Coronavirus UK Lockdown — Homeschooling Day 2
Well we survived day 1, and day 2 started with Home Economics as mummy was too hungover from surviving day 1 to get up and make breakfast… But we survived! Mentally and physically! And I think we can ask no more really!
I think I can already predict/see a pattern starting in my new schedule, suppress the anxiety and panic and urge to scream until 3pm and then start the countdown to having a drink.
Firstly every day put the new bottles of Tonic water in the fridge and refill the ice cube trays ready for drink o clock.
Try to not check your multiple whats app groups too often and compare yourself to how other parents are doing it. As the cracks are starting to show with everyone… And you can guarantee if you are feeling like you may have a mental breakdown — then others are feeling it also, and they are mostly acting how they want to feel or what they want others to think they are feeling and doing. So do not depress yourself further at this stage by even pretending you have to pretend or compete if you cannot mentally cope, you have nothing to prove to anyone.
But we are all united and completely the same in that we are all just trying our best and doing our best — and 100% in that we are all aligned, and in this together. There is no manual for this shit, there is no precedent for this situation, the only experience we have to go on are for people maybe days or weeks ahead of us. They are our future…
So yesterday, Day 1, I tried, I really did, and I have had reflection on the day… And it started so well with so much enthusiasm. We were ready for the Joe Wicks work out at 9am, and the children nearly did a whole 4 minutes before moaning. We then did maths, english, reading, writing, educational games, encouragement and even a bit of gardening. And then I realised it was only 11am and the children wanted lunch, we had gone through all of the stuff I had planned — and I was actually desperately praying to need a Poo just so I could sit in a room with a locked door alone for 5 minutes — albeit with the kids sat outside asking me how long I would be.
By 4pm I said through gritted teeth to my husband “Take them out. Please. I need just 30 minutes peace” and he replied “But we are on lockdown, I cannot take them out!” To which I responded through gritted teeth “We live in a sodding tiny village. Find. A. Fucking. Isolated. Field. JUST. GO. NOW” and he left looking a bit scared.
It is really hard for couples to be together, the whole dynamic of the house, work, jobs, life is on its head. And I know we are only hours into the lockdown, but we are on the “Coronavirus upward curve of irritation” here in the marital sense. My husband has already made the following comments “Wow I never realised or noticed your stomach digested food so loudly…” and also “Crikey, you swallow and yawn so loudly, its making me shudder, can you stop that?” Forget rising birth rates, Divorce and spousal violence is going to go through the roof!!
But anyway that was Day 1 in retrospect, and we are now on Day 2. The eldest is a super star and sticking to her schedule, the youngest two started at 11am (when I say started I mean I locked them in the garden on the trampoline in a sort of baby Thunderdome way) and they have ramped up the arguing to violence, even balloons on sticks had to be confiscated as god only knows what we would do if a trip was needed to A&E.
I made it into clothes just before lunchtime. It has helped being selective with information I have read about all of this, and going with humour, and finding friends who are on the same level of admittance that they are struggling with this mentally.
And it’s great the way life evolves, already my evening social calendars are filling up with whatsapp and video Quiz nights and wine bar style events. And it is bringing out the best in the community with everyone helping each other. There is indeed a positive in everything, we all just need to keep our chin up (or chins, in my case as I have already started on the kids Easter eggs and the Gym is shut).
I say that in a slightly hysterical clutching at straws way of course!
This afternoon we went on our once daily outing (I am sure it is advised that dogs go outside and exercise more…) paranoid about meeting anyone and 1) being judged for being out and 2) wondering how we were going to stop the children flinging themselves at friends and 3) Did we actually know how far 2 metres was visually and should we have bought a tape measure.
Simple pleasures, the children found a massive boggy swamp, so this afternoons lesson when we got back was learning how to get the washing machine going.
We were also worried about running out of guinea pig food so went picking dandelions — which as now as I type has occurred to me are probably covered in pesticides and dog piss, bloody distracted by virus and taking my eye off the ball for anything else!
We combined schooling with the walk and made them run around to work in PE as we were too hungover (adults, not the kids I hasten to add) at 9am to face Joe. And then made them spell everything we saw “Mud” “Grass” “Dirt” “Bird” “Dog Shit” , “rubbish”— all the stuff you find in English nature!
And that is Day 2 done. I have realised that as long as I lower my expectations then every day is a winner and reduces the panic and self loathing!
I have also realised that myself and everyone else in the world has to compulsively end every message of any medium with “Stay Safe”. This is all a fascinating social experiment that I am sure will be ponderised over for years to come!
