To feel today has been the worst day yet.

[Puddleduck42]

I'm already (like many) feeling abit fed up and sick of this virus and the nightmare it's causing.

Schools are staying open. Yet our child's teacher has been isolated but isn't being tested. The school are just going to clean more often. I just think when as parents do we get to step in and protect our kids? I don't want to send her tomorrow. Yet at the same time I'm sad. She is in reception. It should be a wonderful time of the year. The back of winter is here. Spring is starting. They are making Easter displays. They have baby chicks in class. They are outside more. She's really happy right now. But anytime now she will be probably home for a long time. I just feel sad. Her teacher is only covering maternity and leaves in June. I just feel so sad her first year of school could be over soon.

To top it off her swim class contacted us today to say swimming is off for the foreseeable future. All the school clubs are off now. All trips cancelled. Her first school disco is also cancelled. So why the hell are they at school when they can't do any of the nice things anymore? How is it any different? They are still mixing!

We are due to go on holiday in 2.5 weeks and I simply don't want to go anymore. It's only Norfolk. But what's the fun in going to the coast if you can't buy a bag of chips or go food shopping for the week when you get there. If you can't go in arcades and for days out. We were visiting a museum, farm etc too. Just feels we will be paying for a very quiet boring week now.

Then today I got an email from asda. All 3 cereals we eat were out of stock. I went online and all they had was one box of cornflakes. Who knows if they will turn up. My son's nappies and wipes were gone. Then 15 other things are out of stock including vegetables and orange juice. No biscuits. No chicken burgers. No pasta or pasta sauce. No squash left. No ham or chicken left. I mean who the hell has been allowed to buy so much cereal. How selfish are people being! I have seen alot of think of the elderly. I absolutely 110% agree with this. But also think of children. Children who can't have breakfast. One mum at the school has been everywhere to get her child Calpol today. Not one single shop has any. Which means kids burning up can't get their temp down.

I actually dispair. What is next week going to be like? No food. No socialising. Half arsed answers from schools. They think abit of disinfectant changes the fact a teacher has possibly already got it. Other schools are giving people a choice. Yet not ours.

I feel abit stressed tonight. I'm not sure why. Probably because I don't think ill be able to do a shop online anymore. I'll just have to hope the local coop doesn't sell out. It's awful having children and not being able to provide for them. My DD especially is fussy and won't just eat any old thing out of a tin. .
Anyone else having a bad day with it all today? Everything feels morbid and I feel annoyed that bojo wants us lot to catch this virus to protect others. I really don't fecking want it.

I am struggling today more than ever yes.

And me. It was the library closing that broke me. Such a little thing in the grand scheme of things but it’s another piece of normality gone.

I hate winter and look forward to the first few warm and sunny days of spring and I just don’t have the usual hope in me this year.

That said I have found positives - cafes, pubs and restaurants won’t have to go through any red tape to provide takeaways so they can get a little bit of income in and we can have something nice when we need it (which we will). And the picture circulated today of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe FaceTiming her daughter brought tears to my eyes.

Just tell yourself (repeatedly) that this is better than a quarter of a million or more UK dead.

Today is hard. I think everyone is feeling the same - even the strongest amongst us feel low. I think there have been many many tears today.

I pulled my two out of school, and I feel very sad about it, and so unsure. My youngest loves school, but I just want them to be home. I am scared of getting the virus, even though I am only 35.

I am so close to my parents, they are fit healthy and active. I see my mum most days - the thought of not seeing them for 12 weeks is so depressing. They are my childcare for the two days a week so I have also lost that.

Today is the low point I think, I think we will all come to terms with it and get through. Thinking of you, and try and keep your chin up.

This is going to be hard, and there will be a new normal for a while. But there is hope, because it will come to an end. Young children will always find a way of having fun and finding joy.

I have four kids and I knew I could provide for all of them when I made that choice. In the last few weeks I have doubted myself.

I honestly think things will improve stock level wise in two weeks as people dig in.

