To miss lockdown

[globula]

Just that really.

This is my personal view and experience and I cannot comment on the suffering the COVID situation brought to many people however for me it was great (of course the reason for lockdown wasn't great, JUST THE EXPERIENCE of it).

I have a 0hrs contract with NHS but working on a non COVID ward so was able to pick up full time hrs last year resulting in more income (normally only able to do 2 shifts per week due to lack of childcare) and didn't feel unsafe or uncomfortable if anything it was easier with less patients, no visitors and limited visits from other agencies). DH was off on furlough staying at home, doing diy, garden and helping to homeschool.
I loved having DCs here to homeschool- actually think they learned way more at home than they do at school on regular basis- and overall we had more time to spend as a family and enjoy each other's company as there was no external stress and pressure.

We don't have family around and don't go out very often anyway so I wasn't bothered by places being shut.
I loved the empty streets, buses, trains and supermarkets (maybe I just don't like ppl I don't know).

So overall for me it was brilliant. I realise that I sound extremely selfish and wouldn't say it to anyone in RL however my intention isn't to diminish anyone's hardship just needed to share how I feel.

On the whole I enjoyed lockdown but both dh and I continued to work full time so our salaries were unaffected while we spent a lot less on things such as eating out, fuel, etc.

It was tough to entertain our toddler and wfh for the 4 months that our nursery was closed but we managed.

Lockdown has definitely given us food for thought in terms of the future and things that we would spend money on without thinking (regular meals out, beauty treatments) that we realise we don't really need and we could actually reduce our hours (and salary) if we didn't go back to living as we did before lockdown.

And I think that many of the downsides won’t really become evident for years into the future. I was reading a study yesterday claiming that babies born in 2020 were scoring lower in tests than babies born in 2019 - obviously the difference between a December 2019 baby and a January 2020 one will be barely existent, but it still shows that something was going on there.

Back in March 2020 I would have passionately argued that people should absolutely be allowed to work from home. The reality of this has hit home for me now and I’m not as sure as I was that it’s a move for good.

It does absolutely show that many have an agenda though, which is why I think the coronavirus board here is perhaps Not A Good Thing. Hard to say.

100% disagree with every aspect of this

Yeah me too, but no surprises there

If people liked the quieter life of lockdown/wfh/home schooling, then they are more than welcome to adjust their life accordingly.

Find that wfh job, move to the sticks, pull the kids out of school, knock yourself out. Take that positive out of the experience. Just don’t involve the rest of us.

I loved the first lockdown. I'm a teacher so was still going into school but it was far more relaxed than normal. More like the primary school of my childhood in the 70s.

My working hours were shorter than normal. The weather was wonderful. I exercised more (running in the middle of completely empty roads if I needed to get out of anyone's way) and saw more of my family than normal.

I couldn't hug my mum but that was genuinely the only negative aspect for me.

I appreciate that I'm very lucky, that it was a shit time for many, many people and that it screwed the economy but on a purely personal level, I'll always look back on it very fondly.

I understand, you are not alone, others feel the same op. I am not one of them and hated the lockdown but that is because I am at my happiest with family and friends and a booming social life, but I understand why you feel like you do, and do not consider you to be selfish at all.

If I felt like you, I would be making serious changes. Get a job that guarantees your hours, or move to one that will.
Consider homeschooling if your children enjoy it.
Filter out those that do not bring you joy.
Live a lockdown life in the future, watch Ben Fogle for inspiration. Love that series!

And I think that many of the downsides won’t really become evident for years into the future.

Without question. We’ll be unravelling the effects of lockdown for years, probably decades.

I don't miss lockdown at all. Watching my young adult children have their social lives effectively stopped. DS1 having his University lectures by zoom. No going to watch or play sports for either of them.
I have a job that can't be done from home so I was indeed getting up in the dark and coming home in the dark very often.
That said I was in some ways glad to be going out to work for the sake of my mental health, and I actually got to see other people that weren't my family.

The women being safer thing? No. As @ComtesseDeSpair says DV went up.

i do agree with you to a certain extent. We were very lucky we both kept working through out, but it meant i could WFH ( life changing) our very busy weekends suddenly stopped. Yes i missed the social side of things, but for the 1st time ever we had time to do things at home. We cleared a huge load out, spare rooms were tacked and sorted, even photos and xmas decorations sorted and culled. Because i wasn't commuting i was less tired and had more energy, had time to cook properly, read. Garden was done and we spent alot of time with dogs and outside. However i struggled with the third lockdown in Jan. It was very depressing and felt like it was so long. Everything was done at home and by that stage i was fed up and motivation was lost. I hate now the crowds, all the local beaches and all are so packed, yes its great to see but wouldn't be normally so packed before Covid. Hate you cant get a booking in a restaurant, spontaneously go somewhere to eat and all the hotels main dining rooms here in Ireland are only open to residents . Hate wearing masks and the plastics screens everywhere. hate that is made people so afraid to step outside the door and the constant had sanitizing etch which i think will impact our immune system. It has had some benefits as people realized they don't need to be rushing everywhere and can say no, but think there will be consequences too that we haven't seen yet. Hope we don't have another lockdown

Without question. We’ll be unravelling the effects of lockdown for years, probably decades

I agree. Educationally, politically, people's physical and mental health, justice backlogs, damaged relationships, divorce, levels of depression, delayed milestones, huge national debt and all the rest. The fall out has barely started.

