Will you be visiting your family at Christmas? (1 Viewer)

Are you planning to spend Christmas with your parents/family?

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    47
VoR

VoR

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No judgement, just a question out of interest.

The government are committed to a normal Christmas, health officials are concerned.

Personally, if it were up to me and my family were neutral about it, I wouldn't. But my mum would be miserable if she didn't see us, so I'm just going to have to be as careful as I can. I live alone and work from home, so my chances of contracting COVID are fairly minimal, and my parents live in the country so they're also low risk.

My main concern is how to get to them. I imagine the trains and the roads will both be more nightmarish than usual this year. :gross:
 
Yes, but I’m flying home to Belfast on the 10th, self-isolating in an Airbnb, getting a test on the 20th and only when I get a negative result am I allowed into my parents’ house.
 
I am. I live alone and consider myself relatively low risk, and hopefully will be getting the vaccine through work before Xmas itself. But as you say VoR, my main concern is actually getting there. I’m hoping the trains will be as they were during the summer with the extra precautions, but considering the whole country’s blasé attitude towards everything at the moment I’m not holding out much hope.
 
I will see my mum and stay half the day or so.

I'll probably also visit my sister, but may limit it to a doorstep visit, which quite frankly will be a relief.
 
I am, I’m the only child so my mother would insist regardless. I also have close to a month off work over Christmas and don’t really want to spend that time in London, so I’m planning a couple of weeks up there. I intend to travel way before Christmas when it’s quieter and do my best to isolate the week before travel.
 
Live with parents already but don't think we'll be seeing the extended family any time soon.

We'll probably be EXPECTED because blah 3 household rule but tend to be a lot more cautious than the official recommendations.
 
My parents are coming up. Even if I didn't want them to, it would be impossible to stop them. They would have come if it was still full lockdown. Ms Ron's folks are coming over too.

Everything in life contains risk, and I think we're now up to the point where it's up to the individuals to assess the risk from Covid vs the negative effects of isolation at such a significant time.
 
In a bubble with my Mum so yes, but technically we’re the same household. Boxing Day MAY involve a visit down the road to Dad.
 
I'm going to my mum's and I've already booked my train tickets, although there is no allocated seating so I just have to HOPE I've not picked busy services :rolleyes: First class on the way up which MIGHT HELP. My brother will be there too as they are a bubble.

My dad is remaining a hermit until he can get a vaccine though.
 
YES. I AM GOING TO MY MUM’S ON THE 24TH. IT WILL JUST BE ME, HER AND HER HUSBAND. I WILL STAY UNTIL EITHER THE 28TH OR NEW YEAR.
 
No way - my dad is 86, my mum has terrible asthma and I’m a key worker. We were waiting on a decision from the Department for Education whether schools could shut a few days earlier to allow staff to self-isolate for the 14 days before Christmas so that they could see family, but as I’m sure you guessed, it was rejected.
 
Usually we have a family gathering at one relatives house but my aunt and uncle are vulnerable and I can’t cope with just spending time at my sisters so we have booked a cottage to stay for the week to get away but now not sure what happens with that
 
Most of us FORRINERS are trapped in this GREAT BRITISH ISLAND until the New Year anyway what with isolation rules, lack of flights and stupid PCR tests to fleece you if you wish to see your family (rather than "going on holiday" as that fucking scumbag HANCOCK put it YES MATT I'M SURE YOU GO ON HOLIDAY WHEN YOU VISIT YOUR MOTHER IN YEOVIL, TRIP OF A LIFETIME).
 
Suomi said:
No way - my dad is 86, my mum has terrible asthma and I’m a key worker. We were waiting on a decision from the Department for Education whether schools could shut a few days earlier to allow staff to self-isolate for the 14 days before Christmas so that they could see family, but as I’m sure you guessed, it was rejected.
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ugh :(
 
Yes, I live alone and work from home and have followed the guidelines. I have said to mum if she’s ok with having me over this year and she has said yes so I’ll be there.
 
