Now I'm the mean parent on the block

[Anonymous]

All of the other kids/families on my street are socializing and playing like nothing is happening. I hold firm and don't let my seven-year-old out, and he is furious with me. We hear his friends playing from in our house and he is devastated. Maybe I'm being too cautious but these are six different families, some of whom are still going in to office jobs.

[Anonymous]

Op you did the right thing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op you did the right thing

+1. Right now things still seem kind of normal. But in a few weeks we will all be reeling from people we know and love being critically ill or dying.

[Anonymous]

You’re the bright one. Trust. Mine says I’m mean too.

[Anonymous]

My neighborhood is doing such a good job - people are literally texting others things like "We're taking the kids out for a walk at 1pm/7pm/10am" and that means "So don't take YOUR kids out then".

And if when we're out, we run into another family, we put a hand out to catch our kids if they run towards other kids.

Everyone here is being SUPER cautious. I'm sorry your neighborhood isn't.

[Anonymous]

I’m in the same position as you. Two families right around us are letting their kids play together because, as they continue to explain, they are healthy and young and not likely to get the virus. (Yes, they are that dumb/selfish). Another neighbor texted me that she is having too hard a time keeping her kids away from those neighbors, so she’s going to let her kids play with the other kids. So my kids are the only ones around us who aren’t allowed to play with the group. And they aren’t happy about it.

But we are doing the right thing, and we need to continue to do the right thing.

[Anonymous]

OP, your neighbors are idiots. You are the smartest parent on the block. I don't know you, but I am proud of you. You are doing the right thing. Don't back down.

[Anonymous]

Yes, you are following the orders for safety. Think of it this way, if someone on your block is diagnosed positive for Covid-19, your family is likely protected from infection. If you have anyone in your family with underlying conditions, then you're especially safe. If that happens, all of those families who allowed their kids to play will likely be even more at risk. Supposedly, in China, one of the biggest dangerous behaviors was children playing. Most of the children had either mild reactions or no reactions, but they became carriers and carried the infection back home where it infected the adults in their households who suffered far worse reactions to the virus.

For me, that type of reaction is just like the reaction when my kids tell me that their friends play Fortnite or Roblox or that their friends are allowed to ride in the front seat of their parents car. I tell them that other families have different situations but these are the rules in our house. In this case, I tell them that the governor of the state has issued an order for everyone to stay 6 ft away from others. I am not going to break the law. If the neighbors allow their children to break the law, they are taking big risks that I am not willing to take. In my case, I can point to the fact that Mommy and one of the children both have underlying conditions that would make getting sick very dangerous and that we need to protect them from the sickness.

It's hard, but you have to draw the line and stick to it. Prepare your children for the many, many other situations where other families take risks that you are not going take and just back it up. If some other family in the neighborhood gets sick, you'll feel better about having been the mean parent.

[Anonymous]

I don't even get this-- our HOA sent a note out that play dates, chatting with neighbors at a close distance, having guests over, all violates social distancing.

I haven't seen any kids playing together. I see a lot of families on walks. We're in a different state with far fewer cases than Virginia but we don't want to end up with tens of thousands of sick people.

[Anonymous]

No, at this point they are all exposed and some will get sick. DO NOT SOCIALIZE NOW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in the same position as you. Two families right around us are letting their kids play together because, as they continue to explain, they are healthy and young and not likely to get the virus. (Yes, they are that dumb/selfish). Another neighbor texted me that she is having too hard a time keeping her kids away from those neighbors, so she’s going to let her kids play with the other kids. So my kids are the only ones around us who aren’t allowed to play with the group. And they aren’t happy about it.

But we are doing the right thing, and we need to continue to do the right thing.

Exact same situation on my street!

[Anonymous]

Good for you OP. You can tell your kid the governor has ordered it after today.

[Anonymous]

OP, stay strong! You are doing the right thing!

[Anonymous]

You love your child more than they love theirs. Hold fast.

[Anonymous]

I'm not just the mean parent but the mean neighbor on my street in general. I won't let my kids play AND I'm the uptight B who isn't joining the block/lawn wine parties. You should see the looks I get. I am already considered "not fun" because I don't socialize a ton (sorry, not going to leave my sleeping young kids alone in the house to go drink in someone else's backyard!) so eh, whatever.