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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be utterly sick of the new normal?

103 replies

UtterlyDone · 22/09/2020 17:21

I will do as I am told; wear my mask, follow the one way systems, queue up, but I am utterly fed up.

Sick of no hot meals at school meaning 3 nights a week I’m trying to cram a hot meal into my overtired 6 year old at the time she ought to be in bed (she goes to asc and usually she’d have a hot meal at school those days and then take a packed lunch to eat at ASC – school are not allowing anything from home to go in so no packed lunch and they only get a sandwich or wrap plus a piece of fruit to survive on until we get home around 6.15pm it’s completely unfair on DD as she’s used to bath teeth story and bed by 7.15pm)

Sick of swimming lessons, not allowed into change until 5 minutes before the lesson and have to be queued up 1 minute before the lesson starts so having about 2 minutes to get DD changed and in the queue to start. And only have 10 minutes after the lesson to change when it can take that to find a cubicle to change in.

No books, or spellings or homework coming out of school so no idea how my DDs doing at school or how I can help. Yes there’s online resources but I’d usually do 10-15 minutes homework with her a few times a week and then find some online resources to use if she’s struggling in a particular area.

Queuing to get into school in the morning, in the rain and then queuing again to pick her up.

Sick of spending my days off cooking so that the days I’m working I can focus on work and just bung something in the microwave (see above point about when DD should be in bed).

I am sick of having to buy socks all the time as even though they don’t remove shoes DD comes out of school covered in god knows what, and it’s always her socks.

I am sick of wearing a mask when in the office.

I just want something to give me a break. I am utterly exhausted.

Feel free to slate me for this. I am done. Don’t tell me to get signed off sick from work because that’s what keeps a roof over my DDs head and food in her belly. I am tempted to withdraw her from swimming though, but the amount of children in her lesson has dropped from 10 to 4 so I’m worried about the leisure centre being there when I want her to have lessons again.

OP posts:
Neron · 22/09/2020 17:24

YANBU
I'm utterly sick of it all as well

wigglerose · 22/09/2020 17:25

YANBU. I'm not nearly as affected by it as you, and I'm pig sick of it. It's ok to let it all out. It's understood where you're coming from.

RozHuntleysStump · 22/09/2020 17:29

Try having a disabled adult child. Mine's just had a complete breakdown. his care provisions are changing constantly. I don't know how much more I can take. I've had it. I don't care that much for myself but my children are missing so much and I'm so fed up.

ZzzMarchhare · 22/09/2020 17:32

YANBU
Re: swimming. Is anyone actually policing the changing rules? Our lessons say similar but as the numbers in the lessons are less the changing rooms are empty so I’m going as quick as I can but getting the kids changed

Persephoned · 22/09/2020 17:32

Yanbu. I’m utterly sick of it and exhausted. I think most people probably are tbh. The only thing that I found remotely helpful today was an article written by someone who worked in crises and said every single time she hit a six month wall and the only thing to do was ride it out and - it’ll go as it arrived and try not to be hard on yourself.

I’d cancel the swimming. Make a donation if you want to but just stop taking your DD for a bit if it makes life easier.

kittensarecute · 22/09/2020 17:32

Oh my god, same!! I can't cope with these restrictions, my mental health is so fragile right now 😢

Cocomarine · 22/09/2020 17:34

Well, YANBU to be fed up.
Are you looking for ideas, or only to vent?

You need to remember that hot meals have no more nutritional value for their temperature! Cut yourself some slack.

Swimming - arrive in onesie (she can change almost instantly) and just go back wet into the onesie after. A quick wrap round with a towel better for blotting off excess water - but fleecy onesies are easy to put on, warm, almost waterproof, don’t need a changing room... make your life easier!

killerofmen · 22/09/2020 17:35

Yes, I agree. I'm a boring person and actually quite happy to stay indoors all the time but I'm so worried about the impact on my children.

Please don't take this as competitive misery but our school have cancelled all wrap around care and swimming lessons haven't resumed so I'm actually envious.

Jeezoh · 22/09/2020 17:35

Hugs fo everyone struggling, none of you are being unreasonable, it’s truly crap on so many levels right now.

OP I’m not sure you want advice but cancel the swimming lessons at least, you can pick them up again when life is a bit easier!

boobybum · 22/09/2020 17:36

YANBU. I’m sick of so many stupid rules that don’t make any sense but are just for show. I won’t list them all here because I’ll just make myself more angry!

malificent7 · 22/09/2020 17:36

It's shite but i think of my nan who was bombed in the war...not setting the bar very high am I? Even sick of thinking of nan tbh!

