A Christmas season without playdates, nativity plays or pantomimes. Followed by a new regime of mask wearing and antigen testing in schools.
Parents of small children are entering a new frontier in the fight against Covid. While incidence of the disease has risen across all age groups, it is highest in those aged 5-12 years.
And that is where the Government's public health advisers have set their sights. The National Public Health Emergency Team has recommended no indoor gatherings for the next few weeks.
That covers playdates, pantos, birthday parties and anything else. It also wants primary school children, over the age of nine, to wear masks indoors and on public transport.