Christmas in Tier 4

[Laur91]

so for a lot of us yesterday our Christmasses were pulled out from underneath our feet and a lot of us might be waking up this morning wondering what the heck we’re gonna do with all that food or how we’ll stay connected with families now.

this thread is a place for us all to have a little moan but mostly just give each other ideas and inspirations on how we’ll still try and make the best out of this Xmas!

My top tip is that Zoom are lifting their 40 mins time restrictions so we are going to dial on first thing and leave it running all day! Can cook in the kitchen with my mum, watch people open presents and even watch a film together that way!

 

[Bettyboo2475]

I havent used Zoom with my family as my elderly parents are very technophobic, but sounds like a good idea.

 

[Itsalwayssunny]

Just wanted to put a message of support on for you all, I am still in Tier 2 but feeling mighty sad about not having my family over on boxing day so it must be truly awful for you guys

 

[JoeBloggs]

That’s good to know about zoom, thank you. I’m stressing about getting some food it, I haven’t got anything and I’m worried about the shops. I’ve convinced my husband to let me do a midnight run at the 24h Tesco in the hope it will be well stocked and quiet.

I’m doing a doorstop drop at my parents today of gifts otherwise they won’t have much to open.

In a way I’m glad to have Christmas with my husband and kids as we probably won’t get it again but I worry for my parents.

 

[Giggling Squid]

We’re planning something similar. I was so excited about spending the day with my mum and sister but at the back of my mind, I was incredibly worried about it. They’re bubbled so aren’t great at social distancing, and even though we would have been “allowed” not to, we still would have socially distanced at my sisters house. I’m glad they’ve got each other, but I am also relieved that I now won’t have the anxiety around passing it in to either of them.

My other half’s family are in Ireland, so we’ve not seen them in a year, and I would also have felt guilty about seeing my family but not being able to see his. We are just keeping everything crossed that they are vaccinated soon, and we can go and visit once the restrictions here are lifted.

We haven’t quite worked out the logistics of present exchange (is tier 4, sister only 30 mins away but tier 2)... it’s hard. I know it’s quite materialistic but I would really love to somehow be able to get out gifts to them - one is an iPad and would mean we are able to communicate with my mum so much easier than we do now.

 

[Laur91]

We’re planning something similar. I was so excited about spending the day with my mum and sister but at the back of my mind, I was incredibly worried about it. They’re bubbled so aren’t great at social distancing, and even though we would have been “allowed” not to, we still would have socially distanced at my sisters house. I’m glad they’ve got each other, but I am also relieved that I now won’t have the anxiety around passing it in to either of them.

My other half’s family are in Ireland, so we’ve not seen them in a year, and I would also have felt guilty about seeing my family but not being able to see his. We are just keeping everything crossed that they are vaccinated soon, and we can go and visit once the restrictions here are lifted.

We haven’t quite worked out the logistics of present exchange (is tier 4, sister only 30 mins away but tier 2)... it’s hard. I know it’s quite materialistic but I would really love to somehow be able to get out gifts to them - one is an iPad and would mean we are able to communicate with my mum so much easier than we do now.

i totally understand where you’re coming from, I felt since Wednesdays announcement I was constantly justifying seeing my family etc even though my brother is clinically vulnerable and Nan is well over 80! A little part of me is relieved that risk is now eradicated really and they are much safer.

I am still planning a present drop (I am tier 2 but ALL my loved ones are in Tier 4) so I am going to be naughty and drop them at the door in the week and pick up a spare turkey from my mum whilst I’m there as we didn’t plan for food at all! I think small allowances like that can be made.

 

[MrsJones83]

Money is very tight for us anyway, even worse at this time of year, we’d not planned to be at home for Xmas so have no food in. We’d contributed to the food & drink at my parents house, so now we have no budget left and no food.

We also haven’t exchanged gifts yet, and now we’re in tier 4 we can’t even leave to do a doorstop drop. I’m so devastated about the whole thing.

It’s been such a crappy year all round for the kids, and I was really looking forward to them being able to see their grandparents. They’ve missed each other so much.

 

[HoGi]

I have had the worst 2 years of my life and Christmas was meant to be a bit of normality.

My dad had dementia and was sectioned in October 2018, so that Christmas was spent visiting him on a secure psychiatric unit. He died 19th October 2019 so last Christmas was just a blur of grief.

This will be the first Christmas in my life I haven't spent with my mum and sister.

I am absolutely gutted.

My mum was distraught last night at the thought of having to chose between us or having Christmas alone in the house she is trying to sell which is another huge stress. She is bubbled with my sister as she lives closer and has a dog that she looks after. So I have told her to go to my sister as she is also a lot less strong than me mentally too.

