What was ok about 2020 for you?

[EwwwwDavid]

I got to go on holiday. Massively lucky. We just got to go to Spain when lockdown eased and things were ok. It was the best 2 weeks ever!

I work for the NHS so have not been furloughed at all and my DH has had to cope with the home schooling which has been a nightmare.

I guess my AIBU is was there any part of 2020 that wasn't awful?

I gave birth to our long awaited second child in December

Me and DH both have our jobs still and have been able to mostly wfh.

I visited Poland with friends before lockdown.

We had some lovely trips away as a family with toddler DS in the Lake District, Scotland and Yorkshire - lots of swimming, beaches, parks and zoos. The weather has been amazing.

Saved lots of money due to many cancelled holidays which we spent on the house and garden.

Our friends and family all stayed safe and well.

After our infertility appointments at the hospital were cancelled due to Covid, I found out I was pregnant naturally and am now nearly 35wks with our little miracle baby. I'm 42 so this was really my last chance.

I passed my driving test a month before lockdown and got a car the week before lockdown.

I don't know how I would have coped without my car it was an absolute lifeline during lockdown as a single parent.

Spent more time together as family - used to only eat together at weekends, now do it every day. See DH more as both WFH and feels like we’ve rekindled our relationship a bit.

Discovered more nice places to walk nearby.

Had a good UK holiday (the one we planned to have anyway just with masks and less eating out!)

Joined WhatsApp and got DM to use it as well for video calls.

Recruited really good new colleague who wouldn’t have joined if not WFH due to office location.

I lost alot of weight, and being made redundant from a job i hated and was costing me £250 a month in petrol, then finding a job that is so flexible with childcare and i can walk to work so im £250 up a month!

2020 has been pretty good (if not a bit boring) for us.

We had our first child, bought a new house and both me and dp got new jobs which doubled our income. Both now working full time at home with our lovley 8 month DS so able to spend loads of time with him too. It has been a pretty good year really.

We never really talk about it much as appreciate it has been a very different story for a lot of people. It hasn't been all roses for us either, no one could meet our son was 10 weeks, I had zero support with breastfeeding which I was 100% sold on and ended up bottle feeding and suffering quite a bit of depression and guilt. We don't really discussaby of it with anyone in real life.

Time - having more time with family, more time to read, garden, cook proper meals, try new recipes due to WFH and less after school activities and other things. I didn't realise how stressful and relentless it was commuting and having a full diary of stuff to juggle and constantly shouting at DC to get ready, get your kit, get in the car, have you got xyz.

I got made redundant from a company that I loathed working for and got a new one with a fabulous charity who puts their staff well-being first. it's less money than I was on but I'm so much calmer and actually look forward to going to work.

I got married! Slap bang in the middle of lockdown. But we did it.

I met my gorgeous boyfriend early on in Lockdown and he’s been the biggest highlight of this year - in fact, I’d say of the past ten years really.

There was a virtually magical few days in London (galleries, great food, lots of walking), a weekend in the Brecon Beacons...amazing how being locked down made you appreciate such previously easily accessible things.

After a big battle with her mental Heath, my daughter is making progress. It’s like she’s back again - it was awful to see her struggling so much.

Working from home! Having time to exercise. Spending more time with DH and the children. Being less stressed, getting more sleep.

I was thinking on NYE what have I achieved during 2021.... so we potty trained and dummy fairied DS2 in the first lockdown. I got promoted and took on a big case which went well and I got a bit of kudos for, we had a lovely week in Cornwall in July, had a big birthday in Sept, DB got married and DN was born (he’s so cute) - parents still around and healthy, saved money through not commuting. DH and I are fine. DS5 learnt to read, write and swim!

Finally got a dog after years of walks where we’ve said ‘how much better would this be with a dog?’. And it is all so much better with a dog.

Moved house, needs so much work, but room to breathe.

Husband wfh all the time and it really suits him.

It’s ok to not go on holiday.

Better work/life balance
Lost weight
Fitter/more exercise
More time with my partner
Got to know my local area
Managed a trip to Italy
Passed an exam
Got around to doing work on the house
Working from home

We did well overall- boring but so much better off than many. I worked from home most of the year and had DC2.

