remember the "clap for the kids"? there's more...

[PineappleDanish]

saw this posted on social media, not naming the author as it's just SO cringe from start to finish... Oh and the AIBU. AIBU to cringe myself outside in and feel a bit nauseous?

Dear parents in the U.K.,

Today marks six full weeks since our country went into lockdown.

You have had your children home for the same time now that you would if they were on summer holidays. People will say ‘but they are your responsibility’ and whilst that is true, no-one could be expected to have imagined this period before they chose to conceive.

You have protected, nourished, educated, supported and entertained your children during a period of national and international uncertainty and fear. You have experienced emotions for yourself and your family that you never knew existed, never mind experienced before.

Six weeks is a long time.

Think about how you feel at the end of the summer holidays, how ready you are for routine, how badly your house needs cleaned from children home, how much work you are ready to catch up on. Remember that exhausting feeling of having so little sleep, much less money and hearing ‘mummy/daddy’ every time you happen to sit down.

And you wonder why you are exhausted after six weeks of lockdown?

You are amazing! You have achieved something no other parent ever has during our time. You have faced six weeks unable to take your child or children anywhere, six weeks of no parks, holidays to break up the boredom, no day trips, no family to help. On top of that you have juggled work demands, loneliness on a level never experienced before, information overload from the internet and emotional turmoil of not being able to see people you hold dear. Even getting food to eat has been a major drama!

So it’s ok to feel drained. It’s ok to feel like you would sell your soul right now for five minutes alone. It’s ok to feel uninspired about another day of homeschooling, another day of never ending laundry and cooking.

It’s ok to be so very tired.

Six weeks is a long time.

But you have made it.

Be proud of yourself. Stand tall.

History will show you for your courage, your children will remember this period as a time knowing they were safe and loved and teachers everywhere are deeply grateful that you are there for your children when they should be but can’t be.

In short: you are awesome!

And so are your children.

Anyone remember that awful ‘poem’ at the beginning of lockdown, some shite about “and then the people rested, and the planet healed”? Gave me the rage.

You have experienced emotions for yourself and your family that you never knew existed, never mind experienced before.

What emotions are those? What utter rubbish.

I agree that it’s getting silly.

I’m a single mum, and also an ICU nurse working with COVID patients.

Yes it’s hard, but I can think of a million things that are harder, and I don’t think for one minute that what I’m doing is super special.

Will it never stop 😭😭

This sort of thing really pisses me off. I've already seen it from someone on SM.

Do you know what, it is hard! I'm a SAHM usually, to two children under four one of whom is diagnosed with autism. It's always bloody hard! My life currently - though I no longer can take the children out, to playgroup or see grandparents etc - is not nearly as different to normal as it is for some of you.

I have it easy in comparison to a lot of you. No work or money worries, no formal homeschooling required (eldest starts reception in September) DH in as secure a job as you probably can be at the moment and able to work from hone easily.

Do I still deserve a clap because I look after my children all day every day anyway, and do the majority of the housework/cooking etc etc? Maybe I should get one from DH even in normal times when he gets in from work every day because I've looked after the children all day long? I shall ask him to start

Jesus. Honestly, people are dicks aren't they.

But History hasn't celebrated Mummas bringing up their kids in a Mumbai slum or a Syrian bombsite

I think that says it all, really.

😂😂😂😂
I think this trumps clap for kids.

history will show you for your courage

What! For looking after her own kids? 🙈

I ate an entire packet of After Eights left over from Christmas, this morning and DS has just come up to me, poked a wrinkle and said: 'You look very old Mummy.'

If somebody wants to tell me I'm awesome, I'll gladly take it!

Tbh....I'm getting sick of parents whining about having to look after their own kids during lockdown. Yes, it's tiring, but if you choose to have children then you have to be prepared to take on all the responsibility that comes with it.

I know someone who posts this kind of drivel. She's the sort to actually say these things as well.

Vomitrocious, truly.

I can't get over how self-congratulating and self-aggrandising some people have been during the pandemic, though i suppose I shouldn't be surprised. They are the same ones who have no sense of history or perspective-- the ones who honestly believe that people today are "busier than ever" and have less personal time and disposable income than previous generations enjoyed. Embarrassing.

how badly your house needs cleaned from children home,

This sentence alone makes me want to barf. If you're going to write this type of drivel, at least proofread and ensure your grammar is correct.

