Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Surely young children should not be isolating in their rooms with covid?

159 replies

CA0932017 · 17/01/2022 19:41

I get that all families are in different situations and many teens would be happy to isolate in their room for days. But young kids? surely it's too young?

There's been an outbreak in both DC's class. There are class group chats and Facebook groups etc and I'm amazed how many people are saying they are isolating their 6/7 year olds in their rooms. Also in ds's son at 10, I feel is too young still.

We all had covid last month. Dp first then all
of us next. We didn't isolate away from each other. Our house is too small, we have one bathroom. Kids have sen, it wouldn't be an option for mine. They don't leave my side. They weren't overly poorly either.

I feel sad for kids that are expected to stay in their room for 10 days? I don't think I would cope in my room for 10 days, let alone a child.

One poor kid has done a full 10 days in his room according to his mum.

I'm not sure what the point of this post is. Nothing to do with me and people can make their own choices but I feel so sad for them.

I was asked by test and trace which room my kids were in when we had it and they seemed relieved when I said in the same room as me.

It just feels sad when covid is mild in most people!

To add, Dd has tested positive again. I just couldn't imagine making her stay in one room!

[Title edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

OP posts:
JurgensCakeBabyJesus · 17/01/2022 23:30

When DS had Covid I slept propped up with him asleep against my chest as it was the only way he wouldn't constantly cough himself awake. I would rather my child felt safe, comfortable and looked after when he was unwell than worry about whether I'd get it or not. FWIW neither DH not I caught it and had him in bed with us for five nights.

User1isnotavailable · 17/01/2022 23:30

I understand that children would struggle, but all these adults saying they couldn't do 10 days isolation in their room. Seriously woman up. 10 days with TV, gadgets, books, what the heck is wrong with people that they couldn't 'manage' this! It's not prison.

JurgensCakeBabyJesus · 17/01/2022 23:33

To add, I am officially CEV, but didn't get the letter until nearly a year into the pandemic working f2f with a cohort it was rife in. So didn't really feel it. It was because I had gestational diabetes 4 years ago and my sugars went straight back to normal after birth.

AlwaysLatte · 17/01/2022 23:40

My 11 year old just tested positive after school today. He's not feeling well and I'm not going to leave him to it! He came down with a mask on and stayed for a bit before going to bed. He wanted me to read a book so I sat on the other side of his room but of course we need to give them medicine and take temperature etc so you can't keep away. Isn't it horrible. I just want to give him a big cuddle. He was snuggled up to me yesterday watching a film, before we knew. But because I look after my Dad with a very serious lung condition I have to be careful. I do test every day anyway.

LadyGAgain · 17/01/2022 23:48

@User1isnotavailable

I understand that children would struggle, but all these adults saying they couldn't do 10 days isolation in their room. Seriously woman up. 10 days with TV, gadgets, books, what the heck is wrong with people that they couldn't 'manage' this! It's not prison.
Agree. I was so poorly that there was no way I could have been with the rest of the family. Netflix was my saviour and I was asleep for 18-20 hours a day anyway. Once I was well I went to watch a series and after the first two episodes realised I had watched it 2 weeks prior whilst in the throes of covid.
treeflowercat · 17/01/2022 23:55

@Rno3gfr

I do understand that households with a vulnerable member have to be more careful, I still don’t think complete isolation is acceptable for a child under 12
If there's a vulnerable person in the household (and they're not a young child) then they should be the ones that isolate (if they wish to), not the child.

I didn't isolate at all from my 10yo DS. My 13 yo DD isolated for a couple of days, but not strictly, and besides she "isolates" when she's well (actually she was well - she was asymptomatic).

Chessie678 · 18/01/2022 00:43

I think it’s really abusive. If someone had isolated a child in their room like this pre- covid I think it would have met the threshold for social services involvement.

Apart from anything else I would think the child could get very scared about having covid if treated like this - they have been fed a constant diet of fear about covid over two years. For them to get it and it to result in their parents abandoning them in their room in a way they haven’t done for any other illness must be very frightening.

I can’t imagine leaving a child that young to wash and dress themselves etc either particularly when they might be ill.

Northsoutheastwest76 · 18/01/2022 00:44

@CA0932017 she rarely leaves her room anyway. Just for food and quick chats really. She definitely would love not to be hassled by my youngest but I wouldn't expect it even with DH being immunosupressed.

DontTellThemYourNamePike · 18/01/2022 01:08

Our 13yo stayed in his room when he had Covid. He was completely fine with this, but then he's quite a pragmatic person and didn't see the point in potentially infecting us if he could avoid it. If he had said he couldn't cope or had had enough at any time, we would have abandoned the whole thing. To be honest, my greatest concern was the prospect of not being able to care for my elderly mum if I had to isolate for 10 days, rather than catching Covid itself. We have a 9yo son, but there's no way we'd even consider making him stay in his room at such a young age. And I know he would be very upset at the idea.

Shmithecat2 · 18/01/2022 01:10

It's nothing short of cruel and slightly hysterical (not ha ha hysterical either).

Original poster
CA0932017 · 18/01/2022 07:04

@User1isnotavailable

I understand that children would struggle, but all these adults saying they couldn't do 10 days isolation in their room. Seriously woman up. 10 days with TV, gadgets, books, what the heck is wrong with people that they couldn't 'manage' this! It's not prison.
Impossible for many. When both me and dp had covid we couldn't, we have two dc with sen, they can't look after themselves. It was also coming up to Christmas. I wasn't poorly with it so didn't want to be in bed for 10 days either... Dp didn't have many symptoms and was out cutting the grass and gardening. In many houses it won't work, would be even harder for single parents.

