Is anyone else leading a nearly ' normal' life.

[Christmaspud20]

For me. Except the local theme park being closed again and things like soft play for the kids,
Nothing else is different for us.
Thankfully this time dh isn't furloughed or anything, so he's working 6 days.
We don't mooch round the shops in general. I rarely go to town as I find it stressful at the best of times.
I generally wait till I have a few things to go for and just do 1 morning and list the shops in order to get it done fast.
We don't go for meals or drinking. The last time was December for his works drinks
I shop 1 big one a week and maybe 2 small top ups, but often just 1 We just don't have the fridge space to just do the once.
I do use wilko etc for toiletries so still do that and it's walking distance
Kids are at school and pre school as normal.
My bubble is my DF who's a single parent to my dsis who is under 18, she comes round most days after college when dad's at work.
I Drive to school runs etc, so obviously traffic is near enough the same as that's the time everyone is so understandable.
I know I'm very lucky and dh could be furloughed at any point of there's not enough work for his place to keep them all on atm.
But for me the only different thing is the social interaction with others at groups etc. But I'm happy in a group chat online and be done with it.

Loads of others I know in my normal social circle is the same. Only my DM is saying how different it all is as she's furloughed.

This time around I am.

I am going to work daily and seeing patients. I am doing more appointments over the phone, but I am still seeing some people ftf. I asked not to work from home and as we need a certain amount of people in the building that wish has been granted. That has kept life a lot more normal for me. Children are in school, so our routine is the same.

I will miss going to the pub one evening a week. I will continue to see my mum. I won't see a few friends for a while, but it's normal for me not to see them for weeks at a time anyway. I like my colleagues and my job, so I don't feel isolated.

The first lock down was very different and I hated it.

Not normal but we can keep plodding along as it is until Spring.

No not even slightly normal. This lockdown life is so dull. Kids can't go to any of the clubs that bring them joy. I miss the social interaction of just a casual chat with other mums at the kids' events and I'm an introvert. I didn't realise how much I needed that casual interaction until it was gone.

For me, no orchestra, friends over for drinks/tea/chat/dinner. No once per year theatre. No family. It is so miserable and I'm one of the lucky ones that's been WFH this whole time. Just the relentlessness of every day being the same as yesterday

Reading this thread, does noone else normally meet up with friends during the week? Are you all just still carrying on? That's the biggest painful gaping whole I have.

Pretty normal for me. I'm a teacher, dd1 is at uni but we don't often get to see her so virtual contact seems normal there (and she is happy with online lectures, more than in person ones), dd2 is at school, dh works from home mostly anyway. The only thing I'm not doing now that I would normally do is Brownies, and I actually find I'm not that bothered about that.

Dd2 would often see her friends at the weekends, but she plays games online with her friends. It's almost like having a ton of them in the living room with us at all times.

As normal expect for no gym and wearing a mask to go shopping.
No family/hobby groups/eating out/ meeting people anyway - so zero difference.

I don't have family anyway so nothing has changed.

Always kept in touch with friends mostly online/text/phone anyway so just continuing that as usual. If anything everyone has more time to chat during the day when they are not in the office.

I was also working from home and shopping online pre-covid.

@PinkFondantFancy

Reading this thread, does noone else normally meet up with friends during the week? Are you all just still carrying on? That's the biggest painful gaping whole I have.

I would usually see friends but probably not every week other than my closest friend. Still chatting with people via whatsapp, had a video chat with bf yesterday and did a doorstep drop of some sweets last weekend for a couple of friends kids so had a brief chat. I mean it's not ideal but I can cope with it for now.

Not normal but just about, just, bearing up

Not seeing all friends
Family visits curtailed
Not gym, football or swimming
No indoor skydiving
No bowling
No cinema
No local theatre
No art galleries
No spontaneous days out
No bimbling around shopping centres
No local football matches
No professional fireworks
No Christmas fayre
No panto this year
No local theme park
No new TV shows
Many friends no work
No face-to-face GP
No dentistry
No hospital for investigative issues
No practical science at school
No option to start a couple of new clubs we want to
No group meet ups
No local pub
No restaurants
No haircuts
No bookshops
No plans for NYE yet why bother

No inspiration
No ideas

We do have work, school, essential shopping whoop!

Miss our family get togethers a lot. As siblings we are all close and we all have similar aged children. We used to have regular get togethers at my parent’s home.
Miss the kid’s birthdays and family days out.
However, we all still stay very much in touch by video calls and group chats daily and have adjusted to this new way of communicating.
Definitely miss our holidays abroad, but it’s not the end of the world if we don’t go this year or next.
Other than that nothing else has really changed. We work, kids at school, most shopping is online for us anyway as we don’t have time during the week to shop due to both working full time. Only time we notice a difference is during the school holidays when we would usually be out and about with the kids.

