…it just feels a bit surreal!
Somehow we’ve got through 6 weeks of lockdown – I can’t make up my mind whether it’s gone fast or slow – it just feels a bit surreal.
It’s been a challenge in many different ways: managing home-schooling my two 7 year olds, keeping on top of an increasing workload whilst in the house with the aforementioned 7 year olds, and keeping up with the other dull stuff that you have to do as a grown-up (cleaning, tidying, ironing etc).
Well, as Meatloaf put it, “two out of three ain’t bad”, and it’s not like anyone is going to see the inside of my house for some time anyway…
Lockdown isn’t stopping anytime soon, so here’s some things that I’ve learned over the last few weeks:
- An alternative career in teaching is not for me!
- Everything feels better when the sun is shining.
- There’s a lot of stuff I normally buy that I don’t actually need.
- The children are better able to cope with the massive changes than the grown-ups sometimes.
- We all need contact with other people – video calls with friends and family, WhatsApp group chats, saying ‘hi’ to the neighbours.
- Keeping busy makes the day go faster and with less meltdowns – but it is exhausting!
- Doing something nice for somebody else makes you feel good – we’ve made cards for the neighbours each week so far.
- Working from home is a lot easier when the children are in bed.
- Things that you already have at home can be repurposed – nail varnish marbling anyone?
- Reading and maths can be incorporated into fun things – my girls like cooking, so they’ve been reading recipes, weighing ingredients, and halving/doubling recipes to add another level of complexity.
- There’s always an interesting idea on Pinterest when you need inspiration.
- And if the children have been quiet for a while, start worrying, they’re up to something!
