To ask if you have any positive things in this lock down situation?

[blubberball]

Just thought that it might be nice to think about any positives.
Such as, I don't have to worry about any one dropping round unexpectedly and the house being a mess.

I got a local veg box delivery for me and elderly neighbour which was good always meant to try it.

I don’t think my house will have ever looked as decluttered and clean by the end of this

Ds told me isolation was heaven and he never wanted it to end. He is loving pottering about at home with me, it’s reset us both and I’m incredibly grateful for this chance to spend time with him.

We have realised that there's no time like the present and are doing the creative things we can't usually do.
Starting a new business, writing, composing and arranging.

The garden is lovely, the house clean and tidy, having a good declutter.
The nicest thing is us being together as a family, just me, dh and dd, as the others have their own families now.

Birds are singing, the skies are clearer, fewer cars on the road, and less people about.

Being with my DP lots- no commute for him or rush to breakfast club/ work for me. Kids more chilled- teens actually wanting to watch/ play with us every day! Teens enjoying playing with their little brother (at times).

I'm not tired at all!!!

No pressure to be out doing things although that’s been replaced by the pressure to be doing creative craft activities

My relationship with my dog is much better. Despite DH normally working from home and DS in and out, it's really my company she craves.
I've learned to keep her coat in shape, not as well as the groomer, but I've time to cut the shape back in. We have lovely long walks and she's not nearly so barky and clingy.

I've got her diet sorted out - she's very sensitive and gets gastric problems at the drop of a hat normally. I've realised that a teaspoon of peanut butter everyday is helping keep her weight up without making her sick, like normal dog treats.

It probably sounds stupid but I really love her and I really appreciate her role in the family, as opposed to just another mouth to feed/ chore/ source of worry.

Less cars on the road safer for me and my kids to cycle and less pollution

DH and I are both at home with our 1 year old DD. This is the most time he’s ever been able to spend at home with her, including paternity leave! He’s furloughed, I’m working from home but having a significantly lower workload, so we’re playing, making nice dinners, and enjoying the family time we otherwise wouldn’t usually have.

I'd only just returned to work from maternity leave 2 weeks prior and am on minimal WFH on full pay which is giving me much more time with DS and I don't think my house has ever been this clean amd ordered!

I can eat as much garlic as I like without a care in the world!

Less washing and ironing!!!!

Also at last we know what’s DD is supposed to do at school. She has additional needs so can’t retell properly what’s going on and what’s she supposed to do and they’re never allowed to take books home.
And she’s got more sleep and does more cooking- she never had time for both of these and they are her favorites.

Generally less stressful for the children. They can just be. No worries about homework or clockwatching. Can spend time working on areas they are struggling in. Follow their imaginations.

@excuseforfights good luck

My hair is growing out and I will finally be able to put it up in a (short) ponytail by the time the lockdown ends - I can't make an impulse trip to the hairdresser to have it all chopped off again

Spending more relaxed time with DH and DCs

DD much more relaxed now that she's not having to go to school. She's 13, so it's that "rubbish" time as far as friendships etc go. I'm hoping that this period of enforced separation from the crowd will lead to a resetting of friendships and more kindness all round when they finally get together again. I can dream...!

12-year-old hasn’t switched on her phone since the Friday school ended and she is a much more pleasant human being for it.

Four-year-old is loving all the extra attention and she is blooming, plus her language, literacy and mathematical skills have decent exponentially.

We’ve been able to access some brilliant educational resources free of charge (eg Reading Eggs/The Maths Factor).

I’m not run ragged ferrying DD1 to her multitude of after-school activities.

Despite many of the aforementioned extra-curricular activities offering Zoom/Hangout sessions, we’re channelling 1999, have gone analogue and have opted out because we’re sick of living life digitally.

We’re less casual about wasting food 😳

The preteen, in particular, is eating much more healthily (no junk at school) and is losing the ‘puppy fat’ she was, despite my best efforts, starting to pile on, and her self-esteem has risen accordingly.

After two weeks of home schooling hell, the preteen finally managed a whole day of lessons on Friday - without needing quite so much spoon-feeding from me.

We’ve accessed - free of charge - some brilliant plays, films and tours of museums all around the world.

Best of all, I didn’t have to organise a birthday party for DD2!

I am enjoying lots of things:

No commute
Time with my family
No driving everywhere
No visitors
We are eating like kings
Time outside in daylight

I don’t see myself going back to five days in the office. Gonna be WFH at least two days a week from now on.

I'm finishing off my crafting projects. I will have some beautiful quilts finished. Small thing but its keeping me sane

I am loving it!

Am WFH but overall working at about 60% of normal workload. Have got to "meet" and build relationships with colleagues via Zoom that I might not have met otherwise.

DS and I get on brilliantly and it's lovely having him cook for me (he is usually living in London but was put on furlough before the scheme was even announced, so he came home)

DCAT has honestly never been so happy.

I'm having a lot more sex.

Ooh NotNegan I'm training my hair to go longer between washes too!

Also it's quieter, the air is cleaner, more family time, less pressure to do stuff, improvising meals from whatever you have in, less waste, more exercise (as there's less else to do). Last night we danced at an online disco in our slippers...

I was going to have to put my 3.5 yr old in school nursery 4 days a week after Easter to accommodate work commitments, and was feeling really sad about it. He's a summer born going in to reception in September. I feel like I've been granted the last bit of his pre-school childhood to spend properly together and I'm really enjoying his company.

Getting jobs done
Finding out that DS actually quite likes our company 😁
Catching up on my reading
Catching up on tv programmes I recorded pre CV
Talking to family more
Trying new recipes that can be done whenever we feel like it not rushed in time for dinner
Enjoying the garden
Mumsnet 👍🏻

Oh and growing out my hair colour enough to try the grey out when I can eventually get it cut

Having long walks with the dog (we live in a rural area). Spending quality time with DH and being able to talk about some important stuff which needed sorting out, and making serious decisions about things like where we live, financial matters, wills etc. All good.

Not commuting to work

Being able to have more time to make nice meals

Sleeping better as don’t need to get up as early without commute

Have started chatting more with neighbors (over fences/walls from a suitable distance)

Better meal planning and less waste. Both my partner and I work long hours with busy schedules and I fully admit sometimes we are guilty of letting food go off, or not using it all. Now we use everything, and have been creative about ensuring we do.

Don’t get me wrong there are lots of hard things too, but those help at least.