I went to Aldi last night 20 mins before it shut and bought cereal. I went to Tesco at 11.30 and they had nothing. But they was getting all the stock in the isles so that's a option? I bet it would be restocked by 1am. What did upset me was there was no nappies or wipes. I bought a extra pack of pull ups three weeks ago as my dd is getting dry at night but I could only see Pampers in any size. I can live without but if I had a young baby I would be stressed. All the cheaper brands had gone and not a wipe in sight. Again I bought some wipes in Boots who had hundreds, but I can shop around during school hours. Local shops seem much better stocked from.what I hear

I think we will adjust and this will to become a new normal. My dd 5 is happily oblivious so I will keep it that way. I feel scared for my sitting his gcses, but hes not. Again I want to keep it that way. Kids are very robust to change

I really think that unless we have a proper lockdown that the schools should stay open. I just don't trust people to socially distance if they do. I see people buggering off on UK holidays/going to soft play/parks etc etc and spreading it further. I think this is the governments plan tbh which is why it is taking so long to happen.

I’m feeling utterly crap. Terrified of lockdown and not being able to get out with DS which would ruin my mental health, I’ve only just started to get back to some sort of normal and now this. My job interview has been cancelled, an event I was going to this weekend had been cancelled, our favourite baby group has been cancelled and our break away that was my son’s first birthday present we’re meant to be going on next week might get cancelled. It’s just a U.K. break, no planes or public transport involved. Most the stuff I’ve been looking forward to in the near future is cancelled. It’s shit.

Have a look at your local milkman. They often deliver a lot more than milk, including store cupboard basics, eggs, meat etc.

Yes milk and more. We get milk from them. Although they have asked if we do happen to see the milkman, please stay 1 metre away..made me smile.

Struggling today as well. My PND support group has had to close for the foreseeable. I agree with closing the group, but I'm immunocompromised and this was going to be my last trip with a lovely walk through a forest to get there, before I self isolated.

My mum who is usually the most positive person in the world got emotional today when she came around to visit me after work. Because of my isolation, chances are the next time she sees my nearly 6 month old he could be walking. Upset because she has my four year old on Fridays. Her and my dad are under 60, let alone 70 and I'm not sure if she can take him overnight any more while I self isolate?

As horrible as it is for the children, whilst the schools have to stay open, they are doing all they can to keep your children (and therefore you) safe.

Schools cannot close without permission and they currently do not have that.
By cancelling all the ‘fun’ things, they are ensuring they have sufficient staff members for the essentials, they’re making sure your children are keeping distances from the general public, keeping them in a safe space where the kids are more at ease - as well as keeping them clean with soapy hands!

It is awful for all involved however the schools are doing the best they can in the circumstances

Someone on out local NextDoor online community group today posted that they couldn’t get paracetamol for their sick partner. They were offered about six different packets and someone dropped some through their door for them.

There are also loads of people offering general help to people struggling.

Have a look in your area - is there a Nextdoor or Facebook for community support in the area? Don’t be afraid to ask for help. People get a kick out of helping so you’d be kind of helping your helpers too.

I'm feeling stressed and annoyed, mostly at myself. I've been told by my employers asthma is not being treated as a serious condition according to government guidelines and I probably won't be classed as serious as I am because I'm an idiot, a time poor idiot. My father is on the same inhalers as me. We both get free prescriptions. His Dr's have a deliver to your door scheme, mine have only just started one and anyway, I'm out during delivery hours and pharmacy open hours and don't drive so getting to one of the few late night pharmacies is hard for me, so what do I do? I ask my dad to order extra inhalers. According to the NHS I use about three inhalers a year, he uses about 6 a month. He's dying, I'm perfectly fit and healthy despite not being able to get through a day without using my reliever at least three or four times. I could kick myself. I probably would if I didn't know Covid-19 is going to kick my arse for me soon anyway.

I have a very overdue asthma review booked for Thursday and plan to 'fess up.

I think one of the most important things HM Gov could do now is address the issues in supermarkets - distribution and supply needs to be looked at and major supermarkets asked what is going on. And if they can't police it themselves then bring in rationing.

The govt are not pursuing the herd immunity strategy. I am not sure quite what is behind schools being open still but it isn't that.

