Lockdown and seeing family!

[lenishafay]

I have an 18 month daughter, we are really close with my family and my daughter has been spending one whole day there while I work and then will see them over the weekend. I have been partially furloughed on the day my mum would usually have her. So I am no longer allowed to form a childcare bubble with them. How is everyone coping with this? My daughter is noticeably more irritable, I truly believe she is missing her family! I am not able to bubble with them as I am not a lone parent yet my partner works 5-6 days a week and is usually not home until after her bedtime. I am struggling too! Any tips to make this easier?

There's nothing in the rules that say you can only have a childcare bubble when you're at work.

So I am allowed to drop her over to go back
And sit at home? I wouldn't have thought that classes as an essential trip?

But with a childcare bubble you aren't meant to socialise, it is just for the child

You can drop her off and pick her up but you can't socialise

I assumed it was if you NEEDED childcare then you could form a childcare bubble. I don't need childcare, we are both just struggling with the not seeing them and no sense of time of when we are allowed. I no that there's are thousands of others feeling the same way. What a shitty world it is right now!

The way it is worded is that you can leave your home to meet your childcare bubble. And the childcare bubble is to provide informal childcare for an under 14, with no rules about it being for work only.
So yes you can drop your DD at her grandparents and go home again. Its totally allowed within the current rules.

However, having said that, its probably not really within the "spirit of the law" as it were. So while it is allowed, I would try to avoid it if possible. Could you meet your mum for a walk instead?

A childcare bubble doesn’t specifically say that you have to be working / employed when using if. Childcare is childcare whether you work or not. Eg if you don’t work and are a “housewife” but need childcare for the day whilst you do your household chores you can drop your child off to your parents, as they are your “informal childcare” (I assume they are unregistered and you don’t pay them). The rules stipulate you cannot socialise though, so you can’t spend the day as a family.......

What you CAN do however, is go for a walk with one other person from your household PLUS a child under 5. So you, your daughter and mother could go for a walk (without your partner / your father if applicable)

@lenishafay

I assumed it was if you NEEDED childcare then you could form a childcare bubble. I don't need childcare, we are both just struggling with the not seeing them and no sense of time of when we are allowed. I no that there's are thousands of others feeling the same way. What a shitty world it is right now!

Yes, it’s if you need childcare. If you want your daughter to see her grandmother (understandable) which would result in you then having a morning to yourself, I would say that’s not right (as you don’t actually need childcare) and certainly not in the spirit of things. I wouldn’t do it. It sucks.

If you have a hospital appointment , for example, and need childcare, taking your daughter to her grandmother is fine. It’s one childcare bubble so you couldn’t use your in laws too (or say your father too if he lived seperately to your mother).

Remember you, your mum and daughter can go for a socially distanced walk (without anyone else). Not the same as being at home, but at least it’s something

Yes I completely agree if it's not needed it probably shouldn't be happening. That's why I haven't done it, I am hoping to go for a walk with her soon, she's just really worried about my daughter feeling rejected by her as she won't be able to hold her hand or give her a cuddle. Hopefully it won't be long until we can go a bit more back to normal 🤞🏼