I’ve had some massive changes in that I lost my job of 22 years, but I managed to get another (although furloughed again now!). But otherwise we don’t go out a lot, don’t shop a lot. My elderly dad lives next door (two semi detached houses rural and no other neighbours) so I still see him. My mum isn’t well so I’m her carer and see her daily to do her evening meal/chores. We have dogs and horses so are busy with them even when furloughed. I do miss going to some sporting events and theatre, but generally life isn’t much different!

DH is working. Kids at school. I'm still pottering. Feels quite normal. Bit boring without the added extras. Moving house soon though, I am busy sorting the house so I feel like I have a large distraction.

No it isn’t normal at all. I’m fed up with it just like everyone I know. But I stick to all the rules (and actually beyond) and fully accept it all. I’m looking forward to brighter times in the future hopefully.

@Racoonworld

Lucky you. It’s probably because you’re allowed a bubble that it’s more normal for you. Would it be less normal if you didn’t have that? It’s completely not normal for me, we haven’t got single family members to bubble with so have no close interaction outside of my household. We have a young baby, no support, no one to help. Can’t even see friends socially distanced now (unless one on one on a cold walk). So far from normal!

Parents of new babies are listed in the exemptions and can have people in their houses to provide support. Especially important if you are not having all the usual health visitor visits and clinics.

@RedRedRobinBobbin are they? I can’t find that exemption anywhere! How new does a baby have to be? We’ve been without support since summer as no one could come properly and help due to needing to social distance. If you could point me in the direction of an exemption it would really help!

And no I’ve had no health visitor visits or clinics, no help at all

No not normal. DH and me both forced to WFH. Too much kit to clear away every evening and no room to have separate office so are using our dining room. Meals therefore eaten on trays in front of the tv which I hate.

Still seeing mum as we are her support bubble, but no seeing friends, meals out or drop into the pub. No face to face ballet or Zumba, just online. Miss a potter round the shops and lunch out.

Haven't see the rest of the family since Christmas. Holidays have been cancelled.

I thought the Festival of Remembrance and the Cenotaph today were two of the saddest things I'd seen.

No this isn't living - it's existing.

@PinkFondantFancy

Reading this thread, does noone else normally meet up with friends during the week? Are you all just still carrying on? That's the biggest painful gaping whole I have.

Nope I never meet up with friends during the week anyway. Work full time get home at 5-6pm. I have 3 children and 2 large breed energetic dogs. I spend time with them and once the kids are in bed I try to catch up on my work. I have a very demanding role at work, but throughly enjoy my job. Same for my DH. Works full time too but longer hours than me. Saturday we try to spend time together as a family cooking, baking and eating together. Kid’s clubs and homework etc. In the evening I like to pop down to parent’s house if I have time. Absolutely no time for friends we just stay in touch via texts and phone calls. Only meet up if there’s a special occasion such as birthdays etc.

I’m actually surprised so many people are able to meet up with friends during the week!

We're not a kick in the arse off it.
We live a quiet life usually.
I miss meeting friends and going on holiday but that's it.
Oh and work is a pain in the arse now too.

@StrippedFridge

Friends! Do people not have friends any more ?

I normally see groups of friends/acquaintances a few times a week through one or more of: group run, dog walk, cycle, bootcamp class, book club, school governor meeting, meal at someone's house, pub, going to an event together.

I miss those terribly.

No, I don't have any real friends really. People I talk to and have a connection on some kind of level - but not meeting up with them type friends.

I don't even live in the same area of the majority of my colleagues and I didn't grow up here so no long term friends in the area. It just is what it is.

And on that note I have made myself real sad, so I am taking my lonesome self to bed.

Pretty normal for us. Still see parents as they are childcare for our children, do are normal things on a weekend, bike rides, dog walks ect. Would usually book some days out, will possibly have our xmas days out cancelled in December but other than that and the fear the kids could be told to isolate from school everything's normal.

Re friends, I’ve a couple of friends who keep their horses at our place, so I see them when they come to do their horses (everyone has their separate stable and storage areas, so we can keep a good distance and still chat across the yard. I’ve also met the odd friend for a dog walk - you can still meet one other person outside for a walk (which feels like it should be wrong!).

Same here really, missed our Summer holiday and we go to the cinema at least once a month and out for a meal monthly too. DH is WFH full time instead of 2 days a week so saving about £30 a week on petrol. I’m a teacher so work is a real pain just now.

@PinkFondantFancy

Reading this thread, does noone else normally meet up with friends during the week? Are you all just still carrying on? That's the biggest painful gaping whole I have.

I have met a few friends yes. But that's allowed isn't it. 1 on 1 socially distanced walk. You can count preschoolers too.