To feel a bit of nostalgia for “lockdown version 1”

[Covidchameleon]

This is lighthearted and I’m not making light of the shitty situation we all find ourselves in.
However this lockdown seems to be missing some of the elements that made the first one bearable

Tiger King, great memes, queuing outside Sainsbury’s etc.

This feels instead like and endless slog - so Aibu to ask say the sequel is not as good as the original?

[Xmasbaby11]

I'm sure this is true for some, but I can't relate at all. This lockdown is far easier than the last one, although it's still no walk in the park and I am worried about the effects on society of mass death and unemployment.

First lockdown, DH and I were both WFH while try to homeschool DD6 and DD8. My work changed hugely and it was so stressful learning new skills while looking after the kids. DD8 has ASD and can't be trusted left to her own devices in the house - she just does silly things like cut her hair, if if she does play nicely, it makes such a huge amount of mess, it is a lot of work to clear up. We couldn't keep up with homeschool so DD8 got even more behind academically than normal. Both dc were sad not to be at school and they missed their friends. The weather was nice, yes, and we had a lot of nice time outside at weekends, but that didn't help during the week when we struggled to have time to take them out.

This time is much easier mostly because schools are open again. They are happy because they love school, and because they see their friends at school, they are happy to be just us at the weekend. I have got used to WFH and go in one day a week, so my work life is much better. There are hardships, but I like Autumn and Winter so I don't miss the hot sunny days!

[TheHoneyBadger]

@JustBidenMyTime

What was better psychologically last time was the belief that we would do the lockdown for however many weeks it took, then when infection levels were really low/zero the government would enable us to restart life in way that meant infection levels stayed low.

I personally had no idea that the government would restart life in a way that took us back to the same high levels of infection as before.
It is like first lockdown was for nothing - although of course I understand it worked in terms of stopping the NHS being overwhelmed. But the benefits of low infection levels were totally squandered, and now here we are again. But psychologically it is harder because we know that even if low infection levels can be achieved by this lockdown-lite, then the government won't let them stay low and will reopen everything up and we'll be back to the start again. That is so depressing - and before you all pile on me, I am not making judgements about what should/shouldn't reopen or livelihoods vs being alive, just about lockdown 1 and the low virus levels in June compared to now.

Yep. This one I'm resentful of because it was entirely predictable that numbers would rocket and avoidable and I don't have any faith this one goes far enough to really improve things and they've shut things that were safe and left open things that aren't. It feels like nonsense

[LondonlovesLola]

I would have loved lockdown one if I hadn't had children. Reading, Netflix, gaming, getting to grips with WFH

And yet, a lot of people without children were working harder and longer hours to make up for parents either being furloughed for childcare reasons or not able to take on as much work as usual.

Without a doubt this.

[GameSetMatch]

I liked the first lockdown, lots of lovely walks on the beach in the sun, eating outside whilst the children play in the sandpit. Now I’m at the end of my tether trying to entertain the children, they are bored and it’s been stormy all weekend so only managed a short walk they need to let off some steam I’m dying for an hour at soft play! (And I hate soft play).

[jessstan1]

@Covidchameleon

Omg is the Crown today?! That’s my Sunday sorted then.

I'm binge watching series 4 and it is amazing!

[thedaytodayyesterday]

Nope
Hated lockdown 1. Barely survived teaching online music lessons with a 3 year old for hours a day. I had no choice but to do this as this is now our main source of income. No childcare, no idea when it would end. I was teaching during NHS clap so felt embarrassed that everyone thought I cba to clap. I hated the whole thing. This one is fine, I'm more used to the virus terror, childcare is allowed and ds is in pre school. I'm disabled so my life is not particularly rock and roll at the best of times so this is fine for me. I know it won't be like this forever either, I feel like because we had one lockdown and it ended, this one will too.

[Vintagevixen]

@TheDowagerDuchess

I think people have to realise that the first lockdown was very unequal - much more so than this one. It’s actually quite insensitive to claim to have enjoyed it.

Single people and single parents had not support bubble which left people very isolated. There were not childcare bubbles (and of course schools shut for most) so people had to try to homeschool children while working which is enormously stressful - two things like that simply cannot he done at once - and it affected women hugely disproportionately.

You couldn’t drive for a walk or take any kind of public transport (I know you shouldn’t be on public transport this time either) so your experience massively depended on where you live.