Would be easier in all adult houses.

OP posts:
Goldbar · 18/01/2022 07:16

@User1isnotavailable

I understand that children would struggle, but all these adults saying they couldn't do 10 days isolation in their room. Seriously woman up. 10 days with TV, gadgets, books, what the heck is wrong with people that they couldn't 'manage' this! It's not prison.
In a theoretical world where I had no caring responsibilities and someone would leave tasty meals and supplies outside my room, I would enjoy this.

As it is, my DC would run feral and I'd be lucky to get a pot noodle from my DH as he balanced wfh with looking after DC. And DC would be crying for me and wanting into my room.

Bagadverts · 18/01/2022 07:24

Youngest children definitely abuse.

Older children from maybe 10, if a parent has cancer and there are two parents remember that the child may have been dealing with a parent getting treatment not allowed visitors, knowing that if they get a cold to try to stay away from parent during the worst of the illness. If that DC gets Covid then they may want to spend quite a lot of time away from everyone. If they don’t want to or it is too hard then should not be imposed. And of course CEV parent may not want it.

southlondoner02 · 18/01/2022 07:26

I don't know anyone in real life who is doing this. My 10 yr old has it at the moment, currently asleep next to me. A couple of days ago she was in pain with headache, fever and vomiting. I can't imagine leaving her alone at all, but never mind through that.

Toanewstart22 · 18/01/2022 07:27

No child or teen or indeed family member should be isolating in my opinion

When my children got it, they slept with me and I nursed them (for the mere 25 hour they felt a little Ill) without a thought about isolating.

M children could have rabid and I would not make them isolate in our family home

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 18/01/2022 07:36

Unless there is someone CEV then no, it's awful. Even then if there was a choice and 2 parents I'd be the one isolating not the dc. I've read on here people doing it and making young dc wear masks as well

3 of us have has it, all at different times and didn't pass it on. I've just had it again but there's no way I'd have been able to just isolate myself for the 8 days it took me to test negative.

Some people have lost all sense

Toanewstart22 · 18/01/2022 07:39

If an adult is vulnerable in a house
Then THEY isolate rather than the covid stricken child
No brainer

Toanewstart22 · 18/01/2022 07:44

@User1isnotavailable

I understand that children would struggle, but all these adults saying they couldn't do 10 days isolation in their room. Seriously woman up. 10 days with TV, gadgets, books, what the heck is wrong with people that they couldn't 'manage' this! It's not prison.
I could do it But no bloody way would I And I wouldn’t expect any one in the family to do either
Toanewstart22 · 18/01/2022 07:50

What I find unbelievable is the number of supposedly clinical vulnerable

And then I read the PP was registered clinically vulnerable on basis that 4 years previously whilst Lehman she’d had gestational diabetes but full recovered afterwards. And all makes sense

MajorCarolDanvers · 18/01/2022 08:00

I would never do that to my children.

WouldBeGood · 18/01/2022 08:05

I’d never do it. It’s just horrible. My job as a mother as well as my instinct is to take care of my DCs.

Someone on my Twitter claims to have sent their five year old away for a couple of weeks over Christmas as she had Covid 🤷🏻‍♀️

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 18/01/2022 08:11

@lemonadesoda

My DD isolated when she had it, but she's 17, and even then, I was very clear to her that if she was struggling being alone she was to come out and join us. As it happens, with the TV, her phone, her ipad, no chores and food delivered to her bedroom door, she was having a great time!
Same as my ds Grin

Fortunately it was the summer and we ate outside and sat and chatted in the evenings 😊

Lovetoridemybicycle · 18/01/2022 08:11

My 11 year old child stayed in her room for the 6 days . She had meals and treats delivered. Her room is next to the bathroom, so the rest of the family used our en-suite. She would open her window for a few minutes then open her door and chat to us while we sat a couple's of metres away on the landing. She chatted to and played on line games with her friends, did her school work on line- just the same as she did during lock downs. I didn't force her, but she was very aware that her sister had GCSE mocks the following week which this year as the last couple of years could determine her final grades.
She was totally asymptomatic though and had a good size bedroom, had she been ill or a boxroom bedroom then we would have done it differently.
None of the rest of us got it.

Hoppl · 18/01/2022 08:12

My 9 year old just had covid. We didn’t completely isolate but I did keep my distance a bit more and wear mask in close contact. A friend I was speaking with asked if we were isolating him and said she thought she couldn’t isolate her 9 year old as that would be cruel so she would isolate herself with him. She said “I suppose if you aren’t isolating him alone then you can’t go out and about yourself”. Which obviously isn’t the rules just now. I felt I from what she said I would be judged if I wasn’t isolating him and still going out to shops etc. so I told her that we were just so people didn’t judge me!

Howmanysleepsnow · 18/01/2022 08:21

Well, my 7yo did. As did my 16yo who had it at the same time. We kept in contact via Alexa, I provided room service and plenty of hugs whenever he wanted, he had access to Tv and games and a selection of snacks, and also played online with his siblings/ chatted to them via Alexa. He actually surprised me by saying he really enjoyed isolating and asked if he could do it again sometime!
If he’d hated it we’d have done it another way, but he didn’t and this way kept DH and the other DC safe.