It's "how badly your house needs TO BE cleaned DUE TO children BEING at home"

[frantically checks post for inevitable grammatical error].

Tbh....I'm getting sick of parents whining about having to look after their own kids during lockdown. Yes, it's tiring, but if you choose to have children then you have to be prepared to take on all the responsibility that comes with it.

Oh come on. The FB post is cringeworthy and weird, but surely it doesn't take THAT much imagination to see why the situation some parents are in right now isn't one they could have planned for when deciding whether to have children?

In some areas it is common to say that something ‘needs done’. It needs cleaned, needs washed etc.
Watch home under the hammer. The new female presenter on there says it a lot, she is Scottish.

@ kateclarke - I’m a single mum, and also an ICU nurse working with COVID patients.

That warrants praise. That's way more difficult than just looking after your own kids. I don't mean to sound patronising but good on you. I think you deserve a clap or better still, a payrise.

@PineappleDanish it might have been prudent to mention it was written by a Mum of 2 disabled children, one a teenager with the mind of a toddler? Also with a disabled husband? Just worth a full picture.
Yes its over the top but the blog is her outlet. Who's it actually harming?

Bleurgh!!

@FlamingoAndJohn - In some areas it is common to say that something ‘needs done’.

That may well be but saying something is very different to putting it in writing. There are loads of colloquialisms where I live. I use them in speech but I would never use them in written form as they are grammatically incorrect.

I generally ignore things like that and recognise them as quick, throw away communication. However, if you're setting yourself up as an orator, as the person who wrote the post appears to be doing, at least get the grammar right.

Anything that uses the word mummas is slushy vom territory to me. My own mother set to as a teenager and built mosquito aircraft frames in a converted chair factory, rising to have her own inspection stamp at 19. Nobody ever clapped her and her cohort's efforts or gave out medals, then or later.

I'm for dialling back the rhetoric and letting people get on with raising their own children. A 'Well done,' should be reward enough. When did we start needing all this stroking just for getting out of our pyjamas?

Whatever would the force-fed, imprisoned suffragettes think?!

There have been some very nasty and stressful consequences of lockdown and Covid, no doubt about that - but from what I can see, having my children at home isn’t one of them.

Well how glorious for you! Lovely that you haven’t found it so much of a struggle that you are tipping over the edge. Ffs. Some humility and empathy towards others that sob every night during the summer holidays, let alone this situation, and genuinely wonder how they will complete another day.

I can't believe all the posts on here saying this shouldn't be a problem cos it's just 'looking after your kids'

This is not 'just looking after my kid'
I'm glad for the people who find this ok
But this is nothing like the summer holidays
For reference I actually love the holidays with my child and I'm not a person who's glad for them to be over

But I'm struggling a lot now because I can't just take my child out to the usual places eg to keep her entertained or eg for her to burn off physical and mental energy
All of this has resulted in a deterioration of behaviour on her part
I am normally a very patient parent I don't shout my patience is extremely tested at the minute I know I'm not as good as I normally am which has a knock-on effect
I am a single parent I haven't hugged anyone for over a month apart from my child who is not huggy
So she's the only human contact I have
It is very hard working from home with a child
At the same time there is no peace at all as it's just me and her and it's more intense
Add in the fear from the virus and the fear of them saying you have to stay 2m away from people in the future when I can't live like this
I'm sure there's other things I've missed too

Like I say I am not a parent who's glad for my child to go back after the holidays either I love looking after her generally

I know other people have it worse. When you take into account you're not going out to work anymore you're not getting any of that outside contact at all which you would do normally it makes life completely different

@GoldenOmber I didn't plan on suddenly becoming a single parent to a four month old when my partner and I planned our child. I didn't plan on being that single parent for eleven years. But you know what, I got on with it whilst working full time in a high pressure job ...didn't whine and moan about how tough it was or how unfair it was....and certainly didn't expect people to praise and pander me every 5 minutes.

Not to mention the schoolwork that you feel pressured to do some of and don't have a child that is remotely interested...