Are you letting your teens hang at friends houses, inside?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am surprised that there are so many parents here saying that they do not allow their preteens or teens hang out with friends inside. My younger one has some friends that only hang out outdoors, but plenty that are fine with hanging outside with no masks or just being inside. My older one has a large group of friends who regularly see each other, have dinner and sleepovers. All parents are on the same page. We are in the Bethesda area.

How is that surprising? What’s surprising is that you’re teaching your children to care about themselves over others. Do you think my kids aren’t bored? Wish they could be inside with friends? We’ve taught them that the lives of healthcare workers and vulnerable populations matter more than their desire to “hang out.” Those of us who are doing this right and choosing the hard road will never forget your selfishness.

It must be lonely up on that cross.

That’s cool, trying to shame people who do the right thing. What is wrong with you?

[Anonymous]

It sounds like there are lots of different comfort levels, especially when the teen ages grow to 17/18/19. If we could all get beyond the accusations of “selfish” and personal attacks it would be great. It’s a global pandemic. The idea that every individual is going to interpret risk levels the same way is unrealistic and it’s not helpful to have people attacking each other and vowing- we’ll never forget etc. Thank god for the vaccine.

[Anonymous]

It would have been easier to navigate if we were given more clear best practice guidelines from, say, a President.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am surprised that there are so many parents here saying that they do not allow their preteens or teens hang out with friends inside. My younger one has some friends that only hang out outdoors, but plenty that are fine with hanging outside with no masks or just being inside. My older one has a large group of friends who regularly see each other, have dinner and sleepovers. All parents are on the same page. We are in the Bethesda area.

How is that surprising? What’s surprising is that you’re teaching your children to care about themselves over others. Do you think my kids aren’t bored? Wish they could be inside with friends? We’ve taught them that the lives of healthcare workers and vulnerable populations matter more than their desire to “hang out.” Those of us who are doing this right and choosing the hard road will never forget your selfishness.

Different poster. My kids and their friends get tested regularly at school and none have had covid. My husband and I are social distancing but our kids see their friends and have been for about 6 months. Last March and over the Sunmer it was less but now they are seeing the same group. None of them have gotten covid. They would become depressed and isolated if they were home for a year which is what it has been almost. That has consequences too. They are careful when our in public and wear masks and don’t eat inside. Same group of 5-6 kids who are tested regularly seems to be working. No one in their families or in ours have gotten sick. We have had some worries and are strict about masks if they are here. You can be a good thoughtful human and still be reasonable. To keep kicks locked up for a year is not healthy for them. At least allow your kids to see friends outside with masks or create a safe pod.

[Anonymous]

I have a question? For all of you with older teens who only see each other outside and masked, what do your kids do during that time? How long do these meet ups last?

My teenager has no interest in meeting up with friend outside during the winter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a question? For all of you with older teens who only see each other outside and masked, what do your kids do during that time? How long do these meet ups last?

My teenager has no interest in meeting up with friend outside during the winter.

A lot of families have an outdoor fire pit, so they either hang around that and talk or watch a movie outdoors. They have also gone for hikes at parks etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a question? For all of you with older teens who only see each other outside and masked, what do your kids do during that time? How long do these meet ups last?

My teenager has no interest in meeting up with friend outside during the winter.

They go for walks or sit on someone's back porch. We don't have a fire pit (the one friend DD hangs out with might, I don't know) but neither of them seems to mind it being cold out...in fact, they love to meet up in the snow for snowball fights, snow angels, etc. They just bundle up.

[Anonymous]

Young teens, outside only.

[Anonymous]

Young teens, outside usually around the fire pit. We also have left up our badminton net so they play that. Another friend has an outdoor movie set up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a question? For all of you with older teens who only see each other outside and masked, what do your kids do during that time? How long do these meet ups last?

My teenager has no interest in meeting up with friend outside during the winter.

A lot of families have an outdoor fire pit, so they either hang around that and talk or watch a movie outdoors. They have also gone for hikes at parks etc.

Same here. Walks/hikes and backyard hangouts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am surprised that there are so many parents here saying that they do not allow their preteens or teens hang out with friends inside. My younger one has some friends that only hang out outdoors, but plenty that are fine with hanging outside with no masks or just being inside. My older one has a large group of friends who regularly see each other, have dinner and sleepovers. All parents are on the same page. We are in the Bethesda area.

How is that surprising? What’s surprising is that you’re teaching your children to care about themselves over others. Do you think my kids aren’t bored? Wish they could be inside with friends? We’ve taught them that the lives of healthcare workers and vulnerable populations matter more than their desire to “hang out.” Those of us who are doing this right and choosing the hard road will never forget your selfishness.

