Anyone's life not changed that much?

[HeartShapedMoon]

I read on here so much about people having not left their houses for nearly a year etc. But in co yeast my life isn't all that different and I seem to be in the minority. For example I worked from home anyway and am in the construction industry (family business) so we are all still working and my DH is out on sites etc mixing with other trades daily. I also supermarket shop every day, for my family (4 teens) and for my parents, a vulnerable friend and also help various people in my village as a volunteer. I also walk my dogs and usually see my friends walking there's at the same time (unplanned).

Apart from not being able to go to the pub and the kids being at home, not a lot is different. Kids are in their rooms working so I don't see a lot of them anyway, like when they're at school. Surely I can't be the only one?

I’m the the same, I go out to work everyday, walk my dogs, see to my horse twice a day, husband out to work everyday, pop to the shops twice a week, my daughter is at home but at 15 gets on with school work, quite happy face timing her friends. Life hasn’t been to bad, fingers crossed it stays that way.

I think you are probably in a minority and very lucky. Most people either have had their work, social lives, hobbies or family routine impacted.

Both my and DPs jobs have continued as normal throughout. So not much change for us either.

Sorry, not forgetting mental, physical and financial health impacted too.

Everything has changed for me... school, work, childcare, family get together, days out, seeing friends, shopping. It sucks.

I think that you are very lucky and probably are in the minority. We are lucky that are jobs have continued but we have moved to full home working instead of going to the office, but everything else has changed. No school for y1 DD, no out of school clubs like swimming/ballet/gymnastics, no birthday parties, no soft play for toddler DD, no play dates with friends. No days out other than walks round the park. Yes, we had a reprieve over the summer where we managed to meet with friends a few times, have a few meals out and a trip to the seaside, but otherwise, the last year has been pretty shit.

I have my Primary aged children home instead of at school March - Sept and then from Jan -now. I run my youth group online instead of in person

DH on the other hand... On the surface he goes to work. But the job was very different for a while. Still is on some ways... He spends a lot of time coordinating online meetings.

Not much has changed for me either. I still go to work every day, my eldest was home educated anyway so having the youngest at home hasn't made much difference. I work with my 3 best friends so haven't really missed socialising either. We miss activities such as swimming, cinema etc. Kids miss their friends but are still chatting with them online. I work in front line MH services so am fully aware that we are lucky and lots of people are really struggling.

50/50. Our lives haven't changed in the sense that we both still go out to work every day. We don't have young children so the schools/home-schooling situation hasn't had an affect on us personally. We have carried on shopping normally, going out for walks, coffees etc.

On the other hand, not being able to see family has had a huge impact. Not having a social life has been detrimental to both of us and I won't apologise for that. I know that is considered selfish, and the ultimate 'put-down' to say "all you care about is pubs"! (That isn't aimed at you, OP, just the general tone of this board). Seeing friends lose their jobs and homes, and lives in 2 cases, has been hideous. Seeing the finger pointing and blame culture that has arisen around this is also awful to witness. We both feel that all we do is go to work and exist.

I think people that are "happy" with this situation are in a position of privilege and are very much in the minority. I also think (again, not aimed at you personally) that these people are the ones that shout the loudest to STFAH and cry selfish at others.

I mean, in some ways you sound lucky but in other ways it sounds like there wasn't much going on in your life in the first place so I'm not sure I'd swap! I'd be a bit depressed and alarmed if my life felt the same during a national lockdown...

Yes and no.

I am a full time carer for my DH, so we spent a lot of time at home anyway. But we did get out a few times a week to the gym etc. had friends round, went out for meals. Now we are very isolated.

The lockdown has also meant my DH has deteriotated a little faster than he might have (his condition is degenerative) because he's not beem able to use the gym (it had specialist equipment). I feel sad that we have lost a year of being able to go out and about while he is still a little bit mobile.

It has been very hard, but I am thankful we haven't been impacted financially like so many people.

If your life hasn’t changed that much and you are happy with it then you are lucky, but your post highlighted to me that you had very little going on socially pre covid.

My life is the opposite of what it was because socialising and traveling was what we did when not working. No meals out, no weekends away, no spa breaks, no popping to the shops with a friend, no parkrun, no gym, no Friday drinks after a hard week at work, no day trips to the coast, no sitting in a cafe people watching, no cinema, no Sunday lunch with my extended family, no birthday get togethers, no holidays abroad, no theatre trips with my mum. The list could go on and on so yeah my life’s pretty different and I can’t stand it!

Apart from the school run not one bit.

I've always been a homebody. I love to travel, travelled extensively but not since 2012 and probably won't again - life changed and there's just no money for travel or even short breaks, we didn't do cinemas or eating out/going out more than a couple of times a year anyway (money again), so nothing to miss there.

I've never really had friends and no family. I'm quite happy really.