I don't think op was hoping for a new lockdown, perhaps just appreciating what she gained from it. I can't think anyone could seriously wish for another proper lockdown?!

@TopBlogger

I miss it. We are now in this weird half normal where no one is sure whether to hug on meeting/ kiss goodbye, wear facemask or not, and poised waiting for it all to kick off in autumn

Yes the half normal is shit. No foreign holidays. The hug dance. Too many people in my area - tourist area.

I have always been a fan of my personal space so I'm happy to keep the huggers and handshakers at a distance for as long as I can.

Having partners around the home to help with domestic chores, not having to be in the physical presence of male colleagues, no creeps sitting next to you on public transport, etc.

In other words, women are far safer when men are shut indoors!

Unless you are a SAH wife and your DH saved on commuting time, there's no reason why you need a lockdown to share domestic chores.

If you a male colleague is making you uncomfortable, it's not normal, report and complain (or change job)

Even if it was true that men were a danger to women, surely you'd be just in danger during the lockdown every time you go for a jog, or the bloody "daily walk" than any other time.

And let's not get started on domestic abuse. If you are uncomfortable AT WORK, surely you can understand how much worst it must be at home.

but for the 1st time ever we had time to do things at home. We cleared a huge load out, spare rooms were tacked and sorted, even photos and xmas decorations sorted and culled.

I am honestly a bit jealous of people who had that time! Working full time AND homeschooling, plus entertaining the kids, means I never had so little time for anything. We are barely starting to catch up with what we could't get done last year. And we are still screwed about holidays as they are so difficult to organise.

@rainbowandglitter

I loved it. I look back on it fondly.

I hated it. I look back on it with horror

Having my DP around not only doesn’t save on domestic chores, it actually creates such a shit tip I have all but given up!

My small boys absolutely trashed my house during lockdown 1. I was so jealous of all those people getting all the DIY and clear outs done. My house has never been in worse shape.

I'm very introverted and have sensory processing disorder and YABU. I have always liked shopping but since I went for the first couple of times since lockdown ended I have had sensory overload because of not being used to it anymore . It's nice to have the option of going out if I want to which mostly I don't.

@TheKeatingFive

My small boys absolutely trashed my house during lockdown 1. I was so jealous of all those people getting all the DIY and clear outs done. My house has never been in worse shape.

The tips and charity shops were all shut so no idea where people got rid of everything during their lockdown clearouts.

I miss lockdown too.

I loved having no pressure to go out and meet people, to travel to see family or have family stay over.

I got into a great routine of walking, yoga, online courses with futurelearn, teaching my niece via WhatsApp video calls, baking, reading etc.

I've kept up some of the new habits I made and go out a lot less now that pre lockdown. But yes, I look back on it (mostly) fondly too.

Lockdown was a great divider, wasn't it. I had two small children to homeschool as a single full time working parent - my day started at 5 am and ended at midnight, was managed out of my contract due to the resulting impact on performance and constant requests for (unpaid) leave - it was explained to me that they are not open to entertaining this for the next lockdown. And it proved out they were right, the next lockdown came and I had to drop my next contract too, as it wasn't feasible to continue like that.

I actually get cold sweat when people predict a next lockdown in autumn/winter with such glee.

I am honestly a bit jealous of people who had that time! Working full time AND homeschooling, plus entertaining the kids, means I never had so little time for anything.

Ditto. I am incredibly jealous. I’ve never had so little free time in my life.

I am a teacher, and am aware of my students who enjoyed lockdown and were far happier in that situation than in normal life

I have also worked in several other countries, and am also aware that what was "lockdown" for us, is normal life in many other cultures, and is actually closer to traditional life than modern life is

I think it was beneficial in many ways to many people

I certainly enjoyed it - but not the reason for it, obviously!

There is nothing wrong with saying you enjoyed it, and nothing wrong with saying you did not

The tips and charity shops were all shut so no idea where people got rid of everything during their lockdown clearouts.

pile of stuff around bins, charity shops...or worst abandoned in the countryside.

Decent people stuffed their loft and garages (mine looked like an amazon warehouse with all the empty boxes!), others were just the antisocial twats we know.

The tips and charity shops were all shut so no idea where people got rid of everything during their lockdown clearouts.

They were stacked up on the balcony, where I enjoyed regularly counting the number of bags I had accumulated!

@isthisareverse yes we kept working but we have no children, apart from mother in law who lived next door, we had no one around us as we lived in the country. yes we we had a lot of free time all of a sudden , but we were are two people who are used to be on the go all the time, doing all this stuff helped keep us sane. yes i understand though we are lucky in different eyes, and it has been very hard on people.