For me, there are positives even in the negatives. I’ve had breast cancer, surgery and chemotherapy, along with a couple of bouts of sepsis during chemo. I’ve been on the receiving end of huge amounts of kindness from family, friends and my workplace, who have supported me amazingly. I’m fortunate that my employment is secure, and even though I went back to working in school in September (my choice to go back) I’ve been on a very slow phased return and encouraged (urged even!) to go home (paid) if I get too tired. If I’m honest, even when I was hospitalised for a couple of weeks with sepsis and unable to see any visitors at all, I enjoyed the peace and quiet! I’m now self-isolating ahead of a small, planned operation in ten days, so although I am feeling worried about the effect on my class of a potential closure, and of staffing in my absence, I am slightly relieved on a personal level that I don’t have to worry about going into work.

I took up tennis again after a break of 20+ years. It has made me indescribably happy and I have made new friends and met other parents in my area. I haven’t had to do my three train commute twice a day which has led to me being so unbelievably less tired I can hardly believe it. My partner and I have got on better during lockdown due to external stresses being minimised. And most importantly I have learned to appreciate rest and relaxation and can fully see the benefits of socialising less. I drunk alcohol just three times last year and don’t miss it, so am pretty decided I will give it up altogether now. This has been a great development for as I was previously a binge drinker and it sometimes caused problems. I feel bad that this pandemic has brought about so many positives for me, and would normally not highlight them, but you did ask.

My DS (9) is profoundly dyslexic and the home schooling delivered by my DH really benefitted his education and his reading.

My teenage daughters spent far more time with us and with each other and we have happy memories of those times.

I embraced remote working far more than I ever thought I would and my IT skills have increased hugely.

We have cut back on spending and I have re-organised my financial priorities.

(There have been some really difficult / challenging events too, but this is not the list for those).

Congratulations@DuchessofPemberley . Wonderful for you.
I let myself read more than books usual , sorted out old letters , faced some big fears , thought about this life not being the whole story , prayed for a sick friend (who recovered), felt supported by not so close friends, etc . Overall a v difficult year but some good things ? yes .

I thought about starting a similar thread on NYE but thought I would get torn apart as insensitive so didn’t bother. Glad this one seems to be going well.

In 2020 we have managed to save so much by not having much on socially and also commuting costs. I have managed to individually save up for rhinoplasty, which I have wanted (needed) for over 20 years and DH and I have also managed to get some joint savings together.

We have been very lucky in that we have all stayed safe and healthy, and work in industries that have been unaffected by COVID restrictions.

Managed to save money (not paying for wrap around care and petrol)

Kept my job

Had a week in Devon

Enjoyed the sunshine

Got a rescue puppy and we've been enjoying lovely family walks, which has also helped keep the lockdown chub at bay.

Family are all healthy.

Realised what really matters in life

We finally took the plunge and moved house. Being trapped in the limited space we had during lockdown made that happen!

I had DH at home for 3 months. Thought we'd be killing each other after a week but we weren't! Actually enjoyed having him home.

I was only working bare contract hours, no overtime so was home more.

We walked. A lot. Myself, DH and DS8. Was nice to be together that much.

I saved a lot in the first 5 months.

Learnt to shop better. Only buying what I really need. Saved a fortune come Christmas!

My fitness improved massively. Gyms shut so I ran more. Gone from doing the odd 5k once a week on a treadmill at the gym to 10k/10 mile/half marathon outside. If the weather is bad I'll use my treadmill but I'm outdoors more often than not.

We also took the plunge and started camping. Just a couple of weekend-long trips with some friends in August and September but we’ve now got the basic equipment so we are planning more trips this summer both with friends and just the 3 of us.

We had a lovely simple summer in the garden. Paddling pool, sandpit, barbecues and sunshine.
We got to spend a bit more time together as a family with DH working from home.
My daughter had some fun schooling at school - lots more outdoor learning, den building etc; as there were only about 9 of them before the summer hols!
Day to day, life hasn't really changed that much for us.