‘Treating isolation like a holiday’

[Theyearofthestress]

Everyone is so angry and it’s doing my head in! Taking the mick out of people ‘treating this as a holiday’ because they’re doing their house up, or some gardening or god forbid have a bbq when the weather is nice.

Why are some people so keen to pounce on everyone and tell them they aren’t doing quarantine right? Haven’t we got enough to worry about? It is shit times for everyone, lots have lost their jobs, have huge changes to routine, worried for their health, kids are confused, adults are scared- why is it so wrong to try and make the most out of a shit situation?

We can’t go outside, so people are doing the right thing by staying in yet online everywhere are people complaining ‘Dave next door is treating this like a bloody holiday, with his gardening’ even a news article I read today condemned people who would have a bbq right now.

It’s like we should sit inside in silence in order to be doing this right.

I wish everyone would shut up moaning about other people, if you are staying inside you are doing the right thing. So AIBU to do whatever I can to pass the time, be it gardening, bbqs, painting... anything and tell others to mind their own business?

I bought stuff for the garden and to do some DIY weeks ago; watching the news of how this virus spread it seemed inevitable that at some point we were all going to be confined to our homes. So I've spent the last four days gardening and the painting starts tomorrow. This is how I cope with stress, and so far it's working! I couldn't care less what anyone else thinks.

Yanbu - I fell like I've had a holiday these last 3 days what with the weather being with my family in the garden and little walks around my neighbourhood. Dh did lots of garden work and if we'd managed to get some supplies in before lockdown we'd have done DIY too. I

I shall still be back in the thick of it on Monday morning as a frontline hcp. I have relished this time in the sun with my family this weekend. People should keep their noses out,as long as you're in your home and dont mix with others you do what you want!

@PennyArcade oh no! Ours was indoor paint so maybe not as popular - Amazon have paint but it's taking until May to get it delivered!

We are abroad and the rules are a little different. DH and I have been home for the past two weeks. While my work now involves 4 hours of online meetings a day, as well as quite a bit of prep work on the computer, DH takes about an hour in the morning and spends the rest of the day doing DIY.
I couldn't do my work if he had to work from home as I do because DS is only three and not able to go to nursery (in theory he could, we are both key workers but both able to work from home). I'm on full pay, while his is reduced by 40%.
As long as we stay on our property, we can spend the time however we want. Our DIY shop is open and we got quite a bit of stuff, which we would have otherwise gotten during the Easter break. All of our neighbours are doing the same.

DDs and I haven't left home in 10 days. DH goes into the office in the evenings (can't during the day as he's in the quarantine group after a foreign trip) and today went to the Supermarket.

We've had quite a nice time at home. This is the first day we haven't spent the majority outside. We've used the hottub every day. It is sort of like a holiday. But DDs are worried, and we need to keep them positive.

@Theyearofthestress It’s like we should sit inside in silence in order to be doing this right.
I know this whole thing is not a punishment (much as the MN Stasi would wish otherwise), but you know what this comment reminded me of? Ways I shamelessly used to play my parents and teachers at their own game, when they enforced some sort of punishment. I was normally very-well behaved (perhaps too well; I was a teacher's pet), and I think it gave me the idea that I should never be punished. It was a victory for me if I made it look as if being sent to the corner or similar didn't bother me at all, like when Anne of Green Gables is made to apologise, and she does so with her head held high.

My primary school was very fond of collective punishments: I once loudly announced my displeasure at the unfairness of the whole year being kept in, in front of the whole year. I remember the teachers' shocked faces, because normally I was very silent and well-behaved, so they didn't expect it from me. (They didn't let me off, but one of them took me aside, and listened to my arguments against group punishments, until I'd calmed down. Perhaps she privately agreed.) And on another occasion, I knew that instead of playtime, the whole school was going to practise lining up, so I asked my teacher to allow me to do some work in the classroom. Not knowing my reasons, she granted me this. Victory!

And now I shall do my rightful gardening, exercise, DIY, shopping, ordering nice things online, with no shame at all. If I have to stay at home, I damn well intend to enjoy it.

To be fair, i don’t mind people having a good time. but please don’t rub it in all the time, don’t plaster it all over social media and consider yourself to be incredibly lucky. 18h days are no fun (fulltime work from home plus homeschool), and many others have it worse (essential workers, people who arexsick)

myself2020

How is it “rubbing in” you are aware many people are working from home, been made redundant, Fur-longed, long term Isolation, key workers... they make the best of their situation, their situation, isn’t a slight on you!

