Is anyone else really, really struggling without a garden :(

[Radn]

I just can't bear to be indoors when the weather's so lovely, and every time someone tells me about their lovely barbecue or sitting out sunbathing it makes me want to cry. I'm really struggling. I'm just sitting indoors feeling hot and upset. I can't wait for this to be over.

hells I came off facebook for a while as I was getting very irrational rage about not having a garden. We are normal out and about so often it has never been a problem before. Now I feel like I am in a prison. It is hell on earth.

I don't have any outside space and while I am ok right now, I am dreading hotter weather. We are in an upper floor flat that is a total suntrap and it's going to be so hard especially trying to work from home.

Luckily I at least can see green space from the windows which helps.

For all those arguing it's not against guidelines/rules and Scotland is as always being far less militant. No the police should not have been moving people on from their gardens but do now have every right under new legislation in public areas

Social media is absolutely awful right now. People don't seem to be able to switch off from the "bragging" mode it brings out in people. Yes it's lovely for some that they're sitting out reading a lovely book amongst the flowers, but some of us feel like we're in prison and are in tears every day hoping this will end soon so we can live some semblance of a normal life again.

No garden here either and always feeling guilty when going for a walk. I worry if they tighten restrictions with ridged exercise or shopping. If someone tells me I can't buy chocolate before my period I'm not sure what il do 😂

Same here OP and with a little baby, it makes me want to cry when I think about the fact that he has never experienced sitting out in nice weather in his whole life (born late autumn). We take him for a walk every day but it's not the same as getting him out of the pram and chilling out outside. I am dreading them banning walks as well.

I myself adore the sun and am just feeling awful about it. My friends keep sending me pictures of them in their gardens, does not help.

Yeah we dont have a garden at all and I've two kids under 5... so it's a bit stressful... we live in a rural area tho so weve been going out for a long walk every other day... its tense tho not like a garden where you could sit down and relax... still at least were getting some sunlight... I dread to think what will happen of any of us get symptoms and we have to completely stay in for 14 days

Next week I would recommend going to the park 9-10am. The runners and dog walkers are often there earlier and the crowds havent built up till 11am. Take buggy and play game that your little one can hop in and rest whenever you need to keep moving and he needs a break. Buggy could be a pretend boat or pony cart. Getting out in the park for 90 mins at that time of day after easter weekend will make such a difference. And lots of things to talk about when you get home, related activities and play. But it is legal to go out for exercise, however slowly you walk or toddlers walk. Dont be bullied. Carry a sign saying I AM EXERCISING.

I live in a south facing new build. The other day it was 33 degrees. I almost had a break down. My brain goes to mush. I do have fans but it is hell.

Top tip- once you are up, dressed etc. go out for a walk. It feels much better to be home when you have been out for the day.

@HairyDog good tip, I walk my dogs every morning at7 for an hour, come home have a cup of tea then do online yoga or a Pilates class, shower and then potter doing housework and garden jobs and it doesn’t seem to bad.

Yep, feeling more than a bit sore about lack of garden here. I do have a balcony which helps but it's too hot in afternoons (flat a sun trap too) and id love a shady garden to retreat to. I have a massive urge to dig a veg patch too. We have considered moving out of London many times to get a garden and right now wish I had.

What is making me hugely (irrationally) annoyed is seeing social media posts of walks out from people I know who have gardens - grrrr stop taking the precious space from the garden less

We have a garden but I have bad hayfever and can barely ever go outside or open windows. So this is my life year round.

" police are patrolling even the quietest of streets to check people are not leaving their properties. This is the sort of thing we can look forward to if we keep on with the 'what if we just did this'"

I don't think we have enough police to patrol all the quiet streets. They'd have to draft the army in as well if they wanted to do that here.

Our deserted fields and forest are being policed so we’re all cramming into a tiny park with more police and megaphones too. It’s hideous I agree with no garden.

"Though We could argue, why should people in the bigger cities not be given the same human rights as people in towns/villages. I am sure the police aren't out checking all the smaller parks and forests in England."

It's just the way it is. Social distancing is harder in the city.
And now all the benefits of living in the city have gone as well.
The only fair option I see is to allow people without gardens to sit in parks, but not others, but you'd never be able to enforce it.

The policy they have here is to block the wider open spaces and force everyone together on tiny streets and in tiny park. It’s almost as if no social distancing is actually allowed round here.

Yes it is hard. It isn't just flats either. In the north of England we have a lot of old Victorian terraces as well, and especially in places like Leeds some are back to backs.
The front door is straight onto the street.

You have all my sympathy - one of my GC was grumbling that he could not go to a wood - they have a huge garden and a field they own!!! His mother quite rightly pointed out to him that he is very very lucky indeed and to spare a thought for those with no garden. He did get it and apologised.

I really am sorry that you are feeling so trapped.

Yep. DH and I vaguely talk about where we will move to next and instead of up to road into a house like we thought we might, I've been looking at 7 bed mansions houses with massive gardens outside London.

I've had to disengage a bit from a few friends whom have massive houses and gardens, but are having to isolate due to symptoms and they're crying over losing their daily walk. FFS 🙄

Can I be dead honest? A garden is great right. But its only really good when the kids arent in it! I spend all my time out there telling them to be careful, policing their every move. Telling them to be quiet (next door are key workers so im very keen they have peace when off shift in their garden). They still niggle and argue the whole time. Its a pain in the arse. I feel so bad for people that dont have an outdoor space, but genuinely no matter what photos people are putting on social media (my life is perfect, we are all playing happily in the garden) they wont be, its crap. Being locked up in any space indoor or out with kids is crap. Thank god for tv. Its an absolute lifesaver.

I’m in a flat with a baby , it’s driving me mad. I hate seeing everyone all happy in there gardens on social media. Jealousy is such a bad trait but I can’t help it I’m so jealous right now !!

We live in a hot, stuffy coach house and I'm struggling too because I'm a bit of a nature lover and I absolutely love being out when it's warm and sunny. I'm also looking after a 3yo who wants my attention from the second he wakes up until it's way past his bedtime, and I'm not getting a huge amount of help from my husband because he is working so much at the moment (it's quite important and Covid related so not a reason to LTB). My son is generally a really lovely lad, but I think that after 4 weeks of being cooped up inside with him I have hit a temporary wall. I go out for a walk with my son most days, but he's only little and gets tired/bored easily and wants to go home and I get annoyed. We have a parking space outside our garage, and we have built a tiny sandpit for our son, and we drag it out into our parking space sometimes so our son can kind of play outside for a bit. I have just seen our neighbours have a tiny BBQ in their parking space too and felt somewhat comforted that we're not the only ones suffering without a garden.

It sucks. But obviously we just have to get on with it because we don't have a choice. Whinging does help a little bit though.

I have a small yard which isn't great and the neighbours next door are taking the piss with daily bbqs and music in a similarly small yard but it's something at least, I've made a little sandpit for my two year old and he can get some sunshine of a morning as well as his walk so I'm really grateful for even just that right now. Can't imagine not having any outdoor space at all must be absolutely rubbish 😔

I hear you op

Small flat, no garden, can’t sit in the park.

For those in flats, isn't there any communal outdoor space at the base of the block? Not even a small area in the sun to put a foldable chair or a wall to sit on? I'm pretty sure police wouldn't ask you to move on as you'd be social distancing in the communal area.