I'm CEV. I've never shielded, never wanted to, haven't been fully vaccinated yet and I have worked a really risky job. I've socialised as normal whenever it's been allowed and certainly do now and I don't wear a mask.
But this isn't because I think CEV people are being silly for shielding - it's everyone's personal choice what they do. If you're still being cautious now, that's your call.
I haven't ever been, because my illnesses are very severe and take SO much of my life and my families lives in what we can and can't do. It's a constant balancing act between DHs work, the kids and school/ nursery, and my illnesses and the ludicrous amount of time I'm in hospital or very unwell at home. So I made the decision (with DH) that Covid wasn't going to add to that anymore than it had to (ie with the rules everyone had to follow in lockdowns etc). I respect anyone's choices but my illnesses are sadly always going to be in the forefront of absolutely everything we can and can't do so, that's enough limitations for us.
As for the question did I avoid colds etc before covid - no not colds / flu etc (though I have the flu jab) .... I do fastidiously avoid any stomach bugs / noro - always have done and always will do . I have severe bowel disease and other gastro illnesses and can no longer eat solid foods and exist on a prescribed liquid diet. A simple D&V bug for everyone else puts me in hospital for weeks, and if it happened now I would need my colon removing.
I have had such struggles over the years when needing to avoid such illnesses and have been hospitalised as a result many times . I work in a job where they're easy to catch! But since covid I have just put my foot down and said well, some people want to shield from covid as it would be a risk to them, I want to effectively shield from stomach things which would be a major risk to me. And my request has been accepted at work. So that's something positive.
Anyway this definitely isn't goady and I respect anyone being cautious and shielding still, I believe OP you're shielding your child - I would do the same (and did when one of mine was super preemie prior to the pandemic). I just wanted to give another CEV perspective.