Lockdown lifting and if you could choose

[carriebreadshaw]

Appreciate for people who need other hospital treatments, people who need their kids at school for work, those isolating alone with no one etc. That an easing of lockdown will be welcome and I understand for the economy but what if you were happy to isolate? Would you?

I ask because I have my teenagers here - all getting on fine. I don't work. We really have no reason to take the risk of socialising etc. If, as Boris has said, lockdown is eased from Monday.

I'm not saying I'd live like this forever but wondering if others out there feel that they'll continue to isolate for longer until the virus is more under control?

[ErrolTheDragon]

I wfh anyway, we seem to be managing fine on what we can get delivered locally, we can access some nice walks. DH has some medical conditions which make us more cautious ... so we'd probably pretty much carry on as we are for a while.

[carriebreadshaw]

I just feel like what's the point in going back out there just because we can...

[Iwouldbecomplex]

From purely my own point of view and situation I would be delighted if lockdown continued for a long time. I love the peace and quiet, the lack of face to face interaction, alone time, a slower life, a new routine, a smaller world. I obviously get that I am in the minority and for most people and for the economy lockdown needs to stop, but I personally will be a bit sad. I have never felt more peaceful.

[Concerned7777]

No one is stopping you from continuing as you are even if restrictions are lifted you dont all have to go "back to normal " if you don't want to, its perfectly fine for whatever you are doing now to become your "normal "

[BooseysMom]

It's a good thread this! Personally i'm loving the lock-down in that it's more relaxed now, no having to do things i don't want to, see people i'd rather not see. I do have to work as i'm NHS but it's part-time and local to where we live. It's kind of sad to think things will just go back to what they were as soon as it's lifted. Pollution levels on the increase again and when we've found a vaccine suddenly climate change will be back at the top of the agenda

[Mascotte]

Fuck, no! It's bloody weird all this.

[RippleEffects]

Something I think I'm seeing is people choosing to bend the rules. Justify to themselves ways that they interpret the fairly simple guidelines.

The likes of sitting in a Costa Coffee drive through for several hours classing it as an essential journey, likewise the queue for halfords or B and Q.

If some formal easements don't occur, rebelious interpretations will grow and control of the situation and good will potentially will be completely lost.

[Pipandmum]

I'm fine with it, but my daughter, who is a bit of a hermit, is getting pretty stressed that even with a full schedule of online learning they are falling behind (Y10) and she'd much rather be at school no matter how much she loves being at home (she has left the house maybe four times in the last six weeks). My teen son is climbing the walls and misses his mates, the gym, his job, college and is out most days exercising, walking dogs, any excuse he can come up with. So he's out there as soon as possible.

[ErrolTheDragon]

It seems to me that if those of us who aren't too bothered about going out and can do so tend to stay at home, then that's helpful to those that have to or want to.

[shinynewapple2020]

I am mostly happy with how things are at the moment. I'm working from home part time and going out each day to walk dog, once a week with Face mask to do supermarket shop.

I would like to be able to go out with my dog twice a day so he can have a quick walk before I start working and I'd like to see DS and my friend but while the weather is nice I'll keep any meet ups out of doors to keep risk reduced. I'd like to be able to travel but just so I can walk somewhere different, may be take a picnic.

I wouldn't feel comfortable visiting bars/ cafes, or going anywhere crowded and if I absolutely have to I'll wear a mask. I'm fairly low maintenance and have bought some home dye for my hair - not done it yet though so if it's a complete disaster I may ask my hairdresser to visit.

[ErrolTheDragon]

I would like to be able to go out with my dog twice a day so he can have a quick walk before I start working
I'd like to be able to travel but just so I can walk somewhere different, may be take a picnic.

You can do both of those things anyway - the latter within the 'drive far shorter than waking time' criterion but if you're taking lunch I assume a long walk.

