Making Quarantine Fun

[lljkk]

I think it's possible to have a light-hearted thread about covid19.

I was wondering.. how would you try to spend 2 weeks forced to stop at home? How would you prepare, what would you plan to do, or want to buy & have on hand (not prepping, just to pass the time):

I have a difficult jigsaw puzzle, a few thick books, and a quilt I meant to start making 5 years ago. There are a few movies/tv shows I never saw - but I'm not much of a tv person, tbh. Still, those things might fill my 2 weeks. What about you?

I think I would do a deep clean of home including that kitchen cupboard I have never got round to sorting- likewise finally sort the garage out. Loads of reading and writing- work through magazine pile etc

I think now it would be great- but in reality I would go mad- would have to do some exercise vids too to burn off my energy if I can't walk anywhere! Online shop full of nice fruit and veg and not too many carbs

I like the way we're all saying we'll sort the house, do exercise etc. Guaranteed, if they announced a country-wide shutdown, Mumsnet would crash within the first hour from all of us signing in for the duration!

We have two under 8 so would end up with serious cabin fever.

I'd deffo do all the jobs and deep cleaning. I'd want to stock up on painting and decorating supplies though as there's loads needs doing in the house.

I could only cope if the rest of my family didn't have to be quarantined.
I would quite happily stay in for 2 weeks. I have a huge pile of books to read, tv programmes to catch up on, sleep to catch up on, could waste a lot of time on MN, I might eventually get bored enough to do some housework and sort out the piles of crap that get put in our bedroom because there is nowhere else for them to go etc. Having DC and DH quarantined with me would ruin it. We would all get on each other's nerves. There is only 1 computer, 1 tv, 1 ipad, 2 nintendos, and I think they would all want to watch tv (DH would want to watch films that are mostly unsuitable for DC, DC would want to watch videos of people playing minecraft) and play nintendo. DC are unlikely to ever get bored enough to consider tidying their rooms or otherwise helping with any housework but would spend a lot of time complaining about being bored. DC would spend their time arguing over who got to choose what to watch on tv. They would probably not get dressed for 2 weeks. I would feel compelled to make them move away from screens sometimes and they would argue about it relentlessly.

DH mentioned the other day about stockpiling food, not in case we had to self-quarantine, but because he thinks law and order will break down and there will be rioting in the streets and no food in the shops. I said ok as long as we stockpile wine and chocolate as well as sensible provisions.

I would cope and make the best of it, but I would soon get cabin fever and would really miss going out for walks and going to the gym. I'm not sure how the dog would cope without daily walks, he'd soon be going stir crazy!

I can work from home so that wouldn't be an issue. When not working, I'd use the time to deep clean the house and do some of the jobs I never get time to do, like clearing out cupboards, etc. I'd do lots of yoga and enjoy having more time to read.

I have a 7 year old - if she is with me I’d go loudly insane after four days!! Am I allowed to walk on the local deserted beach?
If I actually have to stay inside the house then lots of Netflix, reading and knitting. My main worries would be good - we don’t get deliveries here and I don’t know what we’d do. Bribe a friend to leave a delivery at the end of the road probably!!

I'm in the throes of writing my PhD thesis. Enforced isolation, undistracted by unnecessary visits to Sainsbury's, little walks and the school run is probably just what I need.

Also, Studio Ghibli have just put their anime on Netflix....

DS1 is off school sick today and we've had a lengthy discussion about this. He plans to spend his quarantine in his dressing gown and pants refusing to leave his sick bed (I pointed out he may not get sick but he's certain he'll need to stay in bed for the full two weeks) and watching every episode of The Simpsons, Family Guy and Stranger Things. He also says he would build every ship from Star Wars out of Lego. He's so happy just pottering about the house that I think he'd be fine.

I would spend my quarantine working from home (which sounds ridiculous but I do quite like it) and watching shitey old films like Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Strictly Ballroom because I never get time to watch things like that any more. The dogs would go mad so I'd have to stealth-walk them because they're nuts after just one day stuck indoors.

DS2 would go nuts so he'd have to be in the garage using the exercise bike, treadmill and cross trainer for 7 hours a day to use up his energy.

DH would hole himself up in his office and refuse to acknowledge any kind of illness; he had flu a few years ago and refused to treat it til he reached absolute desperate levels of illness.

Deep clean the house one room at a time! That would take me most of a week. Would need a skip to put it all in though as no trips to the tip allowed. In addition some gym equipment and books will help!

I guess the sensible thing to do, for those with dogs or with cabin fever is the go for walks in the middle of the night. Is that allowed? There would be very few people around surely?

Nap. Got 3 very young kids.
Can I be in isolation alone? Also can I have longer than two weeks?

I would complete all of the half finished knitting, sewing and crochet projects I have.

Except I would need at least six weeks for that. So probably sit on my arse and watch TV.

We might be able to go to the park. We did that when DC1 had chicken pox. The park is at the end of the street, in the middle of the day most people in the street are at work (you have to be within 6ft of an infected person coughing and sneezing to catch the virus apparently, so we could keep far enough away for the few metres from our house to the park), then you get to big, mostly empty fields with just a couple of people walking dogs that we could keep away from. I was happy with the decision when in chicken pox quarantine. We were never within 10 metres of other people. We wouldn't touch any surfaces there that the virus might live on for hours/ days and be touched by other people.
Also, I might finally get DDs' rainbows and brownies badges sewn on their uniforms.

I'd be quite happy as I'm a home bird.

In fact there'd be very little difference in how my life has been for the past month. No job but lots of fabric and sewing to be done.

It actually fills me with terror. I was in Tenerife the other week down the road from the hotel that went into quarantine so I keep thinking that could have been me.
I haven't had a day of not leaving the house for over ten years, when I had severe depression combined with a broken leg and couldn't get anyone to take me out on Christmas Day. Over that period I was self harming and attempted suicide twice.
I'm fine now but the things that helped me are exercise, fresh air, having plans every day, getting out, outdoor sports and none of these would be available in quarantine. I'm a bit afraid that if I was locked in for weeks like that the depression would come back and that terrifies me.
I suppose if I was allowed outside I'd jog up and down my garden for hours like I was losing my mind, and if I wasn't I'd have to use a treadmill and stick my head out of windows. I would feel sorry for my family having to put up with me.