Are you busier than normal whilst on lockdown or really bored?

[NameChangerTheFirst]

I'm run off my feet at the moment. Self employed in essential services sector. Working 6-7 days a week. Trying to keep my business afloat and keep staff and customers safe.

DH in same role so also v busy.

DD(10) is off school so I'm also trying to keep her occupied/ school work done.

My cleaner isn't coming so I've got to try and keep on top of a slow slide into total filth.

And my parents are self isolating so I'm responsible for sorting their shopping and prescriptions.

Oh and I'm 4 weeks on from having Covid19 and still not 100%.

I see so many posts and memes about being at home and bored. Oh if only. I'd LOVE to be bored.

scunner
Me too. Miss grandchildren like mad, bored being retired and home alone, motivating to walk each day but what are you meant to do for the rest of the day? I'm getting fat on home-make cakes, can't seem to settle to books any more and daytime TV is 'the road to ruin' according to my dear late mum (it looks pretty rubbish when I've had a peek!). I've painted hall but run out of paint. I feel so sorry for all of you coping with wfh and children - my daughter is struggling but I can't help her out.

Busy at work and not bored. Life hasn’t changed for me at all tbh

Busy as hell, work (NHS nurse) is relentless and staffing shortages are terrible.

All you busy people- you have my sympathies.

All you bored people - I'm so jealous!

Bored.

WFH four days a week but can't get into it even though I have plenty to do.

Stuck in the house for 12 weeks (4 weeks in) and desperate to see family, friends, bo to the pub, eat out, get back to the gym, shopping...

Instead on my days off I'm reading, sunbathing, doing bits in the garden which sounds nice in theory but when you're used to dashing in and out of the house all day, it's just boring.

Feels good to share the pain of being busy with others . I’m part time NHS frontline (have been redeployed) so work is crazy then 2 extrovert kids at home who desperately miss everything and everyone. Husband full time NHS frontline. Parents bored with all the time in the world so want to do frequent phone and video calls.

Have to start some attempt at homeschooling Monday. Plus DC in sports team type stuff so trying to keep them motivated with that and there is ‘homework’ they should be doing for them.

Caffeine is keeping me going.

I'm a supply teacher and have been furloughed. I'm bored stiff! I'm even getting into gardening and will give the lawn another mow tomorrow or early next week depending on the weather.

Much busier. Two of us working at home and two kids 8/10 to keep busy without resorting to screens for 14 hours a day

Right now I’m bored. It’s “Easter holidays” so no school work. Reduced bin collections and lack of cleaning products available limit housework. I can’t work as DH is recovering from covid and pneumonia so can’t be left yet.
In 2 weeks I’ll be busier: nights in A&E and homeschool for 2 primary and 2 secondary aged dc. Housework will probably still be on hold.

Much busier. I work from home full-time anyway and this is my busiest time of year, but I now have 13-year-old DS needing constant input with his school work because he's been set absolutely loads to do and he's struggling to get into getting on with it on his own. I now have DH working from home as well, and there seems to be much more food to cook and mess to tidy up. I am absolutely exhausted - so tired I could cry.

Much busier. Both working FT whilst keeping DSs (7 and 4) occupied. Plus no cleaner and no online shopping. Frazzled, frankly.

Wfh but I’m not busy at the moment after being incredibly busy for three weeks. I’m on phone helpline and webchat so can’t move away from my desk so lonely.
I don’t have DC so not busy otherwise- weekends blend into the week.

I would also LOVE to be bored. But, alas, I am not.

I am quite jealous of those who are bored but realise we are lucky we are working.
Front line NHS, hours gone from 30 to 44 with many more night/weekend shifts, reduced nursery hours and no cleaner!! And parents to keep an eye on.
Feeling very antisocial as don’t want to join in all the zoom parties, I’m too knackered.

Much, much busier at work.

But I am content.

Working from home means I can get washing done during the day. I can also get out for a walk every day which I can't do when I've the school run etc.

I got v v stressed with the "home schooling" for the first few days but I'm going to be less stressed about it from Monday on.

Busier, in the sense I have two children home full time to entertain and to help with learning.

DHs work is a lot busier, but they've drawn up a proper schedule of days off to cover 24/7 rather than the usual Monday to Friday 8-5 schedule with people working extra hours as needed. Also more On Calls at night.

