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.

Not normal as DH seems to be unable to shake off covid 6 weeks and he is ill still. He was fit and did most of the cooking and lots of housework pre covid now he struggles downstairs. He is only getting half pay. I can only do one of my jobs as the other is not allowed under lockdown so financially we are fucked. I have a long term health condition that is flaring because I can't rest. I have only seen my mum and dad once this year and it's breaking my heart. One of my DC is depressed as his friends aren't into gaming or speaking on phones so he is lonely and allof our sportclubs have stopped. Plus I can't go out drinking with my friends.

We have not felt the changed this time at all. DH can work from home easily in his line of work. Im a teacher so still in work, and two children still in school, seeing their friends every day. We still walk the dog at the weekends. Dh does the food shop alone now, which is better. Daughter’s brownies and other activities are now on zoom. She prefers it. The only thing that has changed for us is the Sunday afternoon visit to the pub. Our closest friends live literally opposite us, so we still see them every day anyway. Other friends are zoomed in, which we have got used to and i prefer as i dont like to go out in an evening past october anyway

We have had lots cancelled this year, including a holiday of a lifetime, but you have to be resilient. The kids have rolled with it, following our lead.

The only think (other than the government) that has really wound me up this year about this situation is dentistry. Not seeing a dentist at all for 12 months is just not acceptable.

I meant the only thing. Clearly either time for bed, or to put my glasses on.

Personally I'm finding life dull as fluck. No theatre, cinema, exhibitions, meals out, weekends away, gigs, nights out. These are the things that add.texture to my year, things to look back on. Otherwise every dull bloody week ls the same as the next.

Yep this is me. I would usually have at least one "social" or work event a week minimum, be it a theatre show, a launch event in my trade, meal out with friends, networking drinks, an art exhibition, book launch, music night in the pub ... god life is tedious with such an empty calendar and nothing to look forward to! December I would often have 2/3 things to attend per day and I've got ... one meal arranged so far. Lord it's boring. I'm so bored I've started reading this mums forum called Mumsnet

Both dh and I are still working, our kids are at uni/college/school. As it is term time, it feels conpletely normal. Ds is autistic and so over the last 18 years we have developed interests that fit in with him, so the change is easy for us. I can still garden and walk. In fact, we have more free time together, as the relatives don't visit, so we have 5 extra hours at the weekend. (That last part sounds quite mean - but hopefully the lockdown isn't forever).

My year 10 is on his third stint of self isolation since Sept. They couldn't even manage one full week last week. He's spent more time out of school this term than in. It's totally unsettling and restrictive. Six weeks in isolation for a healthy teen.

I don't know how it feels to start the school week without wondering if your children will be sent back for 14 days again (cases are rife in my other son's secondary too).

@Racoonworld here is the legislation

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1200/pdfs/uksi_20201200_en.pdf

I thought they had put new parents in the list of people who could ‘receive care’ but looking again it seems that is only if the care is organised rather then just a family member visiting (though I think either is acceptable).
The part that might be most useful to you is the linked household childcare bubbles. If another household agrees you can bubble with them as long as you have a child under 13. This is in addition to the single adult households being able to bubble with another household. So you can have two bubbles if you meet the requirements.

Normal enough.I work v long days so no socialising or pubs or going out before lockdown.I was a workaholic so the first lockdown gave me much needed free time to implement new interests.furloughed again so I will keep some structures.I couldn't afford to do all the interests others have so I don't miss anything.

@RedRedRobinBobbin thanks for looking, this is what I had seen and it doesn’t include family support for new parents unfortunately . I’ll look into the childcare bubbles though, maybe that could help.

My life has changed completely. And not for the better. It was full of face-to-face meetings with a variety of people: I volunteered with the elderly and with people with other needs, I did activities with lots of people and had plenty of people I would meet up with. I saw my DCs regularly. Now that DH has retired we were travelling more, sometimes visiting old friends who are far enough away to need an overnight, or seeing the world, or spending a weekend away with a group of old friends. And we enjoyed the anticipation and planning. Much of going to church involved fellowship - supporting others or them supporting me.

None of these things are the same when we're on a computer, or phone - conversation is less spontaneous and natural joining in with what one person is saying to take it further can't happen as one voice gets cut out. A quick aside or question in a group doesn't work on Zoom. And, as so much of my interactions involve support in one direction or the other, a momentary touch, or an arm round the shoulders or a hug are terribly missing. Watching a lonely, isolated person cry when I just want to hug them is horrendous.

And when I wasn't meeting up with others I, or DH and I would got to the cinema, theatre, some kind of show or concert.

I find it really sad that there people who think this life, or half life, physically distanced from other humans is OK.

