Living through lockdown

[ooopsupsideyourhead]

Hello,

I’m starting this thread as a place for people to congregate, chat, share their moments of happiness to focus on the positive of lockdown.

DC(2) and I are isolating due to chicken pox (we’re only two days in), rather than CV-19 as yet, but I thought there are probably others out there that would like a place to share the good, and not so good, of your own four walls.

DH is an essential worker, so not with us. But that’s probably good, because he would have eaten all the crisps already. 😂

Hello

Hi!
Self isolating here with 3 year old DD and 10 month old DD and my partner. They both have coughs and my partner is working from home. Today is day 1. I just went back to work last week after Mat leave and now I'm off again, so feeling guilty but also relieved to be able to keep safe at home to be honest.
Planning on keeping the day as structured as I can, luckily we have a huge garden so will keep older Dd busy out there if we can.

Yes to structure! A few years ago we lost power for five days after storm Desmond. By day three we were completely out of sorts, eating at strange times, cranky, sleeping early in the evening but then being awake by 5am. I’ve just climbed in to bed, and realised how quickly I’ve slipped in to “go slow”. I can’t do this for the next two/four/twelve (!) weeks. “Real life” will be too much of a shock! My plan is to at least make it to lunch time with sensible behaviour. Up in time for breakfast, washed, dressed, play mumsnet activity, snack, play, lunch. Half a day seems reasonable.

Hi @Legoandloldolls welcome to survival 101!

We created a family timetable today to break the day up a bit. It worked well today but I'm not sure how long we'll disciplined to keep it going for.

Your plan sounds good. Will try something similar. Structured until lunch and then see how we go.

This was not how I thought I'd be spending March 2020! Crazy times

Hi 👋 we are self isolating because Ds1 came into contact with a confirmed corona case. Plus schools has closed.
Morning online school starts tomorrow.
So far the Morning routine is The same except they don’t go out to school. Keep having to remind Ds2 to get dressed.
Definitely a routine helps.

Hello just checking in

We're preparing for 12 weeks of isolation as DH is in a high risk group. He has one day left at work then is WFH and DD (2) will be at nursery for as long as they're open (I suspect until the end of this week). Had one day of it today as DH was off for St Patrick's and I'm already at my wits' end! I like routine and so does DD - she really played up because a) we didn't go out and b) DH was home (not that he does anything bad, she just got hyper because things were different). But I'm sure we'll adjust. Going to spend some time tomorrow making a list of small manageable things we can do around the house and garden and try to do one every day. Plus a list of activities for DD.

My mum and FIL are both very high risk so we won't see them now until everything is over. I'm trying not to think too much about that.

Hi! I'm self isolating with headache feeling fluey, and high temperature. I'm also moderately asthmatic, and a cold has put me in hospital for 5 days in the past, so I'm a bit worried, but lungs seem ok so far.

I also work frontline NHS, and got sent home to isolate today, so it's day 1. I'm a single parent of 2 boys- one at university, and the other in lower 6th. He can't yet make his mind up if he's delighted to be off school, or peeved that he's stuck in the house with his mother!

We have decided to stick to some structure as much as possible to stop us going crazy...

I'm missing my horse already - I was meant to be on annual leave from tomorrow - only for a few days - and was planning to hang out with the horse 🙁

Already in lockdown here in France. Fortunately I have a habit of buying stuff for projects so I've just finished curtain number six!

The weather has picked up but I'm getting stuck into my pile of books in the evening and gardening during the day.

No obvious signs of stockpiling and I'm experimenting more with my cooking, although I'm not allowed to invite anyone round to eat it.

I live in a very rural area so it all feels surreal. I can easily walk my dog for two hours without seeing anyone, so some of the rules seem rather draconian.

I'd struggle to cope with small children but it has its good points, including the fact that I'm spending very little.

Not in isolation yet. However I live in a small, one bathroom house with my 74 year old dad who should be isolating from this weekend.

I'm still at work (we have a reduced workforce) and he wants to take me and collect me everyday. I don't think it's a great idea but I don't drive and he (nor myself) wants me to be getting the bus.

I'm quite alright with the social distancing, I've never been a fan of other people! I just can't get my head around not being able to see my mum. She's on her own, no partner.