So I now have a huge turkey to pick up on Tuesday that will be going straight in the freezer with the hopes of being able to eat it at Easter.

Did a swap of wrapped presents last night ready for the big day

Me and my sister normally go in to each others rooms Xmas morning to open our stocking (even though we are 31 and 29) so this year we will call and do it on facetime

Will call on zoom to open the rest of our presents. And then me and my husband plan to get hideously drunk and eat our body weight in chocolate and cheese

 

[Bubblesandflowers]

Thankfully I posted my parents and siblings presents a couple of weeks ago so they have something to open. My nephews and nieces (on husbands side) haven’t got theirs but they don’t celebrate Christmas so not end of the world. I’ll give them their gifts once we are allowed to meet up again.

On Facebook messenger you can call groups and play games virtually. Like who can catch a burger in their mouth lol. I’ve arranged to do that with my siblings. My son loves playing the game so he’s very excited. I thought this might help someone!

 

[Petulant_vlogger]

Yesterday I was very overwhelmed and feeling tit. Today I'm feeling better. I'm very grateful that my husband will be home for Christmas (hes a chef) although I'm not grateful for the circumstances. We will still be able to have my step kids loads over the Christmas period. We will have our family Christmas eventually even if it's in june. (We have done a full on Christmas in june before because of one person working away! Christmas docs and everything). My mum and is coming over on Christmas day to go for a socially distanced walk with me (which is within the rules). Honestly, I'm pretty excited for christmas day

 

[Tourist]

Sadly my mum was one of the unlucky ones who died in a home that infected people were put in to to keep hospitals free for people more likely to survive. I live in tier 1 and was supposed to be spending Christmas with my sister who I’ve not really seen at all this year for various reasons. Going to be spending it alone and feel terrible.

 

[Notothefakes]

My son has adhd and doesn’t always handle things like Christmas Day well. So for me it’s a relief to be able to stay at home for the entire time and he may cope well, he may not but I don’t have the worry of it being whilst we’re at somebody else’s house or whilst they’re at ours. My parents don’t get him at all and my dad makes snarky comments regularly that my son doesn’t always understand but he picks up the tone. I know it’s not a happy time for everybody but it is a relief for me.

 

[1001 others]

Sending all of you much love and warm wishes. I don't really know what else to say, but just know that I am thinking of you.

 

[Mrs Cucumber]

I really hope 2021 brings happiness for you all

 

[Secretkady]

My family are 20 mins away, do you think I’d be able to drop their presents off on the doorstep on xmas day? I’m a single person household now (my boyfriend moved out to his mums to help care for her) and I’ll be completely alone all day so it would be nice to see them even if it’s just through the window!!

 

[Lollipop2123]

My family are 20 mins away, do you think I’d be able to drop their presents off on the doorstep on xmas day? I’m a single person household now (my boyfriend moved out to his mums to help care for her) and I’ll be completely alone all day so it would be nice to see them even if it’s just through the window!!

In my opinion, dropping presents off isn't breaking the rules. My dad dropped ours off last night and also my birthday presents as my little one has a birthday over the Xmas period.

Sending everyone lots of love x

 

[Itsalwayssunny]

My family are 20 mins away, do you think I’d be able to drop their presents off on the doorstep on xmas day? I’m a single person household now (my boyfriend moved out to his mums to help care for her) and I’ll be completely alone all day so it would be nice to see them even if it’s just through the window!!

Double check the rules but I believe if you live alone you can form a bubble with another household and in that case you can spend Christmas day with them

 

[Herefortheteeeee]

Sadly my mum was one of the unlucky ones who died in a home that infected people were put in to to keep hospitals free for people more likely to survive. I live in tier 1 and was supposed to be spending Christmas with my sister who I’ve not really seen at all this year for various reasons. Going to be spending it alone and feel terrible.

I’m really sorry for your loss. I hope you manage to have as good of a Christmas as you can x

 

[HoGi]

My family are 20 mins away, do you think I’d be able to drop their presents off on the doorstep on xmas day? I’m a single person household now (my boyfriend moved out to his mums to help care for her) and I’ll be completely alone all day so it would be nice to see them even if it’s just through the window!!

Form a support bubble as a single adult household and go see them

 

[Itsallaboutmememe]

Im so angry how this has been handled
we are tier 3 but my in laws are tier 4
they don’t have the best health in the world-so we’ve cancelled Christmas as if they caught it,it would kill them
we are all heartbroken as Christmas is a huge deal to us-we don’t see each other often
we’ve had to run out and buy some bits just so we can have a dinner on the day
weve said we will have our Christmas-even if it is in June