The basics of my life haven't changed much. I live alone but my son is my bubble though we live separately. I need his help with some things as I had a stroke in June this year. I am working as I'm a key worker. I had started going out to the cinema and to the pub with a friend after the first lock down eased but that's stopped again of course. I haven't been able to go travelling either, which is a change, except a few days away in the UK in August. I used to go to gigs and stuff so that's changed. I still go shopping as I can't get delivery slots.

@Racoonworld sounds like you’ve had it really tough - honestly I know 3 new mums with lockdown babies (inc my sister) who’s had regular family visits to help them cope. I don’t know a single person who would judge you for it ❤️

It's much more normal than first lockdown as DS2 is at school so I am able to work (I have WFH for many years).

Shopping - not much different. I'm being a bit more organised with my weekly online shop so that it is indeed a weekly shop.

I am a single parent so I do feel a bit isolated. Not that I regularly go out in the evening anyway, but it's been so long that e.g. our book club has met.

I miss the swimming pool and the classes and because of the aforementioned lack of other social meet ups, going to the sports centre had become more valued in that respect.

At the weekend DS2 and I like to walk or cycle somewhere and would usually have a pub or cafe lunch. We miss that.

The main one is visiting my ex FIL in the nursing home. We are very close and it's very, very hard. Thankfully they've got toilet tents shelters outside so we can do window visits.

DS's football is off and that is a shame for him and me, as I either go for a run while he's training or get to chat to other parents at matches.

Not normal for us but were getting on with it as best as we can.

Were not able to see our 2 oldest DC our DS's because they're both still at work so they're to worried about coming to the house because I'm very vunerable and they're terrified of catching anything and passing it onto me let alone covid.

Were not able to go out for meals or coffee(I know we can get coffee if we take it with us)were not able to visit different towns and potter around shops.
We can't take our DC to the cinema or a museum.
We can't take our DC bowling or go swimming.
We can't visit National trust places or take a drive to the seaside for lunch.
We can't go to farms or zoo's.

It's bloody boring but the alternative is much worse.

Life pretty normal here . Kids still at a school . Both of us working .

Not normal here. Lost my job so money v tight. Can’t afford nursery for DD. No swimming or any toddler activities open for DD.

Mine didn’t change even during the first lockdown.

Dh always worked from home, we only have my dad and the in laws and it wasn’t a hardship not seeing them (we’ve always mostly lived far away anyway), we don’t really have any friends.

Usually too broke to go out to paid places anyway or meals out. Always shopped on line and have had shopping delivered for the past 15 years.

I’m a homebody anyway.

Only difference was dd wasn’t in school but now she is.

I had a baby at the end of August too and honestly, there is no difference to how the first few
Months of my other children’s lives were.

I am ‘lucky’ thought that I’m not sociable and like just being at home. I appreciate how hard so many people are finding things.

We aren’t fortunate enough to be able to go out to pubs and restaurants or to mooch around shops. A theatre trip is a rare treat and we could never afford a concert or gig. We both work 50 + hours a week and are key workers so no change there. Life really hasn’t changed much for us, except my parents who live 3hrs away can’t come and stay every 6 weeks like they normally would. I’m not sure those people jumping up and down about life being taken away realise how lucky they are in normal times to have so much to be taken away in the first place, but for us who don’t have those luxuries it’s not massively different

On the surface it’s normalish - 2 children in school (albeit DS1 in secondary has teachers off with Covid / isolation every week). And DH is a teacher and I work in a school, so that rythme is maintained. But other than that, it’s not normal.

I miss my friends. At least two of them are struggling in their marriages and I can’t support them as I normally would, I haven’t seen my family since February (we are in France, they are in the U.K.). And we’ve had numerous trips cancelled.

It feels like a big slice of life has been removed. Nothing can be planned, nothing to look forward to. The day to day is ok, and I’m grateful for that, but I miss the things and the people that make the difference between existing and living.

Working day normal as DH and I are teachers and have two DC in school.

Social aspects no. DC have had their weekend clubs cancelled. My mum is in a nursing home and I haven’t seen her since March. DH can’t see his family either.

Weekday life is pretty normal. Dh and I out at work every day and the boys all at school.

Weekends are very strange and very quiet with no socialising, no sport for the dc and no church.

Crosspost
Mine is very similar to you @motherrunner

Nothing has really changed from before the second lockdown. I still go to work every day and don’t really do anything else because I’m too exposed at work to see my family. The only difference is that I’m obviously not really going in shops or restaurants.
However it’s totally different to my normal, pre-covid life.

No not normal at all. I’m a teacher so little change there but my social life is unrecognisable. I have a BIG group of friends and had a crazy social life which I absolutely bloody loved. I don’t want to go on a socially distanced walk with one friend, I want 10 of my friends round my house for dinner. I want to go to the cinema, theatre, comedy shows. Life is so terminally fucking boring now. I hate it. And yes in the grand scheme of things it’s nothing to moan about but I don’t recognise my life anymore and I’m not one who’s embracing this “new slower pace”. I’ll do slower pace when I’m dead .