Grandmothers miss baby’s key moments

A FIFTH of grandmothers have not seen their grandchildren for nearly a year with many missing key milestones such as first words and steps, research has found.

With lockdown in place across the UK, a YouGov survey revealed that 21 per cent of grandmothers had not seen their grandchildren for more than 10 months.

It also found that eight per cent of mothers and grandmothers had missed a child’s first day of school or nursery, while six per cent had missed seeing a child’s first steps and their first words.

In addition, 45 per cent had missed a child’s birthday party during the pandemic.

The survey, which polled 1,329 mothers across the UK, found that nearly half did not expect to meet their children for Mother’s Day today, largely owing to Covid restrictions.

Under lockdown in England, mixing with members of another household outdoors is banned for groups of more than two people.

Beyond circumstances such as two-household bubbles, the ban on indoor visits between households will not be lifted in England until May 17 at the earliest.

Meeting on Mother’s Day is more feasible in Wales and Scotland, where four adults from two households can legally socialise outdoors, including in a private garden.

Children aged under 11 are not included in the headcount, but those meeting up must live near one another.

The Scottish Government had planned to let four adults from two households meet outdoors from March 15, the day after Mother’s Day. But Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister, said the “modest” easing of restrictions was brought forward to March 12, in time for Mother’s Day, because of Scotland’s progress in suppressing Covid.

The online survey, commissioned by the Royal Mail, was conducted between March 5 and March 8.

Jenny Hall, Royal Mail corporate affairs director, said: “Sending gifts in the post to loved ones has taken on a new level of significance during the pandemic.”