People without small children - or with small children and not working - living in the countryside might well have had a ball. But it’s hugely insensitive to keep saying it or say it was better than this one.

Totally agree.

Maybe its because of my personal circumstances but I really feel that lockdown was/is enjoyed by people with a certain level of privilege - secure, safe homes, ability to WFH, reasonable family relationships etc. People seem to ignore the fact that this is not the case for everyone.

[Covidchameleon]

@TheDowagerDuchess while I see where you are coming from - I don’t think it’s insensitive for people to say they did/didn’t enjoy the first lockdown (I’m actually not one of them - I’ve hated both).

People have negative and positive experiences of many things in life depending and sharing them isn’t being insensitive.

[louisejxxx]

I miss the weather of the 1st lockdown but that’s about it - if the schools were to close again I think I’d be thrown into complete despair. I had the flexibility to work around home-schooling before but it just wouldn’t be possible this time.

I have struggled with the boredom of weekends this time around but generally do feel much better in myself...mostly because the time between lockdowns was not the easiest for us and I’m grateful our situation has improved since! (I was made redundant, my daughter broke her toe and then her wrist so has had to stop all the activities that usually keep her happy on several occasions now).. I have now found myself a new job so am just so thankful to be working again, after a couple of months of the kids being back at school and me being at home.

[ScrollEatSleepRepeat]

I can't quote a quoted post but I agree @TheHoneyBadger and @JustBidenMyTime - especially as someone who shielded, I look back and think what the fuck.

It has been so badly mishandled - shielded people like me (and in worse situations) were inside our homes - not even recommended to go for exercise - for months - after being advised to get hospital bags and an advance care plan ready Then a few months down the line, it's all lifted and all our family members are back at school/work/college/uni/childcare and on public transport and we are told we can go outside now but we really shouldn't as the rates are even higher. Oh and if we can't return to our jobs we will get SSP of £95 the first shielding was a total fuck up and feels like a completely pointless sacrifice.

(Oh and some family members aren't back to work as they have lost their jobs in restaurants etc who have gone under due to closures due to high transmission rates after the government encouraged people to go out and socialise!) The amount of money spend on eat out to help out, what a fucking waste. Talk about boom and bust.

There are so many ways in which all the sacrifices people have made in the first lockdown have been for nothing and I think they feel angry and resentful at the governments mishandling of it all. I think we are heading for a period of civil unrest (and the students might start it off!)

So it may well be in the future even more people look back with rose tinted glasses at the first lockdown period but it won't be because it was a better time, it's because the current situation will be so much worse and there isn't that sense of short term pain long term gain we had to start with.

I don't see much long term gain from where I am.

[GoldenOmber]

I don't mind people saying they enjoyed the first lockdown, even though I absolutely loathed it. In a way it's reassuring to see that at least some people got something good out of it.

I do wish people would think twice before talking about how it was for everyone, though. Not anyone on this thread necessarily but elsewhere, you do hear a fair bit of "isn't it lovely we all get to enjoy a slower pace of life for a change!" and "treasure all this family time" and so on. That I feel is tactless in a way that saying "me and my family enjoyed it thanks to the circumstances we were in" is not.

Back in April one of my furloughed friends sent a meme thing to a group chat we're on that said something like, "mamas, please don't worry about your children! Sure they won't have school and all their activities, but when they look back in the future they'll remember these lovely long days with Mum and Dad, and how they never had to hear "sorry kids I'm too busy", and how they got to play with you all day!" I didn't yell at her for it but I did cry to myself a bit.

[tortoiseshell1985]

The whole thing has been horrendous
People losing their jobs, unable access GP care civil liberties removed by draconian measures
There is nothing I will miss about any of this

[TheDowagerDuchess]

Back in April one of my furloughed friends sent a meme thing to a group chat we're on that said something like, "mamas, please don't worry about your children! Sure they won't have school and all their activities, but when they look back in the future they'll remember these lovely long days with Mum and Dad, and how they never had to hear "sorry kids I'm too busy", and how they got to play with you all day!" I didn't yell at her for it but I did cry to myself a bit.

That was so thoughtless of her. It was all over the news that many parents were working from home and constantly having to tell their kids “Mum’s busy / Dad’s busy”.

Even my Mum was sending me messages about all the things we can do and “sure you can” type messages - the pressure many parents were under was horrible.

