Lockdown Life!

So here we are, hundreds of days of lockdown later, hanging on by our fingernails, trying our best to provide an environment that our kids can succeed in. But let’s be honest, its bloody tough.

I’m certainly not the perfect parent and since my stroke 3 months ago my tolerance isn’t what it once was. Now, I find myself asking how many times a day can you answer the same question? How many clothes changes (in one day) is ok before I lose the plot? Why do 3 year olds prefer to be covered in dirt and food from yesterday? Mummy must be the most spoken word in western culture for certain and while there are times when it melts my heart, there are times when it makes my head hurt and I find myself dreaming of sandy beaches, ice cold cocktails, adult conversations (that don’t include the words COVID, Anna P or Gladys).

Lockdown is testing everything I know about being a mother and a wife. I find myself trying to find “jobs” to so I can avoid my actual mum/wife roles, there are days when I’m not myself entirely and I try desperately to find pieces of our “old life” to give me some hope that things will return. But maybe things will never be the way they were, maybe holidays and family events are forever changed. I hope these thoughts are just that and don’t turn into realities for our kids – the world that is their future is a very different one from the one I grew up in (although all parents can probably say that).

I take my role as a role model for my girls very seriously and hope they look back on me knowing I stood for my beliefs and believed they are capable of anything. My stroke nearly killed me and that is a very hard pill to swallow, Girls today need people to teach them how to succeed in this crazy world. Unfortunately, more and more, what we teach our kids is more about what they can’t do and not what they can. I want to instil ethics, hard work and compassion into our kids but it’s no easy feat.

A few simple things we have done to survive our, more than, 200 days of lockdown include:

1. Give yourself break – and I actually mean literally take 10-15 mins of “down time” while the kids are doing an activity that is safe to not be supervised. I sit in the car with a tea/ coffee for some needed “me-time” if I have to LOL
2. Take each day as it comes. It might feel like you’re failing but reflect on the day, each day, and I guarantee you’ve had some wins today. Write them down and repeat the ones you really like again.
3. Remember we aren’t all teachers. Home schooling has become a necessity in this environment but if you miss a lesson here and there, cest' la vie – the kids (and you) will be fine and it’s highly unlikely to have long-term effects on their future prospects.
4. Try focus on activities you ALL actually enjoy, not just what the kids like. I love painting so we paint often and try get them outside to do it. What I love is watching how quickly they progress and get better and how much pride they have in their creations.
5. Facetime Family. Keep their connections with grandparents and others going and call them on video calls. This helps give you a break and allows them to catch up with their family. We live in Melbourne and our family is in Sydney and Queensland, so it’s important we stay connected.
6. TV time isn’t the enemy. Let’s be honest, even the most disciplined adult has a few TV shows they like to indulge in. Let your kids have some time in front of the box, gives you some downtime too if needed. We try to watch the same programs at the same time to help with the nagging for more.

We are all more tired and stressed than normal and living in constant uncertainty is taking its toll on us all. But, deep down, I’m sure we all know we are doing (or at least trying to do) our best, for our kids, our family and (when time permits) ourselves. It takes a village but right now our village is all over the place, but we can come together to support each other – we’ve got this – FUCK COVID!