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Original poster

To ask what you miss about lockdown - light hearted

201 replies

Nopurchase · 12/03/2023 21:59

This is light hearted and OK so I know that this is unreasonable and 100% I wouldnt want to go back into lockdown but there is a part of me that misses that initial feeling of feeling safe and cosy at home with my family (not that I dont now), playing games, no school runs, working from home being able to go out for a walk and it was so quiet and peaceful you couldnt hear any cars and so many birds, this was before all the big restrictions came in. I know it was so hard for so many people and dont get me wrong for us it was immensely difficult a lot of the time mentally and extremely stressfull, but there is a part of me that misses close family time in a bubble.

What do you miss?

OP posts:
PartingGift · 12/03/2023 22:36

Driving to work with no rush hour traffic.

Free parking at work (hospital).

Not having to worry about MIL popping round unannounced on my day off.

Tr1skel1on · 12/03/2023 22:36

Where worlds collide. I worked throughout in a hub school with vulnerable kids. Meanwhile I left 2 young teenagers at home supposedly homeschooling with online lessons, I had no choice. DC2 developed anorexia and OCD severe enough to be hospitalised and autistic DC 1 is currently being assessed for BPD

The recent news article suggesting the mental health effect of the pandemic is overstated did not go down well with my family

JunkinDonuts · 12/03/2023 22:37

Lack of traffic so I could get around quicker.

Muchtoomuchtodo · 12/03/2023 22:37

Not having to iron school uniform.

clear roads for going to and from work no matter what time my shifts were.

being able to park at work.

lookluv · 12/03/2023 22:39

I think essential workers have a different view - they worked as normal with a mask and restrictions and hearing everyone having so much free time makes me quite envious. I think you can see why healthcarem supermarket and transport workers feel resentful and demoralised - they did not get time off.

I worked - what I miss is the absolute empty tube rides to work, guarnateed seat or pick my coach, walking through London and no tourists. London was beautiful in the first lock down - clear skies, no traffic, no tourists - I miss the serenity of that but not the rest.

Honeyroar · 12/03/2023 22:39

We live in gorgeous countryside on a smallholding and the weather was unusually good. I miss the wedding hotel up the hill being closed, and ditto for the outward bound place. I miss no planes in the sky. Few cars on the road. No work all summer (although I knew my job of 23 years would probably not be there at the end of lockdown, and it wasn’t). Just the peace of it all. My life changed massively because of Covid, not particularly in a good way, but I loved lockdown. I’ve never really gone back to who I used to be.

RampantIvy · 12/03/2023 22:39

The weather.
Having DD home from university.
Work changed my contract to WFH, and now I prefer it. I just go to the office once a week.

It was nice to get back to normal though, because I like my new normal.

Original poster
Nopurchase · 12/03/2023 22:41

Labraradabrador · 12/03/2023 22:34

Not having to go anywhere ever. linked to that, never wearing makeup and always wearing comfy clothing.Can you tell I am an introvert?

I was recently at a dinner party (gasp, horror) and someone was talking about how hard lockdown was. I nodded and smiled, but in my head was thinking about how lockdown was blissfully absent of dinner parties.

😂

OP posts:
TheFormidableMrsC · 12/03/2023 22:42

I was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 days before lockdown one. So I had my surgery on lockdown day, it would have been at least six weeks otherwise. I then had to have active treatment at two different hospitals. All empty. No parking charges. Empty M25. Having my uni child at home (she was already struggling), having my youngest at home and really seeing a difference in him with lockdown learning (excellent school, did a full fun timetable every day). Son is autistic with combined type ADHD. He was 8 at the time and it was a blessing in disguise. Also walking for miles in our semi rural location and finding and seeing things we may not have done otherwise. I enjoyed it. I wouldn't want to do it again though.

DrHousecuredme · 12/03/2023 22:42

I miss having loads of money left at the end of the month.

Apart from that well there's plenty to miss about the first one, no work, glorious sunshine, long walks, having plenty of time to sit and talk to ds.
But the last one? Nope not a thing!

