Life: Life in Lockdown

Hello! I wanted to write a post to document this strange world that we’re currently living in. I started writing this quite a few weeks ago, after coming back from a supermarket shop – it was my first proper shop since lockdown began (going out in the car was amazing!) and so my first time experiencing the trolleys being wiped down before using them, the in-store markings to show the 2m distance rule and the screens around the tills. As I waited in the queue I just thought about how surreal everything feels and how it’s like we’re in a film. Imagine if someone had told us a year ago that 2020 would be mostly spent battling a horrid virus, that we’d be told to keep away from loved ones and that all schools would be shut – you just wouldn’t believe it.

Queuing for the supermarket

So what has lockdown been like for us? Well, Chris’ office closed earlier than most and so he has been at home since mid March – a big change for us as usually he’s away in London for 3 days a week. Florence’s nursery closed the following week (she only does one day) and then we went into full lockdown mode. The day we went into lockdown Florence came down with a temperature and a strange cough so we had to self-isolate completely for two weeks with no food shopping or venturing out apart from a walk. Not sure whether it was Covid as she had just started at a new nursery (nursery germs!) but who knows…I also didn’t feel great and had a cough for a while but if it was the virus then we had it very mildly.

I am a freelance social media manager and have one main client and another just coming onboard. My main client (very understandably) has cut my hours down and my new client is on hold until everything settles down, which although is not ideal, it’s quite helpful as means that I can spend most of my time focusing on the Flo bear – mainly keeping her out of Chris’ office. We have had numerous occasions where I’ve had to burst into his office to take her out, occasionally in my dressing gown. Awkward!

On the whole though, I feel like we’re very lucky and although I have the odd day where I have anxious flutters, most of the time I feel fine. Missing family has been the hardest part, and being sad for our families for missing out on Florence time. But we have a garden, the weather has been mostly lovely and we are not having to go out to work every day like many people. We’ve got into a nice daily routine where Chris wakes up with Florence and I have some time to either get ready or do half an hour of cleaning. The day will then be spent with Florence and we don’t see Chris much as he’s in a lot of conference calls. I have been loving our daily walks and it’s always nice to chat to neighbours (from afar!). We’ll do the evening bedtime routine and then make dinner and watch something on TV – we’re currently enjoying Curb Your Enthusiasm.

It’s been an adjustment going from having one day a week to myself, plus times when I have help with parenting from my parents or Chris’ to it all being on Chris and I. The first day of lockdown I cried at the realisation but we’ve got used to it and when she returns to nursery (we’ve delayed it a little to July if all is OK) I know I’ll find it hard being away from her.

The local park all taped off

As I write this post today, the rules have been relaxed slightly and from Monday we can have gatherings with up to 6 people in a garden. I think it’s going to be tricky with Florence as all the family want to do is cuddle her but it will be lovely to be together again.

I am going to share a post soon with 10 of the silver linings that have come out of lockdown for me but I think I’ve written enough for this post today. I hope everyone is doing well and can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Obviously life isn’t going to be  ‘normal’ for a long time but hopefully the easing of everything will help and of course, my heart goes out to anyone who is struggling or has lost loved ones during this strange and sad time.