I'll go to my parents' house for Christmas day at least. I live alone, it is my 40th and I expect my mum would dispatch my stepdad to drag me out of my flat if I refused. While I am there I will try and keep distanced as much as I can.
 
No. My family are in Ireland and we have decided not to risk them coming over this year. :(
 
One advantage of living alone during lockdown is that it’s easy to join a bubble. So I’ve been in one with my mum and sister (who has a baby) for a while now

we did have a dinner for my birthday 2 weeks ago, there was only 6 of us including my mum and sisters other halves and the baby, but someone called the police on us :D. It’s that sort of neighbourhood. The police were so embarrassed and apologetic... I mean there’s raves taking place in blocks of flats and people are calling police on a family of 6 having dinner?
 
I'm in a bubble with mu parents and we're planning to go and visit my sister, who also lives alone. Travelling on 23rd and coming back on 27th, which I assume will actually mean spending the entire Christmas and New Year period on the M5.
 
Suomi said:
No way - my dad is 86, my mum has terrible asthma and I’m a key worker. We were waiting on a decision from the Department for Education whether schools could shut a few days earlier to allow staff to self-isolate for the 14 days before Christmas so that they could see family, but as I’m sure you guessed, it was rejected.
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I still do not understand how schools are considered safe when offices shops and salons are not. Genuinely confused. Matt Hancock was answering questions yesterday and mentioned again that science has allowed them to review schools and determined that it’s safe because children don’t get sick. But they are super spreaders and they give it to to their parents? What am I missing on this?

I understand the incredible difficulty of keeping schools closed for extended periods but why lie about the science? Kids/schools are definitely a source of the R number going up right? Why deny it? At least just say it’s an unfortunate and unavoidable issue, don’t sweep it under the carpet as some sort of minor inconvenience ...
 
Can somebody add FUCK KNOWS?
My mum wants me to go and my dad thinks it’s best not to take the risk.
My sister lives just around the corner and lives for Christmas so would never want to deprive her of it. My brother is planning to go back which means I can’t but he’s not sure.
I’m working from home but boyfriend isn’t so at least Christmas is a window where less chance of getting infected so would have gone back after Christmas ideally but that now seems to be ruled out.
I’m finding it really stressful i’d almost rather they just told us we couldn’t do it full stop
 
I don’t think schools are necessarily considered safe. I don’t see how they can be.

I think fundamentally they are concerned about the long term developmental, educational and mental health impacts of having kids outside of their regular schooling for a year or more.

There is also the argument that having kids at home can throttle the economy as parents without “work from home” jobs have to be there to look after them.
 
I get all that. Why does Matt Hancock not just say that?

I’m just sick of this government skirting the straight facts and treating us all like idiots

but then why am I surprised, really
 
funky said:
I still do not understand how schools are considered safe when offices shops and salons are not. Genuinely confused. Matt Hancock was answering questions yesterday and mentioned again that science has allowed them to review schools and determined that it’s safe because children don’t get sick. But they are super spreaders and they give it to to their parents? What am I missing on this?
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Absolutely - and I can't really post my own anecdotal accounts to support this but needless to say from my own experiences of the impact on communities you are absolutely right

At least just say it’s an unfortunate and unavoidable issue, don’t sweep it under the carpet as some sort of minor inconvenience ...
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I think this is it - I think schools should actually, on balance, be open. But the lying/downplaying is just an insult. Thank god for unions because that's the only way we've been able to push back.
 
Yes. I'm flying home on the 8th so I can isolate (in my parents' house) for two weeks before Christmas (my grandad is late 80s) and I'll try not to see anyone except my housemate for a week before I fly.

apparently we're not seeing my brother, his wife and kid on Christmas Day this year because that would make us 7. but I'll see them the day before/after, not least because they just got two KITTENS.
 
Had a convo with mum and dad yesterday where we basically concluded that we weren’t going to. I was really uncomfortable about the idea of going up on the train so dad was going to pick me up... but such a long journey made even longer by terrible traffic for a lousy four days together just doesn’t feel worth it.