Cocomarine · 22/09/2020 17:37

As for school work... She’s only 6. Get an age appropriate work book from a supplier like CGP, only for English and Maths, and take a weekly look at that with her. Or better - do you trust her teacher enough to ask them if she’s getting on well enough for you to take the foot off the gas on that? Does she actually need your extra support? Again, make things easier for yourself.

clarepetal · 22/09/2020 17:39

Agreed. It's all bollocks. X

Original poster
UtterlyDone · 22/09/2020 17:41

@Cocomarine

Well, YANBU to be fed up. Are you looking for ideas, or only to vent?

You need to remember that hot meals have no more nutritional value for their temperature! Cut yourself some slack.

Swimming - arrive in onesie (she can change almost instantly) and just go back wet into the onesie after. A quick wrap round with a towel better for blotting off excess water - but fleecy onesies are easy to put on, warm, almost waterproof, don’t need a changing room... make your life easier!

Venting, but thank you for the advice.

The hot meal thing is because she loses weight so easily, she's borderline underweight, but I am open to quick, nutrional meals that can be eaten cold.

She goes in her school uniform, I don't put tights on her that day and on the way there (we walk as there's no carpark) she takes her polo shirt off and then it's just whip knickers off and swimming costume on underneath pinafore and whip pinafore off. I will take her home with the wet costume under her pinafore I think though. It's just the thought in winter of walking home (just over a mile) getting cold.

Swimming is policed sadly, life guards release the children to parents after lessons and then stand around. How strictly I don't know as I haven't tested it. The lifeguards are mostly younger sixth formers from local school and college so whether they'd actually do anything if I was more than 10 minutes I don't know.

OP posts:
Original poster
UtterlyDone · 22/09/2020 17:44

@Cocomarine

As for school work... She’s only 6. Get an age appropriate work book from a supplier like CGP, only for English and Maths, and take a weekly look at that with her. Or better - do you trust her teacher enough to ask them if she’s getting on well enough for you to take the foot off the gas on that? Does she actually need your extra support? Again, make things easier for yourself.
I've not even met her teacher for this year, we don't get to see them at all anymore, they go in from gates and at end of the day the headteacher brings them out in groups via surname to you. I've emailed like I said just for a general idea of topics but got no response. She finished in March below expectations in all bar one area so I'm keen for her to not get further behind.

She's in year 2.

OP posts:
CaledoniaCatalan · 22/09/2020 17:44

YANBU
I have really tried to stay positive, count our blessings, comparing ourselves to friends who are having it so much worse and trying not to complain but I'm sick of it too.

Livelovebehappy · 22/09/2020 17:46

YANBU. I’ve absolutely had enough of the whole thing. What’s the point? I’ve already heard discussions today with people indicating they have no intention of not socialising with friends and family, or wearing masks. Whilst the rest of us are following the rules, even if not agreeing with some of them, so that this can be over and done with quickly. Boris saying there will be fines for not wearing masks - do the police really have resources for attending my local shop, where often I’m the only one in there with a mask on, because the shop owners get verbal abuse for trying to enforce mask wearing, so just no longer bother?

Batshitbeautycosmeticsltd · 22/09/2020 17:49

YANBU. It's not normal. At all.

Parentwork · 22/09/2020 17:49

Yanbu

Life is very difficult at the moment Sad

katy1213 · 22/09/2020 17:50

Well, we're all fed up - but what have socks got to do with COVID? And surely you can think up some spelling practice/reading for a 6yo without input from school? It doesn't have to be War and Peace!

The80sweregreat · 22/09/2020 17:50

I'm only work a few mornings in a school ( not teaching) and the rules are relentless. I'm sick of it and I don't have little children.
I feel for you op.

ssd · 22/09/2020 17:50

snap op.

Bloody snap!!!

loulouljh · 22/09/2020 17:51

It is rubbish I totally agree.

Inmyownlittlecorner · 22/09/2020 17:52

YANBU. I’ve really started to become totally fatigued by it all, particularly in the last week. I feel drained by it all.

Debradoyourecall · 22/09/2020 17:53

I looked into swimming lessons with my baby but was told not allowed to use changing rooms at all and would need to buy a towelling robe and drive home in that over my costume or get changed in my car. I gave up at that point!