[minnimiss]

I agree! Lockdown version 2 doesn't even feel like a lockdown! There is too much traffic, everything seems busy, I have not seen anyone share a picture of banana bread in weeks! Although I am happy for my teens that they can still see friends at college and have a little normality as it was very hard on them the last time.

[thedaytodayyesterday]

"Back in April one of my furloughed friends sent a meme thing to a group chat we're on that said something like, "mamas, please don't worry about your children! Sure they won't have school and all their activities, but when they look back in the future they'll remember these lovely long days with Mum and Dad, and how they never had to hear "sorry kids I'm too busy", and how they got to play with you all day!" I didn't yell at her for it but I did cry to myself a bit."

I would have been v angry at this. My poor son has to endure hours of me teaching other children online while ignoring him, while his dad was working 6 days a week out of the house 6am to 7pm. The rest of the time I was often too ill to look after him very well, so no 'lovely walks' for us. This lockdown there seems to be much less of this parental boasting of 'look how much home schooling we've done today' and 'look at the all crafts we've accomplished' while I spent days alone with 3 Yr old AND working AND unable to walk. Try lockdown with 2 working parents on a council estate with a disability. Just fucking try it. (this sweary rant was not aimed at OP, just at the world in general)
Sorry, I got quite angry and ranty there for a second.... It was just a totally shit time.

[Izzy30]

Urgh the first one was horrible and so is the this.

I do sometimes wonder what kind of lives people had before to have found tiger king, banana bread, sitting in the garden and endless walks a great experience.

I can’t wait to do all of the things we used to do - gym, cafes, swimming, kids going to parties. Sorry if that sounds spoilt and I do try and enjoy the small things but it all just feels a bit grim at the minute!

[Butteredtoast55]

As someone working in school, this time is awful and even harder than last time. There is a sense that coronavirus is coming at us from all sides and we have nothing to protect ourselves other than staying in bubbles and washing our hands. The weather is rubbish, it's cold in school with all the doors and windows open and staff are feeling scared.
We have half the class self isolating and having to be taught remotely whilst still teaching the other half in school. Dreadful situation.

[flaviaritt]

No, this is so much easier.

[StillGardening]

This isn’t really lockdown as far as I can see. Cases transmitting within schools , and it feels like we’ve just accepted that’s what needs to happen as parents need schools to provide childcare...for the economy. So not exactly Lockdown. More , “let’s make some gestures and keep our fingers crossed” down.

[thepeopleversuswork]

I know this is meant to be "lighthearted" but Lockdown 1.0 was unmitigated hell for me tbh. My employer refused to take my situation into account and forced me into huge amounts of work when I had no support, no childcare and had to home school. It was absolutely horrific. The only mitigating factors were that I held onto my job (just) and that I didn't actually get COVID.

I'm sorry I know these threads are meant well. And this is not quite as bad as the threads from the militant introverts who wanted everyone to know how happy they were not to be "forced to socialise" and the endless competitive crafting and vegetable growing. But I'm not able to laugh about it yet, sorry.

There is literally nothing I would ever want back from 2020 or from lockdown.

[kittensarecute]

I hated every second of the first one. This one is slightly easier but am still not coping too well.

[thepeopleversuswork]

I do sometimes wonder what kind of lives people had before to have found tiger king, banana bread, sitting in the garden and endless walks a great experience.

This. I'm really fed up of being bashed on these threads by people who seem to resent the fact that some of us actually enjoy socialising. I got so sick of reading these "I haven't seen anyone except DH and my kids for four months and I love it" threads. Its one thing to make the best of a bad situation but the smugness and the sense of wanting to make other people feel bad about missing company had a really nasty side to it.

[etopp]

YABU.

It was shit the first time round, and it's shit this time around, too.

[tortoiseshell1985]

We need to worry about the Govts less than upbeat reaction to good news on vaccine. Sounds like they wont be as quick to release the restrictions as they were to impose them

[ohnothisagain]

Lockdown 1 was pure hell. Busiest time of the year in terms of work, made even busier by lockdown. plus 2 kids at home full time, one 3 years old, the other with SENDs.
Thankfully our school did their job and offered fulltime interactive online curriculum plus clubs, so it was just about survivable.
This time - walk in the park. Yes, on a drizzly day, but perfectly doable.