Dh wfh for a year before covid anyway and I'm a SAHM.

Don't feel sorry for me though! I've got lots to keep me occupied, always did.

Not everyone is out and about all the time, seeing people, doing things. It's perfectly ok to be happy in your own company, with the kids etc.

Our lives have totally changed. Yes work is the same but work isn't our whole life. We are very much 'work to live' in our house. We miss our family and friends, travelling, date nights and days out, and basically just fun! My kids worlds are so small and I hate it.

I too am yes and no.
I’m retired (58) and DH works from home. Prior to Covid I used to go grocery shopping on a Monday morning and we used the weekend to visit family. and dine out.
Occasionally I’d walk into the village for a specific reason or post office of butchers.

During Covid we now go grocery shopping at the weekend and unfortunately don’t see either my elderly parents who live 50 miles away or our children and grandchildren.
We have a Chinese meal on Saturday nights and this seems like a real indulgence now 🥴

I’m lucky that I live spending weekends with DH (married 38 years) and he’s relaxing more than he used to.

I miss cafes and pubs but yes my life hasn't changed much. I still go to work. My daughters life is different as she has online school.

We are stuck living in a back bedroom too as my parents are CEV( saving house deposit). It can be annoying staying in such close proximity to my husband for so long but I still don't feel like my life has changed much. To what it was.

My life is pretty much the same. I go out to work in my jobs - one letting agency and one supermarket. I shop for food. I walk my dog. I meet my friend once a week for a walk. My kids and husband mind you, are stuck working from home and life is totally different for them. Even though I have more freedom I am still looking forward to more - seeing my parents and friends and going out for meals, leaving the town, that sort of thing...

My life hasn't changed much, I have limited mobility so don't get out much anyway, the main social things I did have just moved online. DCs moved out last year, which was the main material change but expected even without Covid.
If anything, the increase in video chat technology means I am able to contact more people than before, as I can meet people from further than I can travel.

Mine hasn't changed much either- I had very little social life for the past 5 or so years since most of my friends had kids etc.. so was quite used to staying in. The main differences are that I now WFH and have a home gym.

I'm a stay at home parent with preschool children, so the schools being closed hasnt affected us and we luckily havent been affected financially as DH can work from home. We can see my parents in a support bubble.

At this time of year we would usually have a lot of activities to go to - swimming, soft play, toddler groups, friends houses. This year we are having to meet everyone outdoors which is not so good but at least we are able to meet a friend which is better than the first lockdown.

The other thing I miss is seeing family who live further away. We haven't seen my grandparents for months as they live an hour away and my nan is too frail to go for an outdoor walk anyway.

There is no where to hang out outside your house, other house/cafe/pub/restaurant etc.

There is no where to go, swimming/gym/library/fun mindless shopping, outside your house apart from natural landscape areas.

There is nothing big to plan outside your house theatre/live music/concerts/cinema/village fairs etc. outside your house.

And if you want to see a bit of the globe that isn't winter/autumn/spring UK well that's not going to happen.

As for the kid's lives, less said about the differences the better.

As for the things we can do, essential shopping, all done in masks, alone, non-contact, no chatter, minimal browsing.

Are you sure your life hasn't changed?

Did you never plan to take your kids anywhere with other people around? Even just a firework display. Did you not celebrate birthdays, exam results or go and buy new clothes and shoes with them?

The calendar is bare, there are no packed lunches, PE bags, homework books to locate, they don't need uniform, their hobbies apart from gaming have evaporated. There are no conversations 'what weekend can you do". I've no idea where the iron is! There aren't even any new film releases on SKY. Watching sport on TV is empty stadiums. It's odd. It's different.

Did you do none of this?

I'm almost missing our fights in the Lego shop FFS!

I understand your general gist, your household is ok, our household is "ok" at the moment. But there is a big leap from ok to life not changed that much.

Yes, frail people, especially those who live alone, who cannot manage outdoor exercise or even sitting in an open doorway, are very affected, day in and day out.

Honestly, it really hasn't changed much. I don't have young DCs, my fatigue limits how much I can do in the evenings more than Lockdown ever could.
All the people I used to meet in person I now just meet online instead.
I only really went to shops for essentials anyway. A couple of times a year I might go into the city for fabric shopping or book shopping, but as I have limited mobility I plan these trips to minimise distance, and really they can wait until shops open again.
Church is online, my cafe friends are online, my study group is online, even my medical appointments are online these days.

If you are happy and ok then count your blessings! I'm a quiet person but I feel a considerable difference in my own life.

I don't want a fast unlocking but there are many things I miss very much.

OP don’t your kids have friends / a friendship group that they used to meet with (IRL) before March 2020?
Children being in rooms all day is hugely different for them rather than being at school (for better or worse!) so your life must have been impacted by that?