"Learn a language. Learn a new recipe. Do some exercise. Read a book. Go out for a walk. "

Oh get lost. I need the closest thing to social contact so I'll stay online thanks. Luckily my friends aren't showing off.
Go for a walk is pretty awful advice when we're only allowed one short walk a day. I know that technically there is no time limit, but the expectation is that you'll do a short walk around your local area not spend all afternoon walking to somewhere nice.

@HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend i was mainly talking about posts such as “best thing ever - 3 months holiday”, “really don’t see what the problem is” with photo of themselves having a BBQ - all seen on social media over the last days. That’s just bad taste.
Otherwise, make the best of a shit situation!

YANBU, some people won't be happy unless we are all wallowing in misery doing nothing but sit on the sofa all day.

There's a lot of responses of this thread that have forgotten those of us who are still working

I need the closest thing to social contact so I'll stay online thanks

Stop fucking moaning then 🤷🏻‍♀️

the expectation is that you'll do a short walk around your local area not spend all afternoon walking to somewhere nice

Really? I haven’t found any evidence of that expectation. So, rather than walk on the huge meadow two minutes from our house, I’m supposed to walk round residential streets where there are far more people just in case I enjoy myself?

Exactly @alsohuman.

We went for a bike ride today because the roads are absolutely dead and it was lovely. We were out for 2 hours.

I don't get that social media sharing hate.
My friends and I share things. Pictures from holidays, kids whoever has them, cooking, garden etc.
It's not like we live on SM. Just once a week or so. But we all like each other so we are not having real envy issues and are actually happy for each other. Like my friend finally managed to grow some plant. Woohoo. You go! Another friend was in Greece before Christmas. He was sooooo looking forward to it. Yeah. Good for you mate! Bring me a magnet!

@Gwenhwyfar you seem utterly determined to be miserable. What a joyless existence.

Last week, they are under lockdown, my friend shared videos of his daughter "helping" to build a shed. We all enjoyed it and said so

We've all just got to make the best of it, to Save Our Sanity, and that of our kids, while appreciating that so many have it so much, much worse.

For us, a barbie is a sanity saver, a link to home, and yes, we will have a barbie. With just the four of us, and trying to limit the impact of the smoke on the neighbours. . .

We are both working from home and we haven't left the house (other than to go into our garden) for 16 days now. Working from home is still full time but we've still gained a lot of time by not commuting/having to taxi the children around/having to go to social events.

I saw this coming and bought a wallpaper stripper, paint, caulk, filler, brushes, paint etc and so I'm hoping that by the end of this we will have made some good progress (although to be honest we'd need a 12 month lockdown to get this place sorted). We also have compost seeds etc and so the garden can also be done. We need to look for the positives and most people will have lots of things they can do around the home.

You know what I saw the other day? A family enjoying themselves in the front garden (front gardens are a bit of a divisive issue on MN). On that particular road, the houses have very long front gardens, instead of big back gardens (for good measure, I just checked on Google Maps). Some of the family were in the hot tub, another child was cycling around the garden. Someone shoot them for having a good time!

@mbosnz For a moment, when you said barbie, I thought you meant the doll.

i would love to be at home gardening and painting but i am manning the doors at work everyday telling people no, they should not be out trying to buy our paint/gardening supplies!! you cannot buy it here

people dont understand they should not be out for a tin of paint!! today, we had plain clothes police out fining people

pls be careful!

It is a bit like we are meant to not only be confined to home but we should also suffer and just eat gruel, sit on a hard chair and stare at the wall

I'd like to second everything @Mrsm010918 said. I work for a different diy chain and last weekend was crazy. We had our highest sales ever. It was impossible to get customers to maintain a distance despite markings on floor and requests on instore radio and by colleagues. We're now on essential items only via click n collect and home delivery. Essential items are those that are needed to keep your home safe and secure like plumbing, electrical, hardware. Not paint and compost. We simply wouldn't be able to offer the whole range even if we were allowed to as we have colleagues off in isolation so very short staffed.

I have bought charcoal for my tiny bbq that I bring camping. So that I can make a production out of making dinner for DH and dd one or more evenings to break up the days. It’s not about having others in, it’s about making the best of the current situation.

We’re normally too busy to get diy jobs done so it’s good to get back on top of them.

And it is spring, the traditional season to get the garden I order and plant seeds for summer veg etc.

All of those things can be done by our household remaining isolated from others as we had everything already. So why wouldn’t we take advantage of the time once we have done our paid employment work?

Or should we just be sprawled on the couch drinking beer and watching tv? 😳