Knowing how the virus transmits, I also started to feel nervous about my journey back down. Presumably this would have involved several hours in the same train carriage with people from all over the country who have just spent days mixing with family.

I essentially decided then that I was going to go and see one of my best friends instead who lives a lot more close by, but now my flatmate is expressing doubts about going to see their partner as originally planned so I might be. In the flat. I do want to get out of London for at least some of it though, even if not on Christmas Day itself. Mum and dad offered to pay for a test if I want to see my friend.
 
Yes, I live alone and my parents (and aunt and uncle) who snowbird in Mexico have been stuck there since Covid began. I fly down next week and am staying for December, two weeks of which will be isolating. Same story for my cousins.
 
I'm planning on going home for Christmas. I'll self-isolate beforehand, not that I'm ever NOT self-isolating these days.

I then have to get two trains, and change stations in Central London though, so that's a stress.
 
Tetris-Rock said:
Had a convo with mum and dad yesterday where we basically concluded that we weren’t going to. I was really uncomfortable about the idea of going up on the train so dad was going to pick me up... but such a long journey made even longer by terrible traffic for a lousy four days together just doesn’t feel worth it.

Knowing how the virus transmits, I also started to feel nervous about my journey back down. Presumably this would have involved several hours in the same train carriage with people from all over the country who have just spent days mixing with family.
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Can you not fly? I'd genuinely understand if you also find it distressing but it's a lot safer than transport by other closed environments due to air recycling (apparently there's only been 44 confirmed cases of people getting infected in a plane across the globe in 2020) and it's a lot quicker too so less stress and anxiety.
 
Tetris-Rock said:
Had a convo with mum and dad yesterday where we basically concluded that we weren’t going to. I was really uncomfortable about the idea of going up on the train so dad was going to pick me up... but such a long journey made even longer by terrible traffic for a lousy four days together just doesn’t feel worth it.

Knowing how the virus transmits, I also started to feel nervous about my journey back down. Presumably this would have involved several hours in the same train carriage with people from all over the country who have just spent days mixing with family.
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Ah, shite :( Is flying not an option?
 
I will be spending the day with Mandy at my mum's, and my step sister and her boyfriend. Then in the evening Mandy and I will go to our friends.

I think this is all legal as we are tier 1. But had we been tier 2, we were still going to go to my mums
 
Tbh, I don’t feel super comfortable flying either and I am a bit more relaxed now the decision has been made. Whatever happens, I am not going to be on my own.

And honestly, I don’t feel as bad not seeing my parents as I might have done if I hadn’t SPENT FIVE MONTHS LIVING WITH THEM this year.
 
funky said:
One advantage of living alone during lockdown is that it’s easy to join a bubble. So I’ve been in one with my mum and sister (who has a baby) for a while now

we did have a dinner for my birthday 2 weeks ago, there was only 6 of us including my mum and sisters other halves and the baby, but someone called the police on us :D. It’s that sort of neighbourhood. The police were so embarrassed and apologetic... I mean there’s raves taking place in blocks of flats and people are calling police on a family of 6 having dinner?
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Wow. I did wonder if anyone was really calling the police for things like that. I guess they are!
 
Rachey said:
I will be spending the day with Mandy at my mum's, and my step sister and her boyfriend. Then in the evening Mandy and I will go to our friends.

I think this is all legal as we are tier 1. But had we been tier 2, we were still going to go to my mums
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Did Mandy get my e-mail?
 
Tetris-Rock said:
Tbh, I don’t feel super comfortable flying either and I am a bit more relaxed now the decision has been made. Whatever happens, I am not going to be on my own.

And honestly, I don’t feel as bad not seeing my parents as I might have done if I hadn’t SPENT FIVE MONTHS LIVING WITH THEM this year.
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Fair point :D Well I hope you make it out of the Shad for a bit.
 
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