have to go indoors and try and find an open door or window to stand next to and watch my DC from outside.

Usually I’d be offering to help out, chatting to people, not cowering in a corner. I hate this stupid pandemic.

It's not even about being afraid of the virus either, I'm certainly not, it's not wanting to have to waste 10 days of the summer being stuck indoors potentially missing holidays and losing money that many can't afford to lose. I'm not scared of catching covid but we have a twice rescheduled trip on Monday that's it's just too late to cancel the accommodation for. Absolutely no way I'd go and sit in a space that full of adults and dc for 2 hours

I went to a kids party last week and people were wearing them when wandering around but not wearing them whilst sitting down and distanced. Tables were set out sensitive to distancing. I don't know what the right and wrong is but I just followed suit.

… and this is why so many of us in Canada are watching the UK in total horror.

We’ve been to 2 kids’ birthday parties in the last week here. Both outside. Most parents wore masks, some kids (2-4 years old) did too. Daily cases in our area are very low… and we all want to keep it that way! Did the kids have a blast? THEY DID. (And so did we!) Why the need for indoor, maskless carnage?!

@UpToMyElbowsInDiapers

Most people in Britain are still being somewhat cautious. 60 people in a room has only been allowed since Monday and we certainly haven't been in such a busy place. We are out tonight but our table only has our household on it!

I’m hoping it won’t be 60 people, there are only about 20 in the class and not all of them can make it. I’m really hoping it’ll be set up as you describe @FflosFfantastig as I’d be much more comfortable with that. As there’s been no mention of wearing masks, social distancing, taking a LFT before or anything (all of which I’ll do) I have a horrible feeling that everyone is just going to pretend the pandemic is not happening and I’ll look and feel like I’m being OTT. Reading the replies on this thread has made me feel better about being cautious though.

I should say that I'm in Wales so we still have our mask rules in place. However even if we didn't I'd have done exactly the same. Do whatever you are comfortable with OP. People's comfort levels aren't the same across the board and most people are understanding of this.

Completely missing the point of the thread but in my experience having parents there at that age makes it worse. They tend to stand around chatting to each other, asking the host if they have any wine/ beer/ bottle opener and the chances are some of the more 'lively and colourful' members of the class are lively and colourful partly because their parents don't intervene to manage behaviour and it is even harder to tell Jonny to stop popping the balloons and sit down to watch the magic show when Jonny's mother is standing next to you with her Besties commenting on how much energy Jonny has. Much better to have a select few adults who know when to intervene and numbers to hand to ring parents (or at least threaten to) to collect them if they misbehave.

I would bring a mask and maybe volunteer to watch the door for any escapees!

I wouldn't be going either.

Tbh I'd question the intelligence of someone holding or attending unmasked such a large party, indoors in a hotspot with an incredibly infectious variant

Contender for a Darwin award.

We're only doing outside stuff at the moment (also in a v high cases area). Am OK with shops, where you're quickly passing by, but not with indoors eating/drinking/cinema etc where people are more likely not to have masks on.

DD has just finished isolating, and I'm not risking another run - they need a break. The kids are meeting up with friends outdoors, but that's it - DD (13) turned down an inside party having weighed up the risks.

It's monumentally crap - I want them just to be able to have fun and relax, esp as I suspect another lockdown is heading our way, but equally better restricting ourselves a bit than isolating during the hols.

For what it's worth, I have a pack of N95 masks on the way for any inside stuff we have to do - I figured if we do want to go to LOndon and use the tube (which looks fairly mask-free), that'll reduce the risk as those masks protect wearer as well as others.

@Willyoujustbequiet hehehe, agree re Darwin award!

Get one of those deep sea diving suits, you be safe then!!

I'd only go in a mask

@ifonly4

I'd only go in a mask

Bit nippy for that today here

@Shelovesamystery

Wear one if you want to, don't wear one if you don't want to. Don't worry about what everyone else is doing.

In an ideal world there would be no judgement from either side and everyone would just accept others choices and mind their own business 🤷‍♀️

100% this.

I have two around that age and wouldn’t be going. They wouldn’t be missing out on much fun (it’s 2 hours ish? ) and I would feel more comfortable thinking I wasn’t exposing them for 2 hours fun, to be possible effects of long covid.
We have no idea how it fully affects children and therefore I’d be keeping indoor meet ups to an absolute minimum/ essential. I am double vaccinated as is whole family and also we are all low risk for complications.
School is essential, parties are not.