Bored in the sense it's Monotonous and lose track of which day it is. As DH has random days off, we do school work when he's at work and have our weekends on his days off. Highlight of my week is the hour or so Child free at the supermarket.

Busier.
My work has become a support centre.
I have gone from working 20 hours a week to over 40. I normally finish by 2.45 and pick the children up, now I'm normally leaving after 5, and often dropping necessities off on the way home to various people.
However the children don't have the evening activities, which is good, and dh is now wfh so makes dinner.
It is emotionally and physically exhausting, but actually I am enjoying it most of the time.

We are wfh with two dc under 7 so whereas before work x2 + school x2 was all done simultaneously now it's not really possible so although we are all at home all the time noone seems to be achieving anything!

Much, much busier as working from home full time with two very young children off nursery. I desperately need childcare so I can work properly.

Bored. Furloughed so off until whenever
Kids old enough to entertain themselves
Single mum so no adult conversation

I’d love to be back at work

Both - I WFH anyway but part time, now the schools are shut I have to do it around the primary school DC/at weekends - DH works full time. So I have plenty to keep me busy but find the endless childcare and cleaning monotonous.

Pretty bored. In my normal teaching job I never get the chance as it's constantly on the go either prepping stuff, actually teaching or assessing etc. The prep is still there to set stuff remotely, but we haven't gone down the online live lessons, so there's no actual time to deliver it once it's scheduled for google classroom. And the % of children actually engaging with what we set is very low, so the feedback is typed and doesn't take as long as marking a full set of books will have done.

My kids are a teen and a 19yo. They are able to manage their own workload from school/uni.

And I can't do decorating/spring cleaning to much of a degree as there's no charity shops or recycling centres open.

The days were are in the hub school are longer than usual (8am to 6pm) and have been scheduled over the Easter break, but we aren't in every day so it balances out.

Actually surprisingly busy - enjoying time off at the weekends!

Basically my team almost alone of our department has been spared furlough because the organisation had just agreed to a project that we will be working on that will ultimately save money, and obviously we badly need to save money. Only we do lose two people who were supporting our team, so we're doing more with less people. Oh, and someone in an adjacent team has just left, and there's a recruitment freeze so we need to cover her work as well.

DH's contract looks like coming to an end, he's eked out another few weeks' work, but we're not sure it'll last past next week - so at least he may be able to take over son's home learning (DD luckily old enough to manage herself), so that could take some strain off me if he doesn't find a job.

It's funny as DH has always wanted to collapse and do nothing at weekends, and I'm the one wanting to do stuff, but now I'm enjoying the really slow starts and unstructured time.

@scunner - I'm sorry you're having such a miserable time and about grandkids, that's got to be so hard. I hope you can find a way through until you can hold them again.

I took a few days leave over Easter. But ft wfh, alongside DH ft wfh and dd schooling at home (at least she’s engaged in term time but has been bored all Easter break!!).

While I am the one needing to shield, it hasn’t always happened so some grocery shopping and all the online organising. And a lot of the household stuff as DH has taken the mantle of chief coach for dd (she’s very into her sport and needs someone to toss balls for at least an hour nightly, and to bring her walking or cycling regularly - I’m the seriously unfit one who doesn’t know the drills either). So I do housework, organising and cooking.

I managed to bake a cake for Easter on Friday. I have spent most of my free time sewing masks for ourselves and my parents.

Today, I spent 2 hours dealing with DD’s request to mop the floor - teaching an adhd kid how to do that, while moving furniture to allow it and manAging DH who thought too was being done (no, it really wasn’t- the floor was filthy), and finally getting back to the work I was doing....

I need to organise my Cub pack. I sent them stuff before Easter but 1 of the other 2 leaders lost his DM this week and both are frantically busy with family and work stuff. And I need to organise a different group of kids in junior sailing - but at least there’s no hope of doing anything remotely with them.

I am really looking forward to being able to watch a movie in peace some one of these days or doing some crafting just for the fun of it. Or reading a whole chapter of the book I started 18 months ago (I usually manage a couple of chapters on Cub Scout overnights but our spring hostel night was cancelled and I can’t see our summer 2 night camping trip going ahead....). I might get it finished in 3-4 years time...