First ministers briefing

[Trichford]

Is there one on today? If so what time will it be? Thanks

Really upset here and worried about my dc. Going to high school in August or "blended school"... I'm now really worried about his education as well as his mood. This is just shite. He's on his own with me and it's not fair or reasonable not to try to get schools back. Even if they used the holidays.

I understand it is hard. My kids are desperate to get back to normal and see their mates. We haven't seen any family for months. But Scotland are only doing the same as other comparable countries. Those countries who have gone back have had much lower infection and death rates.

Looking at the phases again, I think we'll be allowed to go inside other households by then, meaning grandparents could see and babysit kids on the home school days.

as for childminders reopening, it just occurred to me that if my DM were still a childminder, she could see other people's grandweans but no her own.

@Haribolover that’s how I read the nursery situation too. Indoor ones seem to be in with phase 2 and are expected to open around the same time as schools. I assume the same will be true of holiday clubs, which means we’re stuck in our current situation for another 3 months. I honestly don’t know how we’re going to cope, we’re at breaking point already and work (particularly DH’s) are running out of patience.

And if I’m expected to be a part time teacher for the foreseeable I need to up my game there too - as much as the teachers might set the work I’ll be the one making sure he does it and explaining things.

We need to see a dentist - again not emergency but a potential issue.

Same. DS2 is 18, he missed our "family" appointment in October as he was already away to Uni. He was going to come in April and then set his own schedule from there so he hasn't been for over a year. Now I can smell decay on his breath. He doesn't have toothachje and has never before needed any treatment but as soon as he moves away, I think his dental routine, along with every other routine has gone to pot.

I've told him to have a thorough brush and use floss in case it's just some trapped debris but he should see a dentist. Ours has no information on the website and phone just rings out (i thought there might be a message).

We all need the optician, i wear varifocal contacts and my prescription is now slightly off and I'm now working on a laptop so that's not helping. They've posted me my next 3 month supply but no solution and not responding to email or calls either (very small practice)

I know theses are not life and death and there are bigger fish to fry for people but it is becoming frustrating.

I'm really disappointed that nurseries are essentially being treated the same as schools. How are people expected to work for a protracted period whilst trying to entertain a small toddler? It's impossible.

I'm also interested to know how they are defining 'local area.'

John Swinney is taking questions from john beattie on radio scotland drive time at 5pm. I think you can phone in or tweet your questions to john beattie.

So we can all bombard him with the above questions which he probably wont bother to answer properly.

I'm not really surprised about schools but it is still rubbish to hear it from the horses mouth.

I'm just wondering about part time schooling, I presume full days are easier to minimise transmission. Would it be 2 days one week and three the next?

one household is allowed to meet another household so your child can have a playdate with 1 child or another family in the gardne or park but 3 friends couldn't met up
you can see both parents / grandparents at once but you and your sister can't both go to your parents at same time but she could visit your garden another day or you could met in the park

I think it means your exercise doesn't have to begin at your front door so if in central Glasgow you can drive to Pollock park but not to Loch Lomond

I really don't think it means you can only see your Mum if she lives within 5 miles

I really don't think it means you can only see your Mum if she lives within 5 miles

I hope you're right. I'm going to tweet my question to John Beattie and see what happens.

Dh would have a drive of over an hour to see his parents. He hasn't broken any lock down rules and I know he'd love to see them.
If you can meet one other household could my dd meet (say), Jill and her mum on Monday, Jack and mum on Tuesday, Lucy and gran on Wednesday (you get the picture) - that's a lot of mixing compared to what we are doing now!

brilliant. me and DH are now arguing over whether DD Is allowed to go to the park on her own.

Outdoor nurseries are Phase 1, so I'm guessing that means forest nurseries only, really. The others aren't till Phase 3 and will prioritise key workers, vulnerable children, SEN, etc. So it depends on individual nursery capacity, I guess, and whether that has to be reduced and by how much. DD isn't in any of the above categories so I can't see her going for the foreseeable.

I’m really gutted about the friends and family section. I have a pre-schooler and a newborn and realistically my not-quite-3-year-old won’t be able to social distance. Realistically how much longer am I expected to keep him from extended family when we are so used to having lots of family around all the time? I can’t see anything in the document released today so hopefully it’ll be in he more detailed guidance in the next few days.

I think there will be more details to come.

@Noworrieshere here is an excerpt from the guidance published today under Phase 3
"In this phase you can drive beyond your local area for leisure and exercise purposes. " I think that means up until then which is the beginning of August then seeing family outside your local area is against the rules. Not sure my Mum will be able to stick to these rules and stay away...

Each phase will be minimum 3 weeks. The chart on pg. 39 has the details about visiting F&F @AiryFairy1991

"In this phase you can drive beyond your local area for leisure and exercise purposes."

She did say she'd prefer if people stayed around their local area, but that this was not enforceable. I fully expect bedlam in my local area as soon as the starting gun is fired on this.

seeing family isn't under leisure and exercise its under family and social distancing and 5 miles is a rough estimate it is mandatory where I live the nearest supermarket is 9 miles and it's always been Ok to drive there what it means is they don't want people going on day trips to the isle of Bute, Largs, Glencoe or Aviemore from the central belt

and because you can see family in their own garden the distance doesn't matter so much, as 1 family going from Glasgow to see Granny in Luss is not the same as 367 familes trying to park in Luss and use the 1-2 takeaway / icecream places to all sit cheek by jowl on the tiny beach beside Loch Lomond

Our school was due to start back on 19 August.
I've booked a UK holiday to visit my parents the week before.
Why has NS moved the August school start date back a week??!!

Also waiting for news as to whether we can use our childminder in June / July.

My parents are 2.5 hours away

Our school is 19th too. Having had our Easter and summer holidays cancelled I had just provisionally booked a week in Scotland for the 8-15th.

I’ve hit a wall this week. We are both trying to work with a 5 and 7 year old in the house with my job in particular being pretty technical and stressful and the interruptions and lack of concentration is driving me mad. I don’t think I can do this for another 3 months and then some if it’s part time. DS is also getting very tearful and difficult to motivate which is very unlike him.

“In this phase you can drive beyond your local area for leisure and exercise purposes”

At the start of August? Just in time for us going back to ‘blended school’
English schools will still be off- would be interesting to see if the ‘McRoute map’ enables campsites to be open/ caravans to travel freely through Scotland by that point? Or should I check the ‘UK roadmap’ for that info?

My parents desperately want to see my sister who is 3 hours away. I take it that's a no go?

I would suggest you let the first few days past and then use your common sense
however if your sister is 3 hours away it will be hard to visit parents without using bathrooms or getting food and drive 3 hours back the same day might it be better for both to drive 90 minutes and met outside for apicnic lunch somewhere mid-distant