How much are you prompting them to do stuff during lockdown?

[ellanwood]

We had suggested our DC (who have both had their exams cancelled) should get up by 9am latest on week days, just to create some structure and have the family keeping to similar hours. But unless I nag, which I hate doing, I can't make this happen. 9.55 and one has just now surfaced. The other is fast asleep.

It's such a weird situation all round, and their impetus has vanished. Less than a month ago they were nose to the grindstone for exams, and now, suddenly, nothing - no school, no revision, no jobs, holidays, social life. Should I just let them sleep and lounge?

Tbh, I find it hard enough to motivate myself to be productive, let alone them.

@Rollergirl11 - We generally don't go much further than about half a mile, but it's a slow meandering mooch rather than a walk. We have been known to be out for up to 2 hours depending on the weather. It's to give him mental stimulation rather than exercise as he can't go out like cats usually can. He gets his physical exercise chasing a little red dot round the house 😁.

How do you get him to agree to wear the harness? I remember trying to put my cat in one as he insisted on walking DC to school when they were very young, across the busy road. He decided We mutually agreed no harness after a few attempts.

@ellanwood - Put the harness on and opened the door! His disgust at having the jacket on was overridden by his want to get outside. No jacket, no walk. Now he's a bit like a dog in that if you pick up his jacket he sits by the door 'cause he knows he's going out. It's not foolproof, and sometimes he makes it really hard, but he's not bad.

Why does the cat need a lead?

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat - He has a medical condition that means it's better for him and the local cat community that he doesn't freely mix with them.

Two teenage boys here. Now we’re on “Easter holidays” they are doing what they want. I do ask they are in bed by midnight though as it’s a small house and the tv disturbs us and we both have to get up for work.
Before holidays, we woke them at 9 and let them laze in bed until they wanted to get up but asked for it to be by 10 to start school work. Then bed time was around 10.30 as it would be ok a normal school night.
Reason for this is I think it helps us all to have some kind of loose structure to our day, especially if this is going on for months

@YesItsMeIDontCare - you lost me at 'Put the harness on'. That's the bit our cat disapproves of.

Yeah, first few times were a bit of a battle!!!

I was surprised to hear you were trying to get yours up for 9am! I have been calling my 15yr DS around 11am every morning. He tends to actually surface around 12.30!! I’m wfh and need to be on the phone etc so can’t keep nagging. I just want him to have lunch a similar time to us so that we can all eat tea together. He has to make his own lunch but just tends to make toast because he can’t be bothered! I guess this is all pretty normal though. He’s getting very little exercise but I do encourage him to come in the garden once or twice in the day.
We have found our old Wii & he’s having some games on that with his dad. He has been doing some school work, I just do let him get on with that himself, it works better that way (I hope), I just show an interest. Lots of gaming going on too til the early hours. ..

No criticism intended of anyone’s efforts btw! Just support!!

DD has been tasked with decorating

She has been up before 10 most mornings now, she is loving it. So much so that once her room is completed she had offered to do her little sisters room too.

One of mine is a creature of habit who is up by 7 every day of the year and is still
doing some school work (y11). The other (y9) reverts to 11am lie-ins as soon as the holidays start but will be back on a full day timetable when term starts. They are both happy enough, doing chores when asked, cooking, mooching. No nagging other than to remind them to bring plates and cups back to the kitchen, I have relaxed normal rules about not eating randomly all over the house.

Letting it go a bit this week as would be Scottish school holidays so mine are usually in bed till 12 noon and much more lively in the evenings.

They get up then have lunch and DS usually walks the dog or goes for a run.He's really sporty so missing his training so we set him up a mini gym in the back garden with some weights and he's used that a bit. DD has a horse so she goes each afternoon to attend to him but just the basics clean out & feeds him.

After dinner they are usually a bit more up for doing something so we've done a few family & friends quizzes online then also played Monopoly, Cluedo , Game of Life and The Cube. Couple of nights we've watched a film usually me & DS and then a few nights they've gamed or DD been on facetime to friends. She's also gutted out her bedroom and been planning how to redecorate it and baked a cake one night. I also got her a painting by numbers horsey picture from Amazon but its not arrived yet.

DS not been great with the school work but hoping to get stricter on that next week. He's a bit "whats the point" but I can see the teachers are already setting them some course work for their new academic year so I'd like him to do at least an hour of that a day next week after holidays finish to complete whats been set.

It's a strange time for them I think at first it was a novelty and they enjoyed being off school but for the first time last week DD said she was bored that's when we started getting the board games out at night and she is definetly missing her friends and the normal routine and all the extra things she would normally do with her horse. They are also quite conscious of the news and some of it must be pretty scary for them.DD a few times has asked me to switch the channel.

xxx

And constant snacking -forgot to mention that. Continually hungry or looking for next food. Can't keep cupboards full - lol x