Yes, I struggled to sleep last night and felt very stressed and tired today. The difficulty with online supermarket shopping is making me worried - I live alone and don't drive, and have always in the past 10+ years felt really confident that I can always get what I need delivered. Suddenly I'm worried about basics like cat litter and feel very alone and vulnerable all of a sudden (very out of character for me!).

I work from home anyway, I'm self employed and also worried about what will happen in the long term. At the moment I'm in the ideal position of course, already working from home, and my main freelance client's business is continuing as usual. But who knows what the future will bring if businesses in general are affected.

My year 1 DS is off school for two weeks now and we are all self isolating as he has a cough. He was quite tearful when I explained as he is so happy at school and loves going there and to his clubs as well. They have been learning about space, which he loves and knows lots about. He likes his Nan coming round, walking to school in the morning having a chat with her and visiting the library. I haven’t had the heart to tell him that schools will almost certainly be closed in two weeks time.

I’m a teacher and it’s so strange to think that I don’t know when I will see colleagues again. I am WFH (I’m on the leadership team so there’s lots I can do) but it’s all so weird.

Schools have to stay open. Heads have no power to close them. The Department for Education is in control.

Teachers are working incredibly hard to minimise anxiety in the little people they look after. This is very challenging in current circumstances with limited resources. None of us want to be in this situation.

Anyone else having a bad day with it all today?

Yep, me. I think I’m still reeling from the press conference last night. I also had another bad day for my business - my income has all but dried up. Really struggling mentally to cope and terrified of losing my home.

DishingOutDone YES! I totally agree - the current situation is just leading to more panic buying and creating a vicious circle. It's hard not to feel like buying all the things when all we hear about is empty shelves and it's impossible to get online deliveries for the next week or more. I had 7 missing items and 2 substitutions in my Ocado delivery today - worse than any Christmas delivery! I don't want to panic buy but partly feel so concerned about not getting anything in my next order that I want to just add lots of alternatives to my order just in case, in the hope something will arrive. I'm following the advice to not go out unnecessarily and don't want to go around lots of shops locally either.

Glad I'm not alone. Sorry to hear many of you are also feeling abit low

It's a rubbish situation all around. I actually joined milk and more this week. I got my first delivery of milk and juice this morning. If it arrives I've got milk coming Thursday and bacon eggs and bread and orange juice coming Saturday. We shall see. The website has closed tonight due to demand. I have decided I will make sure I continue to use them after this if my deliveries continue to arrive. We can manage of basics like that. It just worries me (selfishly) that if everyone's doing the same thing that also will be unavailable soon!

I know how you feel about providing for your kids. I know we should always have something to eat. But it's going to hard when I have to start telling my kids that there isn't any cereal or bread. Or we can't have tuna pasta because there's no pasta. It's just simple things. I just feel upset really. The thought of being stuck in the house with no right to go out anywhere.

Knowing it could be months and months before we can go to cinemas or take our kids for a day out. I know it's just small things but it is sad. We are being robbed of our happiness. People's mental health will be affected by this. People loosing rare holidays. People not being able to work.kids being kept away from all their friends. Families not seeing eachother for months on end. It's just really really depressing now.

I can't believe how bad all this is. It's literally all people are talking about.

I’m not in the uk and have had restrictions really for almost a week, it’s v depressing, I can’t get to my home country, my parents can’t come out for god knows how long, I’m scared for them and feel trapped..everything is cancelled and we’re insude. But my overriding fear of myself and family being ill and others overrides it, it’s going to be very hard, but I’m hoping to just get through this and come through it.

I do feel the same. DH started with a cough this afternoon so DD Y3 will now be off school. I read things and get a crushing feeling in my chest and feel like I have it. If I allow it, I could let despair take over. It is scary. So many people going through hard times.

But we must stay focused. We must keep our heads. DD and I will draw up plans for each day to fit around my work. We will do timetables, reading, science and experiments. She will learn other skills too. Cooking, sewing and growing plants. May be for a short time, may be for a long time. We will also have fun and do daily exercise. But I need to make sure I'm portraying what I want her to mirror. And that is focus and a new interim way of living.