Has lockdown made your parents old ?

[showmethewaytothemagic]

My parents are both late 60s, but lockdown has made them age another 20 years. I think the lack of socialising and the inactivity ( despite having a dog, they were lazy.) My mums always been someone a bit prone to
depression, with health anxiety. I just feel a bit sad that 6 months back she'd go swimming with me and DS and laugh, but now she just sits like a serious old Nanna which is what she is now.

Doesn't seem to have affected my parents (69 and 70) In the early days of strict lockdown I was worried because they were missing their social life but since things eased a bit they've been fine.

Dh and I have plunged headlong into middle age though, all our activities seem to revolve around a nice walk and a cream tea!

My parents are doing ok (in their eighties) - back to shopping for themselves, daily in the local shop and weekly to Tesco. With funerals being limited these days, the undertakers have started a new tradition of taking the hearse around the village before the service. People turn out to stand (distanced) on the street to say goodbye. This is now a major social event for the older folk.

DSis and I were only talking today about how grumpy DF has become.

He seems to be systematically cutting out all the things in life he used to enjoy. He was thinking of cancelling his golf membership, which he's had for 40 years, because "one of the other blokes gets on his nerves", he "can't think of anything worse than going to the pub" (he used to love a pint of a Saturday).

With him though I get the impression he's using CV19 as an excuse to become more and more miserable. He was suitably cautious but not overly so, and even in the height of lockdown picked and chose which rules he would obey

Yes especially DM who is nearly 70. It’s like she’s aged 10 years. What with not seeing them for about 4 months. She needs help to get off the chair. Won’t walk anywhere, doesn’t want to go on nice walks like she used to. Extremely worried about her. Confused a lot of the time. It’s so scary the change in her.

@Squashbanana125
Gosh, not much older than me then.
Does she live alone.
I dread to think what I’d be like had I lived alone.
Probably talking to my non existent cat.

@SueEllenofDallas
We went out and about every day.
Had drives to the beaches, country parks.
Saw family all the way through.
Went shopping in the town centre once or twice a week.
Course we couldn’t go to the cinema, or listen to live music anywhere saw we just worked with what we could.
One day I drove to the lakes.
Was lovely
Roads were nice and quiet. Took a picnic, was fabulous.

No. My mid-70s DM has discovered Joe Wicks, zoom catch-ups, FaceTiming, she’s writing a novel, and her garden is immaculate. She’s closer to her grandchildren, who were excited to do things with her once we became her support bubble. She’s realised which friends and social groups she wasn’t actually that fussed about. She’s more healthy than usual as she hasn’t picked up any colds.

MIL came during the summer to see us for DD's birthday. She brought a card with last year's age on it and seemed genuinely surprised that DD was a year older than she thought almost like 2020 has just wiped a chunk out of her mind.

This is a fascinating read, and thank you OP for starting it.