To ask if the lockdown has had any positives

[Carrotv]

I'll start, bad news is I'll have no work for months, good news is I've had to be honest with my partner about my credit card debt and the discussion went better than I'd hoped.

And, this crisis has highlighted the exemplary leadership of women.
Opinion

I’m quite enjoying lockdown. I feel less stressed and tense. I hated doing the school run and would ruminate over why I hated it so much (social phobia) and now feel I’m released from this due to school closing. Strangely enough more sociable on social media now. Less lonely too as husband and child are home. Cooking more from scratch, when previously it was microwave/takeaway/basic meals. Doing more with my child, even enjoying the home educating. Done lots in the garden but strangely not feeling up to d.i.y. Though sometimes I just want to sit in a cafe or mooch round a shop or go for a proper day out.

I think none of the positives outweigh the deaths of loved ones really. I’m enjoying having no plans and chilling at home but my friends mum passed away two days ago and I’d swap everyones positives to bring her back.

Negatives- I'm putting on weight , and drinking more alcohol out of sheer boredom , but that will all come off once I return to work I'm sure, I have gone up a dress size already ffs

I havent got dressed unless it's to take the dog for a walk then I'm back in my nightwear, I can wear the same outdoors outfit 4 days in a row as I'm only getting dressed to take the dog out ( that's a positive tho).
Positives - hopefully , my first proper furlough payment in 4 weeks wont be as crippling as im assuming . But this could be negative 🤷‍♀️
Ds is home every night for dinner! He would literally not eat at all , living on a buttered baguette and pringles , he's home every night eating home cooked dinners and hes putting on a little weight , he was scarily very thin
I havent got to get up at 5.30am to go to work ! .. loving the 7.30am wake ups
DH is finally sorting the garden after living here 10 years he's finally building the decking, pizza oven and brick bbq
The dog is getting frequent walks and ball throwing over the park .
I'm going to take this time to learn Spanish.
Less washing because everyone is wearing nightwear and not getting dressed

Oh and another positive. I am finally seeing family members for the cunts they truly are

I think we should use the time in a positive way to make head lice history! If everyone combed their children's hair using conditioner and a bit comb then we could make them extinct......

Amen macpumpkin - my dd came home a couple of days before lockdown with head lice and it’s nice to know that having combed her religiously for a couple of weeks she’s now clear and won’t be going back and getting them again immediately!

This time is so very odd and it’s allowing me to examine aspects of my social anxiety in a new light which I think will be helpful long term. Some aspects (constant feeling that acquaintances are judging me or hate me) are obviously gone just now which I’m finding quite liberating. Also the pressure to constantly be out and doing stuff and “making memories” is good mental health wise as well. I appreciate I am in a fortunate position to be able to navel gaze about these things though.

Agree as well with everyone who has said it’s showing me who my true friends are - there are some people who I have not spoken to since we locked down and I’m not sure I’ll bother with them when we can go out again!

1. The mental health of my 11yo dd has improved massively. Mum and dad with her all day, every day, with time for her; no activities, no school work; just to be. You can almost see the load dropping off her.
2. My kids have become friends.
3. We've learnt to love walks.
4. Their road bike riding has improved massively.
5. They've learnt to cook and do chores.

We've just got so much lovely lovely time.

1. My dc can sleep as much as they need to.
2. I've sorted out my loft - have 12 bin bags ready for charity shops when they open.
3. We have time to have elaborate stuff for breakfast, to have it together, to do elaborate hair styles.

10. Every night the dc are getting proper bedtime stories, not rushed.

(Let's ignore temporarily that we're in trouble financially if it goes on too long!)

Community spirit, it's out in force where I live, just hope it continues after this

I’ve decided that I don’t want a stressful and well paid job any more. I’m going to find something that pays enough to pay the bills but doesn’t involve me giving up my health and sanity.

I’ve realised that I don’t need a big salary, but my children need me around more. We have all got on better since school ended and my stressful job has been taken out of the equation. I have some big decisions to make and I am excited for what the future holds.

Isn't it interesting how this has helped so many people realise the simple things in life are more important. DH and I are lucky as retired and have work/job worries. Have two teens, DS is doing loads in the garden and going out with DH for walks and cycle runs. DD and I have been baking and doing some spa days which has been great. But most of all I'm loving the quite, the lack of visitors especially DS's pals turning up all the time and often staying over. Just love being us on our own in our own home.

I’m going to try hard to think of some positives here!

Negatives first
DP normally works away and he’s driving me absolutely batshit. I forgot how much the man can eat! And how much he farts, and how much space he takes up. God I love him, but right now I really want him to go back to work!
I’m exhausted. I’m cleaning, cooking, baking, sorting the garden, exercising. If I stop I fear I’ll crash. I’ll stay sane as long as I’m busy.
I miss my parents and the dog.
I work in aviation so fear I’ll lose my job at the end of this.
DD is supposed to start school in August. I fear for her going to school without any contact with any other kids for 6 months beforehand.
We’re due to get married next year. If DP doesn’t go back to work soon we’ll need to use the wedding fund to live 😔 first world problem but I was so excited for it. Scared to plan anything now.

Positives
More time with DD. Playing more, practicing letters and numbers, and teaching her to ride her bike with no stabilisers. She’s loving lockdown and has such an infectious wee giggle.
More family time. Yes DP is annoying as shit but I love the bones of him, and it’s great to see him with DD.
I taught myself to knit.

Going into DD and my 5th week of isolation and I’m on the shielded list so in til 21st of June 😔 fucking hate lockdown

I don’t have to see my MIL , or the other in-laws.

Feel guilty as I'm loving lockdown. No shit commute, no rush home to get back for childcare, no rush to get dc out in the morning, no feeling the need to do lots/ go places, or guilty when we haven't.

The dc are happy as they're with us at home, sunshine and spring are abundant, lovely to hear birds and see butterflies.

There are many things that could go wrong for us/ our immediate family, but the present moments are good.

Same @Temporaryanonymity - even working from home with two young children (nearly 2 and 5) my company are still being absolute shits of the highest order. I've decided the salary is not worth it and I'm moving on as soon as I can. I've realised what's important and that's my family. I really miss my Mum and Dad.

Also - everyone has stopped talking about Brexit! That's bloody marvellous.

I also think it's lovely seeing how communities are coming together to help and support each other. For the vast majority of the country there's a real feeling that we're in this together.

Positives been off on annual leave for 2 weeks. Cleaned the kitchen cupboards out, washed the skirting boards, painted the living room. Sorted the garden, move a ton of soil from bottom of the garden to the top. Started my veg patch off, put a new roof on the shed. Just need to finish painting the kitchen before a start on the downstairs loo.

All the neighbours are behaving themselves lol. My adult kids have stayed out of my way.

Back to work Wednesday night Need to sort the attic but no taking stuff to the dump, will have to leave that till im off again.

So few cars in the road, I’ve seen so many families out cycling now it’s actually safe on the roads.

At the end of this I hope people can WFH a lot more, don’t drive their cars pointlessly (I mean where we’re all these people previously heading on a Sunday) and live life a lot less materialistically and at this much nicer slower pace.