What would you do differently this time?

[SissySpacekAteMyHamster]

Just realised I haven't checked if this has already been discussed so apologies if I've repeated a theme.

Knowing what you now know regarding last lockdown what, if anything would you change about the way you find things last time.

If allowed, I would definitely get out for exercise/fresh air at least once a day. Last time we got too used to staying in.

Already have all deliveries organised from last time lots from local shops.

Towards the end of lockdown, got the schooling better organised, so would be much stricter and more of a timetable to stick to.

Make sure I had clothes in a few larger sizes for my daughter to grow into. We got to about May and she'd grown out of her clothes and deliveries were taking weeks

I would not shield. Having stayed in our house/garden until 6/7 then one walk a day I found I had to be back teaching in a school! I wish. Had gone for some quiet walks in the lovely May/June weather. I would have felt so much better and would have gone to quiet places! Instead I did what we were advised to do, then find myself in enclosed rooms, little ventilation and no PPE!

I'd keep seeing family with other children. All but one of us were out at work as normal anyway, and our children suffered with loneliness. I'm not putting my child through that again.

I would buy ds2 a smartphone so he can talk to his friends more.

I would also make him come out for walks with me even if it’s just round the block every day (or possibly send the kids out together).

There won't be another long, full national
lockdown

I can't think of anything I'd do differently.

I wouldn’t bother with home schooling at all to be honest. Last time I tied myself in knots trying to work out an education for my child with no idea what I was doing and no guidance from the school.

Now I know I cannot teach, I don’t know what I am doing and I have my own job to do so we will give it up and not Ruin our relationship trying. I actual wonder if the “unschool” approach might have something for it and he did seem to go off and do reasonably educational things even left to his own devices and I never thought there was anything in the theory!

I’ll never again fall for a rule that says I can’t see my partner just because we choose to live separately.

We've been self isolating for ten days so far. It's torture. I don't think I'd do it again. Or at least I'd go a walk every day. Staying at home 24/7 is too much.

I would schedule in an hour of exercise every single day and DO it. And also not make such enormous lavish desperate dan sized meals 3 times a day, or drink quite so much. For some reason it felt really important at the time to make lovingly crafted food and we ate and drank like kings but the lockdown pounds are really hard to shift now the weather is grim and all I want to eat is carbs.

I've just bought a chromebook so we've got an extra device to try and help us through any home schooling and Zoom classes. We were all sharing devices last time and some were too old to cope with everything that was needed.

Other than being a bit more prepared now for the reliance on screens for education I don't think there's anything else I'd change. I'm still doing click and collect for our groceries and more online shopping than before. All our activities have been outside and socially distanced and generally we've kept ourselves to ourselves.

I'm really hoping though that we won't do a full lockdown again with everything closing. We need to balance distancing with keeping the economy going.

Well this time around I'd probably lose my house as I had the protection of furlough last time. So that's something different.

Well this time around I'd probably lose my house as I had the protection of furlough last time. So that's something different.

That.

The last lockdown felt like an extended holiday. Dp is in a new job after many years of financial uncertainty being self employed. If there's a second lockdown he's likely to lose it. Along with my sanity.

My mum is in hospital, we are trying to find her a nursing home but shes difficult to place, i am so worried we wont find somewhere in time and even if we do i cant even inspect the place.

Last time - we initially didnt leave the house/washed groceries etc.

This time would def leave the house, not worry about groceries. Carry on home deliveries though.

The other home stuff we did was great though. N9t too worried about school printed sheets for primary but did do reading, maths online and other stuff.

I had preschoolers so would abandon any actual attempt to homeschool (pretty pointless at that age) and just enjoy extra time with them, going outside for long walks as much as possible.
Make the most of the easing of restrictions by seeing more family and friends as sort of feel like we missed the short window in the summer.

Good point about the clothes. I have teens, and my god they grew loads!

I wasn't cooking 3 meals a day during lockdown due to us not using the energy and not needing to est as much. I definitely drank more, and put weight on.

Yes to the exercise daily. I need that and was doing well before lockdown.

I'm hoping we won't be as limited as last time.