2 households

[Rae36]

I'm a bit sad about the change to only 2 households meeting up. For the past few weeks since the kids have been back at school I've met 2 friends once a week to eat lunch. We're all working from home, we just take an hour off in a Monday, bring our lunch and eat it together in someone's garden. It's been so nice. And now we can't any more.
And I think this is us for the winter, isn't it?

Under 12s aren't counted, but my dc are teenagers, so they are. So theoretically they shouldn't meet up in groups greater than 2.

It's nonsense. And it's not going to stop the bams having house parties so she's going to either have to lock us right down again or try and work our some way to love with it.

And I'll say it again - helluva coincidence that the cases started going to when the schools went back. And yet...

I've just had to cancel both my son's brithday parties. They were small gatherings with 5 friends, from their school class, adults would drop and go. But according to the rules it's not allowed.

I'm so disappointed for them, they've all missed out on so much this year and wvee followed every rule to the letter but this seems extreme.

I've also had to cancel lunch with my 2 friends but I can cope, it's children I feel are sacrificing so much.

Why couldn't she at least just have done what England are doing with the limit of 6 being from multiple households? Already had to cancel weekend away today with friends.

According to Jason Leitch on twitter the 2 household rule applies to under 12s too, although they're not counted in the 6 person limit it's still only 2 households allowed.

Madness when the kids are all at school together they now can't socialise out of school.

Why are we doing it though?! How is it proportionate to not let more than 2 households meet up outside in areas where prevalence is low? I have been following the rules but I won’t be following these.

It's depressing but I will follow it.

I am sad about the changes, particularly not differentiating between indoors and outdoors numbers.

I was at gym recently for the first time to use their outdoor pool. I was surprised that everything covid related seemed so relaxed right down to the number of people in the jacuzzi, I'm somewhat surprised cinemas have been allowed to open. Ditto that pubs still have regular closing hours.

I had been enjoying going on dog walks with two friends, now it will be one. If they say no household mixing, but continue to keep pubs,gyms and restaurants open then game over for me. It's been such a boost for my mental health being able to meet up with friends.

I will follow the guidance but I'm not happy about it at all.
I heard Lynda Bauld this week on Radio Scotland saying very clearly that keeping pubs open is an economic decision and not a public health decision. It's good to hear someone actually say that out loud, because you could drive yourself mad looking for any other logic.

She's right, and there does have to be a balance, but not being able to go for a walk with two friends is hard.

Oh lord and now I think of it DS 14 has been playing football with his friends. They've stuck roughly to the numbers and they're outside getting exercise rather than stuck goggle eyed to their screens, setting the nation up for a future obesity crisis.
guess that will have to stop. Good old coronavirus . I'm finding it harder than it was in early days of lockdown. I spend a lot of time worrying if schools are going to close down again as I can see how much healthier and happier DS14 is with structure and exercise.

But you can walk with three other friends as long as it's round a golf course. My kids can sit in a classroom with 20 other friends but then two of their friends can't come round to play after school. You can sit in a church with 49 other people (and take public transport to get there) but can't meet two other friends for a cuppa. These are the inconsistencies that will start to piss people off. I've been following the rules and barely seen anyone for the last six months and now I'm being told I can't see the only two friends that I've really been mixing with, both of whom wfh and I'm a stay at home mum so none of us high risk. Not sure if I'll follow this unless it becomes enforced like the rules down south...

@soloula

I think the 6 person limit will be legally enforced but I’m not sure how they can enforce the 2 household limit without everyone having to carry proof of address.

@Ecosse I'm curious to see if they follow England. I think currently theres only enforcement and penalties for breaching larger gatherings. There was no fines for breaching the 8 people/3 households so I'm wondering if they'll change it for 6/2 or if that'll go on trust too.

I’m also confused by the limits being the same indoors as outdoors, maybe it is as another poster said that as it’s getting colder people might be tempted to go indoors but I think I could get my head around this more if there had been more explanation of the logic behind these new rules.

I’ve also got two teens and they’ve been so good about sticking to the rules throughout but this is going to be really hard to ask them to do when they’re at school with their friends all day and of course the political minefield of being a teenage girl in a group of three ‘’BFF’s” I’m already dreading the fall out of that when two meet up and are ‘leaving the other out”.

However, I was also reading an article today which included the stats on the 1000’s of lives that would have been saved if we’d locked down sooner in March and how much shorter our lockdown would have been if the government had acted earlier. So maybe this is the right thing to do while the numbers still appear to be low but are obviously accelerating.

Whoa, wait a minute, I can’t go for a walk with 3 friends but she can go for a round of golf with 3 complete strangers? This makes a complete mockery of it all.

Yup @PapsofJura guidance from Scottish Golf here states that four people from four different households can play together. They can’t all have drink together in the clubhouse bar afterwards though

scottishgolf.org/clarity-on-phase-3-guidance-for-golf/

I think they have gone too far then. As I said on another thread, I have stuck by all rules but this is just nonsense.

Might have to take up golf to get a chat with my friends!

DS2 has just been reunited with his girlfriend who's an international student (who's actually had Covid already!). Not sure what's going to happen, the 3 girls sharing a flat will have to have a rota for who has boyfriends over. Think there will be a lot of quiet rule bending going on. Ill be turning a blind eye.

No way I will be following this ,totally ridiculous

30 teens from ny estate get on the school bus at the end of my street, including my daughter and her group of 5 friends... They then sit together on the crowded bus. Is this now verboten???

The flip side of this is what happens when people test positive if they have breached the rules at all. Locally we have had a few horrible examples of trial by Facebook and I would hate to think of anyone else going through that on top of being ill.

Has Nicola put the two household restriction in but not boris? This is the bit that gets so difficult. Especially for young people. They can only meet in pairs now? Like someone said upthread playing footie with a few friends is so good for the teens. They need that exercise, fresh air etc.

@Fololomolo if it's guidelines not law in Scotland, I will still let DS 14 go out but tell him to make sure it's a group of 6 or less, or if more that they move into two groups or scarper if police come.

These are the same DCs he is in class with all day. As an adult I can cope with the new restrictions- although having to cancel the 2 family holiday in October in England due to numbers has really knocked me back - but my DS was getting sluggish and overweight which could be a lifetime problem for him.

We don't know how long this is going on for - if I knew it was one winter then we'd try something new, then I'd be stricter about following the rules, but it has been 6 months and shows no sign of stopping in the next six months.

I think that sounds fair enough rookiemere, I do notice some more kids overweight now after lockdown and it’s hard enough to find ways for them to exercise. And as you say they are in school together anyway. The rules are nonsensical. I can get on board with restricted meet ups indoors, maybe even ban them altogether but outdoors the risks are far lower