This is me Mandi Morrison, mum of seven, explaining why this new rule is Utterly Bonkers!
On 20th March 2020, I picked up my 5 youngest children aged 6 to 17 and headed home after the government officially closed schools and colleges.
I had predicted a few weeks earlier that would be the date we closed but I never in my wildest dreams saw them all being at home with me for 6 months!!
Throughout that week prior to the closure my two eldest children were in university, lochlan in his first year moved over to a larger proportion of lessons going online, however Xene in her final year and undertaking a creative subject was encouraged to still go into Uni every day and continue working on her final project, even though many other unis were starting to shut down.
After Boris official announcement that the country would be going into lockdown I endured a 13 hour round trip to collect my daughter from her university, so scared that she would be stuck so far from home in a lockdown, but I did it as, I like many others, obeyed the rules, within one hour of being home from that journey I set off for a 6 hour round trip to collect my son from his uni as he also didn’t want to be stuck away from home in a lockdown.
whilst his first year university halls fees were waived for the final term, my daughter had to pay for a private rental from 23rd March until 31 August that she never went back to (she is not alone in the lack of support or financial assistance during this time!) but we did it, as we followed the rules.
During lockdown we very rarely ventured out as an entire family as some people are so quick to judge and comment that you are breaking the rules, when in actual fact you are just a larger than average family taking the large Newfoundland out for a daily walk.
Both Lochlan and Neva didn’t see their girlfriend/boyfriend throughout lockdown, they obeyed the rules and stayed in our family unit.
We didn’t see either sets of grandparents as they both have had serious health problems and we didn’t want to put any of them at risk. We celebrated five of our nine birthdays in lockdown, not seeing anyone apart from my parents waving at my window as they delivered all the cards and presents for the April Birthdays.
Lockdown eased and we were able to see family members at a distance, Lochlan was able to move into his new home for the second year of uni (and finally see his girlfriend after 4 months apart!) and the entire country was encouraged to get out and support the economy, living in a seaside resort I know how devastating this nightmare has been and I have been helping to promote all of the local businesses that needed the tourists to return and save their livelihoods, so its now a complete kick in the teeth to be basically told we cannot see anyone just because we are a large family!
Beginning of September arrived, Neva was the first to return to college, with lots of one way systems, face masks in certain lessons where social distancing wasn’t possible, students encouraged to only be in college for their lessons, extra buses being put on so they could all get to college safely, the first day back saw the entire college sent out onto a field because the fire alarm had gone off! So thats nearly 2000 students all in one place at the same time….
Next was Viggo who is now in year 2, his school have been great, they have put in a one way system, staggered drop offs and pick ups, and he is now in a bubble of 30 children.
Tyrus started his new school, they are slightly different as there are only 12 children per class so socially distancing is slightly easier, but they have also put in a one way system and staggered drop offs and pick ups, so he is in contact with 12 children in his bubble, but in his actual KS2 there are about 36 children that he may or may not come into contact with.
Eowyn started at the same high school as Kaide, they have implemented a one way system throughout school, and have a fantastic pre-order system for lunches where the food is ordered on a Sunday and each lunchtime delivered to the cafeteria for each class on their specified lunchtime to collect ( That is one thing I hope they continue, as its so much quicker and efficient!) they do not have staggered start and finish but they do have specific areas that each year group must stand in, so their ‘bubble’ is an entire year group up to 240 children.
Both Asa and I are currently working from home so we don’t have any work colleagues to worry about, Xene has finished uni and volunteers at the Model Village, so is able to socially distance from visitors and spends lots of time in the workshop.
All of these new rules and regulations have been put into place for our children to be protected and stay safe, which I have fully supported and followed all of the rules to the letter.
Lochlan came home last week to celebrate Viggo and Kaide’s birthdays, so last Wednesday after school, both sets of grandparents came round and sat in our garden to chat and have birthday cake with Viggo, and the nine of us, which was lovely, however someone has decreed this crazy new rule of six meaning that Kaide who celebrates his birthday this Thursday will not be allowed to celebrate it with his grandparents, because we have a large family!
