Things I didn’t realise I needed to think about before Lockdown
I’ve now both come to terms with and accepted our new reality. It’s taken a while but a change as big as this one will do. Usually when you’re about to embark on a life changing experience, it comes with some warning.
For example, when I became a mummy. I had 9 months to come to terms with what that might mean and that still didn’t feel long enough. Or moving into our first home together, that took at least 5 months.
But this. Well, I think we had a few days.
If I could go back a couple of months and give myself an insight into what to expect then this is what I’d tell myself.
1. Being together 24/7
Before lockdown, the longest time I’d spent with my family, 24/7, is 2 weeks. The difference, we were on holiday. The difference, we wanted to be on holiday.
I don’t have to tell you that it’s a little different when it’s not a holiday. When you don’t know when it’s going to end. When there’s no escape. It’s going to test anyone’s relationship.
Fortunately, we’re doing okay at ‘riding this wave’. Of course, there have been tantrums. We’re only human. But there have been so many golden moments. Moments that I will be cherishing and keeping when this is all over.
2. Live in housekeeper
So, my contribution has always been to do the typical pink jobs, like cleaning. But this, like for most, has been magnified for me during this time. The dishwasher seems to be on daily. I feel like I’m continuously picking up after everyone, and tidying up. All because my family is around me all the time!
Bizarrely, the one thing I seem to be doing less of is washing.
But this did come to a head a few weeks ago when I decided enough was enough. The thing is, my family had no idea how I was feeling. As much as I’d like them to be mind readers, they’re not. So, I set them straight and told them what they needed to do. Otherwise, grumpy mummy would be in the house a lot more!
It seems to have done the trick, although I do still have to remind them.
3. Catering
As you know, I love cooking and thanks to the permanence of my family, I’m now cooking a lot more. Crikey, I didn’t realise how much they ate. At the beginning of the week, I have a fully stocked fridge and food cupboard but by the end of the week there’s almost nothing left.
Blink and the fruit has been eaten within days.
I’ve also had to make sure that there are lots of snacks on hand to satisfy their mid-morning and afternoon cravings. However, sometimes I’m not sure if they’re cravings or just boredom.
4. Substitute Teacher
It was fun to start with. You know, a novelty. My problem. I wanted to do it properly. I was keen to make sure that my children would still be learning during this time.
It wasn’t long before the novelty wore off. My stress levels had reached the ceiling as I tried to calmly persuade my children to complete the set home learning. They’d dig their heels in, which would then turn into who could negotiate the best and without me resorting to bribery.
Eventually I decided to change my tactic, because there’s no way they’re not learning under my watch. I went for the more relaxed approach and I did the learning to. I’m less rigid about how much they complete as long as they’re having a go. Plus in the classroom it’s a 30 to 1 ratio not 2 to 1.
5. Entertainer
If I thought I had to keep my children from being bored before then lockdown has magnified it. I love my children but when they decide they’re bored that’s it. To start with I humoured them. After all, this was supposed to be the perfect time to spend proper quality time together as a family.
What did I learn? There’s nothing wrong with being bored because when this happens something wonderful occurs. My children come up with some interesting stuff. Whether it’s crafting, role play or simply playing. This week’s project, that they came up with, is they’ve started to create their own magazine.
6. Hairdresser
And finally, keeping my family’s hair nicely quaffed. I must admit, I was probably a bit carefree when it came to cutting the children’s hair. After all, they’re not bothered and it’s always a battle to get them to brush their hair. So, I was hoping it was going to be okay.
The biggest thing, was when Hubby wanted me to cut his hair. The first few cuts were made tentatively and then slowly I did find my stride. Although, I feel like I held my breath until I finished.
Now, I may have done a reasonable job, I will not be changing careers.
This is now our temporary normal. It’s hard to put into words what that feels like. Occasionally, I forget what’s happening in the real world. It feels like it’s always felt. Then something happens or someone says something and I remember this reality and before lockdown feels really long ago.
Instead of dwelling in the negatives of this current situation, I focus on the silver linings and being with my family and that’s what is helping me to get through this.
That’s ‘Things I didn’t realise I needed to think about before Lockdown’ according to Mummy on a Break.
What advice would you have given yourself?
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