It must be lonely up on that cross.

That’s cool, trying to shame people who do the right thing. What is wrong with you?

For the PP, it's not about doing the right thing. It's about a warming sense of self-righteousness. Back in the day, she probably would have been out there breaking liquor barrels and demanding prohibition.

There's nothing wrong with me. I just have a finely tuned BS detector.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like there are lots of different comfort levels, especially when the teen ages grow to 17/18/19. If we could all get beyond the accusations of “selfish” and personal attacks it would be great. It’s a global pandemic. The idea that every individual is going to interpret risk levels the same way is unrealistic and it’s not helpful to have people attacking each other and vowing- we’ll never forget etc. Thank god for the vaccine.

BS. The CDC has asked us not to have people from different households gathering inside. Doctors have asked and even begged us not to gather, not to travel and what do you say? "Well its not a rule." Most of us here are so damned blessed to not have been affected by this disease to the same degree as other populations so you would think that maybe we could muster the discipline to at the very least not make it worse. But no. We couldn't stand to see our children the slightest bit unhappy. We couldn't expect anything of our young adults. We had to get out and go to Florida. All the selfishness in people has been laid bare. I'm not quitting friends, but my opinion of many has dropped precipitously. The same goes for Trump supporters. They bear some of the blame for all of this as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am surprised that there are so many parents here saying that they do not allow their preteens or teens hang out with friends inside. My younger one has some friends that only hang out outdoors, but plenty that are fine with hanging outside with no masks or just being inside. My older one has a large group of friends who regularly see each other, have dinner and sleepovers. All parents are on the same page. We are in the Bethesda area.

How is that surprising? What’s surprising is that you’re teaching your children to care about themselves over others. Do you think my kids aren’t bored? Wish they could be inside with friends? We’ve taught them that the lives of healthcare workers and vulnerable populations matter more than their desire to “hang out.” Those of us who are doing this right and choosing the hard road will never forget your selfishness.

Different poster. My kids and their friends get tested regularly at school and none have had covid. My husband and I are social distancing but our kids see their friends and have been for about 6 months. Last March and over the Sunmer it was less but now they are seeing the same group. None of them have gotten covid. They would become depressed and isolated if they were home for a year which is what it has been almost. That has consequences too. They are careful when our in public and wear masks and don’t eat inside. Same group of 5-6 kids who are tested regularly seems to be working. No one in their families or in ours have gotten sick. We have had some worries and are strict about masks if they are here. You can be a good thoughtful human and still be reasonable. To keep kicks locked up for a year is not healthy for them. At least allow your kids to see friends outside with masks or create a safe pod.

You aren't socially distancing. Your kids are each seeing 5-6 kids so assuming you have 2 kids, that's 12 other families who are seeing many other families. It also sounds like you are living your life as normal, eating out and many other things. This is how it spreads and you all have been very lucky so far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am surprised that there are so many parents here saying that they do not allow their preteens or teens hang out with friends inside. My younger one has some friends that only hang out outdoors, but plenty that are fine with hanging outside with no masks or just being inside. My older one has a large group of friends who regularly see each other, have dinner and sleepovers. All parents are on the same page. We are in the Bethesda area.

That's just...wow.

What do you mean by all parents are on the same page? That you all accept the inherent risk involved with extensive in-person interaction?

My tween has only interacted with friends outside and masked. Parents are on the same page about this. I don't know anyone who has done inside dinners or sleepovers.

You're living in lala land. LOTS of kids are doing indoor dinners and sleepovers. HS kids are having big parties. It's happening. As much as you don't want to believe it, it is. We're in Arlington but have friends in McLean, Fairfax and Falls Church. It's happening all over. Sorry but it just is.

I'm the PP. I'm sure it is occurring, but not in our social circle (which includes middle school and younger, so can't comment on what HS kids are doing). Probably because it's MS and ES, we have more oversight - there definitely aren't indoor dinners or sleepovers, for example.

I know I'm more conservative on this than others, but my DC has friends with underlying conditions, I have an underlying condition, and I have to go to work in person. In the past week, two friends have lost family members, including a spouse, to COVID.

So, great that it's not affecting you, but maybe consider those around you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like there are lots of different comfort levels, especially when the teen ages grow to 17/18/19. If we could all get beyond the accusations of “selfish” and personal attacks it would be great. It’s a global pandemic. The idea that every individual is going to interpret risk levels the same way is unrealistic and it’s not helpful to have people attacking each other and vowing- we’ll never forget etc. Thank god for the vaccine.

There is no vaccine for kids or teens or for regular people yet.