Not really affected by lockdown

[user54739573975]

I am a sahp with 3 dc. No extended family. I have a pre-schooler and used to attend toddler groups maybe two or three times a week pre lockdown. Granted it was a couple of hours out but at only one of these groups did I really talk to people and have a good chat. Sometimes ds would sleep before a session so we wouldn't always make it to the session.

My dh was out at work all day and friends with older children working/occupied too and basically with other dcs at school I was more or less isolated. Now (whilst home-schooling has it challenges) my youngest dc has a playmate. My dh is around to lend a hand when most needed so in some respects I am less isolated.

Lockdown is a leveller because people are in the same situation and (though covid is scary and has been vile and killed so many people), lockdown has weirdly made me feel less alone. Dropping my dc at the school gate, it felt as if everyone was whizzing off somewhere - work, gym or whatever whilst I toddled home with a pre-schooler - some days with no defined structure. It's sad that this is my situation, in an ideal world I might have friends and extended family to support but actually being a sahp has been extremely isolating.

Can anyone relate?

Yep. I'm a single parent with severe social anxiety. I used to go to a church based group a few mornings a week, my mum would come over 1 every week/10 days. Occasionally I'd go to my brothers for dinner. Even more rarely see my Dad.
Church groups are closed, teens are at home and obviously can't go to dads/brothers. Other than that its the same here.

I'm a sahm with school age dc. Yes I know what you mean. I went out occasionally but certainly didn't have a glittering social life or anything. My day to day life isn't massively changed. I go to the supermarket and do the chores.

I hate lockdown but that's not because it's hard for me personally but because I know my DC are struggling and I hate to see that.

I'm a sahm who has no family support and relied heavily on toddler groups in the past too. I feel your pain

I know my DC are struggling and I hate to see that.

This applies to my eldest (teen). She is perhaps the hardest hit but she has kept in contact with her friends - face time etc. Not the same I know but then dc is fairly introverted and I wouldn't say she has been massively affected. I do worry about school work. She does better in school.

I have done the sahm for 3 years x 3. Probably not heading off to work straight away, especially with state of job market etc. But the sense of people whizzing off somewhere/having free time or even going to a friends house for coffee used to make me feel quite envious. I do have friends (but much older or with much older children) and invariably because of pre-schooler situation they would end up at my house. Not a problem in itself, but always felt the need to tidy up etc. Difficult to meet in a cafe because of keeping pre-schooler entertained...there never seemed to be a change of scene because it was just easier for people to come to me. Lovely that people visited (maybe once a week) but as I say, never a change of scene.