Anyone not seeing family just in case?

newbieattheschoolgates · 2021-12-23T20:14:43+00:00

Hi, Just wondering if anyone has changed their Christmas plans to be safe. I have elderly relatives and can’t decide whether to visit them with my children or not. We would take LFTs but they’re not 100% reliable so bit nervous. What are your plans?

Lindy2 · 23/12/2021 20:20

We have family coming tomorrow. I'm nervous but we are being as careful as possible and doing lateral flow tests.

We were in tier 4 last year so saw no one. My mum, in her 80s, spent Christmas on her own.

We're trying to balance the risk of Covid against the damage of loneliness.

XenoBitch · 23/12/2021 20:22

Am going to my parents like I do every year.

Scrooge89 · 23/12/2021 20:23

So many key workers mainly in retail in my family that really no point us avoiding each other.

ThirdElephant · 23/12/2021 20:24

Ask them what they'd rather you do?

DynamiteFilledRadish · 23/12/2021 20:24

No, we haven't changed any plans to be "safe".

Original poster

newbieattheschoolgates · 23/12/2021 20:26

We want to see them but they are nervous

OP posts:

XenoBitch · 23/12/2021 20:28

Are your relatives up to date with the Covid vaccines?
If so, and you offer to take LFT beforehand, there is not much else you can do to reassure them.

TellMeAboutItStud · 23/12/2021 20:28

We have - my grandparents are vulnerable with underlying conditions and we decided we wouldn't take the risk (we've got a pre-schooler who spends his days in a germy nursery!)

MelonTits · 23/12/2021 20:32

No. Last year was rubbish and I had a young baby, DH was ill (not covid) so I had no one to share dinner with and it was depressing.

We’re all triple vaccinated this year so we’re spending it together.

LemonViolet · 23/12/2021 20:36

I’ve been taking LFTs before seeing elderly relatives for months anyway. Both DP and I have been pinged as contacts on the app, but don’t have to isolate as fully vaccinated. Still going to work. Doing daily LFTs. We’re only seeing FIL on xmas day anyway, he’s in his 70s and has heart disease… we’ve let him know and it’s up to him if he still wants to see us. I expect he will. I feel a bit uncomfortable about it but have let him know we will not be offended if he’d rather not see us and leaving it up to him.

PlanetNormal · 23/12/2021 20:57

‘Just in case’ of what?

This is as good as it’s ever going to get. Covid is never going away. The virus will continue to evolve and new variants of concern will continue to appear on a regular basis. All we can do is keep getting vaccinated as often as necessary, get on with our lives and learn to live with covid.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 23/12/2021 21:05

We were seeing elderly family on Boxing Day but unfortunately someone I was in the office with on Monday tested positive yesterday (they started feeling rough Monday evening). My family were worried about coming so we've postponed to New Years Day instead. I'm gutted but understand their choice.

Whitefire · 23/12/2021 21:12

I had already changed plans. So seeing no-one.

Siameasy · 23/12/2021 21:23

Seeing my family as usual no tests we are not concerned

Delatron · 23/12/2021 21:25

What will be different next year do people think (other than you’ve wasted another Christmas not seeing family)? We have vaccines and boosters it won’t get any better than this.

JuergenSchwarzwald · 23/12/2021 21:29

We are. All five of us (me, DH and DS and my mum and her friend) have had our boosters now and DH and I did LFTs today (yes I actually managed to do one, for those of you who've seen my posts on other threads).

TiddleTaddleTat · 23/12/2021 21:31

Yes we’ve changed plans as it involved international travel and the risk was too great for my family. Have had covid twice already and really can’t face it again!

Whitefire · 23/12/2021 21:33

@Delatron

What will be different next year do people think (other than you’ve wasted another Christmas not seeing family)? We have vaccines and boosters it won’t get any better than this.

Hopefully my Mum won't be through the roof with anxiety. We will all get together later in the year.

We live too far away to see on Christmas day anyway, and both of dh's parents have passed away.

ParkheadParadise · 23/12/2021 21:36

No, we haven't changed any plans.
Having 30 family members for Christmas dinner at my house.
Going to our neighbours for Christmas drinks tomorrow afternoon.
Going to in-laws on Monday we are all going out for dinner.
For me, this Christmas feels normal I've had party nights out, dinner out with a large group of friends, been to the cinema, seen dd's Nativity and had breakfast with Santa.

treeflowercat · 23/12/2021 21:37

It's sad that despite being vaccinated and boosted that some elderly remain so scared they won't see relatives at Christmas despite them having been careful and taken LFTs. Even at that age, after having had boosters, they'll probably be ok unless they have very bad health.

My generally very cautious parents definitely still want to see us. To be blunt, when they're in their 70s/80s, you don't know how many Christmas they have left - I think my parents realise this.

Siameasy · 23/12/2021 21:40

@Delatron

What will be different next year do people think (other than you’ve wasted another Christmas not seeing family)? We have vaccines and boosters it won’t get any better than this.

I think the same

They’ll be charging for LFTs by then so people will be less obsessed with taking seven tests a day and won’t be able to moralise about it when it costs them money

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 23/12/2021 21:41

In my case I think the only reason my uncle and his partner aren't coming is because I was sitting next to the positive colleague all day. They aren't scared, they go out regularly but I think it was just a little bit too close for comfort for a 93 year old with health problems. They wanted to rearrange for ASAP as well.

ChristmasMouseInHouse · 23/12/2021 21:47

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

We were seeing elderly family on Boxing Day but unfortunately someone I was in the office with on Monday tested positive yesterday (they started feeling rough Monday evening). My family were worried about coming so we've postponed to New Years Day instead. I'm gutted but understand their choice.

Almost exactly the same scenario here. Decided not to spend Christmas with OHs family (including 80yo dad) just in case. They probably wouldn’t have said for me not to come but i couldn’t cope with the guilt if I had knowingly put them at risk and anyone had caught it from me. Having a quiet one instead, just me and my kids.

Whitefire · 23/12/2021 21:51

@treeflowercat

It's sad that despite being vaccinated and boosted that some elderly remain so scared they won't see relatives at Christmas despite them having been careful and taken LFTs. Even at that age, after having had boosters, they'll probably be ok unless they have very bad health.

My generally very cautious parents definitely still want to see us. To be blunt, when they're in their 70s/80s, you don't know how many Christmas they have left - I think my parents realise this.

She is seeing my sister on Christmas Day who lives local, but the thought of 5 households (21 people) all together indoors was a little too much.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 23/12/2021 21:51

Fingers crossed that we both avoid it @ChristmasMouseInHouse. I'm putting all my faith in the Perpex divider between our desks!