Every week from Monday to Friday, five of my children will come into contact with approximately 2500 other children, yet as soon as they get home they cannot even see ONE GRANDPARENT!!!!
Asa can go to the pub with five friends, I can go and have coffee with five friends, Lochlan can have 5 mates in his house, Xene could go out with five of her friends, Neva can pick 5 of the 2000 students at college to socialise with, but we cannot have 4 members of our family round to celebrate a birthday, and this is precisely why this country is totally going to Sh*t as nobody has any faith in this ludicrous system and this bizarre rules……..
Do you have any thoughts on it ?!?!
Find out what others have been up to during 100 Days Of lockdown.
I totally get the 6 rule to a degree….
I have never put the same measures in place as a school or a pub or restaurant etc when a family member has come to my house. Where as pubs etc are ‘Covid secure’
I’m not sure where the number 6 comes from though! Plus I hate that I am in a school where I work in an office with zero restrictions and that is OK. might have to introduce a work happy hour on a Friday as these are now my only people!!
But also we have to do something, before things get worse x
Totally agree something needs to be done, but I don’t think restricting children from seeing their grandparents when everyone can go to the pub is the answer!
As I understand it, you can carry on meeting with the household you are “bubbled” with – even if the numbers exceed 6 – so if you are bubbled with a set of grandparents then they would still be able to visit even though the numbers are above and beyond the “rule of 6”.
Unfortunately not, as we already had a large family, we weren’t able to bubble, both our siblings only have one and two children, so the grandparents bubbled with them!
I sort of get it, but I sort of don’t. As you say for people like you who have a large family it is impossible – you can’t meet with anyone, no grandparents and that isn’t fair, especially when things like grouse hunting in groups of 30 is allowed?!
Maybe I should just grab a couple of guns and make Kaide’s birthday a hunt!
I get the rule in some senses but as you say, everyone in the household will be in bubbles or mingling elsewhere with people but can’t have people socially distancing in the garden. It’s all a bit bonkers to be honest.
I don’t think it would be as bad if it was like in March where nobody was allowed out, I think its more the fact that everyone can go to the pub and socialise!
To be honest, I don’t think the government actually cares about us, some people can still go to pubs but we can’t spend time with our extended families, what a load of B.
it is such a strange rule that at work or school you can come in contact with so many people yet can’t mix at home. It’s very mixed messaging we’re being given and for those of us who are doing it properly and abiding by the rules it doesn’t quite make sense x
I couldn’t agree more. The rules just seem so far-fetched and I can’t believe pregnant women have struggled alone in appointments yet people are allowed to go down the pub with five mates!
It is frustrating me no end as there are six of us in our household already. My husband and I work in retail and see thousands of people a week, the kids go to school. The little ones is just a small school of 240, but there are 1200 in Isaac’s.
I missed so much of my granddaughter during lockdown, I don’t want to lose contact again, it is ridiculous
I think it’s a proper mess. I was caught my the initial lockdown in Spain, and that was brutal. 50 days of not getting out of the apartment, except for going to the supermarket. No bubbles, no exceptions. Going out for a walk? 30K euros fine. People got it really fast. After I was able to return to the UK, I started to see that the measures taken here are a proper joke and there is no defined guideline. There are always exceptions, which shouldn’t be. The cases here never dropped, I don’t understand why are there talks about a second wave when the first one didn’t yet finished.
Oh please do not get me started on this. I officially give up. I’ve got a headache from trying to keep up with all the rubbish!
The number was decided on in order to help restaurants with numbers from what I heard. It is daft as I can’t go see my parents with my family of 5 as there would be 7 but I can go into a restaurant that is packed with people.
I totally agree, the rule of six does not make sense at all especially since kids are still going to school. Both mine are in a bubble of 100 kids each, and there is not much social distancing happening in school while we self isolate and not see and close family of friends.
I don’t understand that rule. It allows you to be in a group with 5 other people but you can’t be with the grandparents of your kids because you have a large family? I’d rather associate with a family member than to be out in a place packed with strangers. How frustrating that would be.
It’s just ridiculous- we’ve had to cancel my daughter’s party this weekend as it takes us over the rule of six, however she sits and plays with them in school all week.