[iamtherealitycheck]

I feel as though it's too soon risk of scoundrel wave is huge

[EC22]

I think it’s too soon.
The death toll is horrific and cases continue to rise. Why the push? We locked down later than other European countries and now we want to come out of it at the same time.
I don’t understand it at all.

[carriebreadshaw]

@iamtherealitycheck that damned scoundrel wave

I think we'll just continue as we are for a while. Not as a new normal but while the virus is still rife I think we'll just enjoy the slower pace of life and stay totally safe.

I appreciate we're very fortunate to have the choice.

[carriebreadshaw]

@EC22 maybe some form of FoMo?!

[RedskyAtnight]

Don't your teens want to see their friends?
Don't they/you want them to get educated - or are you suggesting that you will take on "proper" home educating?

[WyfOfBathe]

I'm still going into work 2 days a week, as a teacher. I have very little anxiety about catching coronavirus (I'm still concerned about elderly/vulnerable people), perhaps because my life hasn't stopped.

Once schools reopen, I will have no choice but to be in my normal hours. And I'd love to be able to have a glass of wine with my friends after a day's teaching! So I have no intention to keep being locked down once things reopen.

[girlicorne]

I want to go to theme parks and zoos and on holiday. None of this is going to happen any time soon so I agree OP, I am working from home and actually making more money as I m self employed my typical week involves about 15 hours driving and about £150 in diesel I m being paid the same without these expenses plus more time to generate more income.

My daughter is having her full timetable delivered and my son is fine with with home schooling with support from me. The people I care the most about outside my home two are three hours drive in opposite directions away and the other is six hours away. There’s no one local I hugely miss.

The lockdown easing will probably involve garden centres and clothes shops and I ve never been in a garden centre in my life and I buy all my clothes on line. So yes I m happy as we are for now. I was so stressed and miserable in normal life and this has given me the opportunity to evaluate stuff, catch up and make some big changes.

We are a really busy family and I found it hard at first but the predicted easing of measures don’t make anything more exciting for us so I m happy as we are for now 😀

[carriebreadshaw]

They see their friends on facetime all the time and seem okay with that. If schools go back then that's a different matter but I mean the general easing of lockdown... shopping, garden centres etc

[Wannabangbang]

I kind of feel the way you do op, i think any sort of soft approach is far too soon. Some days it's difficult but being in lockdown is worth it if we dont get covid. I think our lockdown was far too soft anyway and nothing was really done about people that flouted the rules. Yes i long for normality but monday is just too soon even for a slight release. There is still hundreds dying per day every day. I think our second peak won't be far away should lockdown be lifted too quickly, even seeing a few people is a risk, as those few people have also seen another few people. The numbers will go sky high again and things like the nightingale might unfortunately be put to good use.
I want me and my kids safe and if I don't have to work or them go to school we won't be. This is a car crash waiting to happen!

[Hedgehog44]

I would happily stay like this but DH is going out to work every day and I think my furlough will end soon. If we could stay isolated I would do it gladly.

[Nixen]

I’m furloughed til end of June, DH is WFH, DDs nursery is shut so she’s at home with me. We are getting Ocado delivery once a week, and just go for local walks a few times a week. Our families are all hundreds of miles away so we won’t be seeing them anytime soon I don’t think. I would like to be able to see my best friend... but apart from that not much will probably change. I know technically I could drive down to the river and walk along it now but as I say we’ve kept it local, maybe if the lockdown is relaxed a bit we can do that ☺️

[PicsInRed]

No.

Stay home if you want but don't force the rest of us.

[BooseysMom]

I'm fairly low maintenance and have bought some home dye for my hair - not done it yet though so if it's a complete disaster I may ask my hairdresser to visit

I've actually embraced home colouring now! I got a load in which were half price. Ok they don't last long unlike my highlights which are so good they've lasted 2 years and even shine through the home dye! But i don't mind switching to home colours. It was a case of having to way before this virus hit. The lock-down doesn't bother me. We couldn't afford day trips to theme parks or holidays so it's just same as!