Also feeling serious pressure at being with my dad and not bringing it into the house. It's sending my anxiety through the roof.

www.empoweringlittleminds.co.uk/resources-1

There are some really nice ideas to keep younger children entertained on here. Most of the activities can be recrea the d with stuff you’ll have in. Although, we might have to do them in the bath 😂

What a day. My school has closed as of 3:30 so I spent a lot of time juggling preparing online classes, which meant the timetable fell out of the window because DC watched Paw Patrol for hours. Hopefully now though I can be quite “light touch” with work, just answering student queries etc. I’ve just been in the garden with them, so that’s my parenting effort made 😬 hows everyone else’s day been?

I’m sorry I just dumped that earlier message about ideas for little people - wrong thread 😆

Oh my fucking God. I am wrung out with getting Ds to bloody work. Not got any housework done. Spent two hours feeling shit and breathless, or rather breathing is hard work.

@BlackeyedSusan oh no! Are you sick? Or is this because DS took so much effort? Either way, not good :(

Normal time of the year cough, no fever that I have measured a little bit more breathless that normal. Feel under the weather really rather than really sick.

Between us we have two diagnosed, one on waiting list autistic, two diagnosed, hypermobility syndrome, one undiagnosed hypermobile, two sensory processing disorder, one asthmatic, one "chesty a bit breathless not sure what" two with allergies, one not too bad.

We are all stuck in a two bedroom flat. At least the children have bedrooms to retreat to. I am more or less living in the living room.

I'm self-isolating with family and will come out of that in a few days time. If "lockdown" allows me to go for a short walk, or walk to the local supermarket, that's more than I've done recently!

We are only on day three.

It was hell. Ds is not completing anywhere near the amount of work he should... Emailed Sen team and told them we will do as much as we can when we can.

Basically , they accept that he is too disabled to do more, teach him in school because of his disability or we apply for an EHCP as he is not coping.

@BlackeyedSusan so, when I am not posting on mumsnet about tins of chickpeas and how to get my toddler to put his own socks on, I’m a secondary SENDCO. PM me if you like, I’ll work with you to make a feasible plan to get through ❤️

Today was another lurching one here, I was fine one minute, weepy the next. I’m finding all the time with my 2yo so intense. He’s I’ll, which doesn’t help as that makes him weepy and frustrated too. One day my DH is going to come home and find us both in a puddle of tears on the kitchen floor. We went for a drive today, which was nice, change of scenery and all that, but he had a full on temper tantrum about not being able to get out the car. I’m tempted to head to the hills tomorrow where I can keep him away from others but let him run/play out without seeing a soul. Do we think that’s ok? It’s chicken pox, not Covid-19. Obviously, I wouldn’t take him anywhere with people or anywhere people might follow like a picnic bench. Lockdown is going to be so, so hard. I know I’ll be excited by little things like the supermarket too @TwelveIslands

Thanks, when I have recovered emotionally, I will take you up on that.

May try sendiass as well.

I think we can get there just need to get him to relax enough to learn in a way that suits him.

I will return the complement with out of date early years ideas...

It seems unfeasible that we were still using chalk and blackboard, pens and whiteboard when I left. Mind you, it was in a school where you have to shut the curtain when it rained to stop the water splashing the kids, and we grew a rather impressive bracket fungus on the legs of the easel as the carpet was so damp.

Crap, I had to go into the foyer to intercept our excercise bike from being delivered to a flat downstairs. Big parcel means don't get near delivery driver...

We had church via the internet this morning...

Somehow it feels more lonely once it has finished.

Ah, but it’s lovely that you had that community option @BlackeyedSusan! How’s the exercise bike? Mine is mostly a clothes horse...

We’ve been in the garden as much as possible the last few days, enjoying the sunshine and bird song. Unfortunately, it’s a really unsafe toddler garden (no gate, deep pond, poisonous plants, piles of rubble, the lot!) so it’s quite hard to relax and enjoy! I thought I’d maybe be able to do a bit of weeding or something, but nope, every time I looked away DS was in to something he shouldn’t. It will be a jungle in no time, DH is working double shifts due to his work projects being compounded by necessary short staffing and absences at work. Normally the garden is his domain. I only enjoy it with a gin at sunset!

What is everyone else doing to try and enjoy the sun?