Personal Values

Photographs of crowded beaches, parks and queues at food stalls outside popular walking spots… many continue to interpret the government’s strict "stay at home" message as liberally as they can. Crisis fatigue and complex messaging have played their part. But, according to psychological experts, erosion of trust in the government’s messages is perhaps the biggest contributory factor towards people bending the rules as much as they can.


Patricia Riddell, professor of applied neuroscience at Reading University said the Government was failing at "reaching people’s personal values”. Mixed messaging, such as allowing builders into your home, but not your mother, had also led to a more liberal interpretation and "finding ways to break the rules”.


Yes indeed, I can look after the little sugar lump here for a couple of hours if my daughter had to go to the doctors for instance. The actual ScotGov rules are buried away on the ParentClub.scot website where the statement, "informal childcare if it's essential and you have no other option” can be found. I doubt many have read it. Certainly my daughter was unaware of it. What counts as essential for Grandpops isn’t mentioned. The idea` of not otherwise seeing these formative days of the wee poppet makes me rather sad. Is that good enough reason? Avoidance of sadness. If I catch the covid aff her, please do not resuscitate me, I wouldn’t want to be a burden on the NHS.