ScrollingLeaves · 12/03/2023 22:44

Tr1skel1on· Today 22:36
Tr1skel1on· Today 22:36
Where worlds collide. I worked throughout in a hub school with vulnerable kids. Meanwhile I left 2 young teenagers at home supposedly homeschooling with online lessons, I had no choice. DC2 developed anorexia and OCD severe enough to be hospitalised and autistic DC 1 is currently being assessed for BPD

The recent news article suggesting the mental health effect of the pandemic is overstated did not go down well with my family

I am very sorry about your DC and am not surprised to hear it now. Lock-down had a terrible effect on so many young people in particular. I don’t think life has got back to normal yet.

It is sad that elderly people got killed by covid anyway in spite of all the lock-down due to lack of testing. PPE etc

LateOnTheBandwagon · 12/03/2023 22:45

Cocktails in the sun in the afternoon ......

Yoshithegreen · 12/03/2023 22:45

Being a stay at home mum, I loved being with my kids playing, going on walks and just being in each other’s company

NeverDropYourMooncup · 12/03/2023 22:46

Being able to hear birdsong through the day instead of traffic. Hearing Tawny Owls that had found the world so peaceful that they were comfortable to fly into the town centre at night. The skies being so clear without pollution from traffic or planes.

Didn't rate the wondering if I was going to die because I couldn't breathe and I was being woken up choking on fluid in my lungs, but couldn't get any medical help because I didn't match the three symptoms and hadn't gone blue, but at least I could hear the birds.

BeatrixFranklin · 12/03/2023 22:48

We’re very fortunate that we live in the arse end of nowhere so life wasn’t so different for us. There were no tourists in camper vans annoying us though, the hills were deserted and it was lovely to walk for miles without seeing a soul. We did go to the local spot a lot that normally attracts the insta mob and spent many sunny days swimming in their ‘secret’ natural infinity pool.

BashirWithTheGoodBeard · 12/03/2023 22:50

The only good part was the illegal gatherings I went to.

Changechangechanging · 12/03/2023 22:52

Getting up 2 hours later than normal, popping the kettle on, opening my laptop and starting the day chatting to my form.

shieldmaiden7 · 12/03/2023 22:52

No expectations to meet up with people.

Had my children with me all the time and made some incredible memories.

When lockdown lightened.. met my now husband.

Sodullincomparison · 12/03/2023 22:53

Saving ALL the money!

we saved a lot of money. We know cancelled holidays contributed but we can’t really figure out the rest.

we didn’t go to a supermarket the whole time as we were both key workers in work all the time but I did get weird and strange deliveries from time to time.

we frequently say we would like to get back to it budget wise.

bluelogo92 · 12/03/2023 22:54

I work in Pharmacy so no time at home for me and it was busier than ever, however…
2m gap 😍
I mean it’s common curtesy not to queue so close to someone they can feel you breathe but it happens.
social distancing was good for me 😂
also we still have the plastic screens up in the pharmacy. And the amount of spit and grossness we clean off them makes me hope we never take them down

GlitteryUnicornSparkles · 12/03/2023 22:55

The quiet roads and cheap petrol!

BrendaLee · 12/03/2023 22:55

I miss the time we spent as a family in first lockdown. Teenage kids got bored so came out of their rooms to spend time with us. Lots of family TV. Relaxed time. My kids were 14 and 18 - they still talk about how they enjoyed the first lockdown!

downsides were real though. Lost family members later on in the pandemic so would have swapped the good times for it never to have happened…

ichundich · 12/03/2023 22:57

Nopurchase · 12/03/2023 21:59

This is light hearted and OK so I know that this is unreasonable and 100% I wouldnt want to go back into lockdown but there is a part of me that misses that initial feeling of feeling safe and cosy at home with my family (not that I dont now), playing games, no school runs, working from home being able to go out for a walk and it was so quiet and peaceful you couldnt hear any cars and so many birds, this was before all the big restrictions came in. I know it was so hard for so many people and dont get me wrong for us it was immensely difficult a lot of the time mentally and extremely stressfull, but there is a part of me that misses close family time in a bubble.

What do you miss?

Lazy family breakfasts, the weather (first lockdown), walks, (weirdly) homeschooling my kids

SKIPWAY · 12/03/2023 22:59

My children where all mid/late teens so I am very grateful I got extra time with them all being at home with no distractions.

LesLavandes · 12/03/2023 23:00

Quiet roads

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