Lockdown - The Positives

Well, it is safe to say that 2020 has not worked out quite how we expected.  It has been a tough and very uncertain time for us all.  We have all read the various news reports and a lot of rumour.  It is easy to get lost in all the fear, so I have decided to write a nice, light and positive post about our time in lockdown.




Routine

We are lucky that James is still working and that has given us some routine, our little bit of normal.  The children are home and home schooling them has given us some insight into what they learn at school.  Normally when we ask them what they had done that day, they would reply "Not much" or "the usual".  Their teachers set out weekly lesson grids for us to follow, thank goodness!! We keep to their school day as much as possible. 'lessons' start at 9am, they get their break at 10:30 and so on until 3.  Keeping them to a routine is important for them.  It isn't easy but it is worth every second.

Exercise

We have been taking Belle out on walks, doing Yoga, PE with Joe and even step aerobics!! It has been a struggle some days, for me especially with my PMDD, but keeping active and getting fresh air is really important.  Thankfully, we can now get out and about for longer now so we will be having longer walks.  Got to burn off all that energy they seem to have!

Reading

With university finished until October, wooohooo, I now have more time to work through my to read pile.  We encourage the kids to read as much as possible as it is a great way to escape, learn and it is fun too.  At the moment I am reading The Pianist, Liam is reading Black Beauty and Sophie is reading Beauty and the Beast.  Reading has always been my favourite way to relax.



Learning Something New

At the moment I am learning to play the violin.  It is something I have wanted to do for many years and now seemed like the perfect time to finally go for it. It has been interesting and worth the tears and tantrums when I don't get it right first time. (Yes, I know I can't expect to get everything right first time) Liam has been learning to play the guitar, taking after his dad, and Sophie has been right into art and crafts.

I have also been doing mini courses through The Open University's Open Learn option.  They have various free taster courses to give you some insight into what you can learn on the courses. You receive a statement of participation at the end of each course.  They are a great way to learn new subjects and keep your mind active.  You can access the website here


So that is everything we have been getting up to over the last couple of months.  There has also been a fair amount of binge watching our favourite shows too!! Oh, and me dancing around when I should be doing housework. What? It makes it more fun!!