Lockdown – Where Have We Been?

Well its been a long time, for the most part we’ve been having a really positive couple of months with happiness and laughter. My writing usual comes out from within when I’m not feeling so good. So my lack of posts is reassuring. Although I would like to find a way to write when I feel well also, I’ll work on it.

My oh my aren’t we all in a “pickle” to just put it lightly. Unsurprisingly my mental health has gone to pot. I’ve been through so many different stages since the lockdown first started.

  1. The Swan household has been isolating from about two weeks before it became official, Poppy was unwell and we were in and out of hospital three times in five days. Nothing serious and she is well but was just a typical Swan start to a pandemic.
  2. Then there was the “bubble” phase, my children were home and safe, I was happy and content during this phase. The garden kept us busy, digging and laying four-ton bags of gravel. It was easily the most distracted and physically stimulating of the phases so far.
  3. Boredom strikes – by far the longest and current phase. This boredom was instigated by Poppy. It came with an almighty bang. The novelty well and truly wore off for Poppy. The garden which is usually her favourite past time wasn’t cutting it. Walks became boring as there isn’t a lot of walks where you can be two metres apart in our village. And of course, we can’t do anything else.

You’ll have to let me know how you guys have been coping through all this. And if you’ve been through any phases that are similar to mine. It might bring me some reassurance it gets better!

As difficult as things are currently in our household with Poppy we’re grateful so far we’ve all been well and safe. I look forward to when I can bring back some of Poppy’s usual routine, a routine that she thrives in. A combination of nursery and home life. Socialising her with other children and environments and making progress.

I was most anxious about nurseries closing when the lock down began, not because I wouldn’t get the break. (Although not going to lie would love one right now!) I knew it would halt Poppy’s general progress. For the first few weeks there wasn’t a massive difference but now you can really tell were heading in the wrong direction. There isn’t a great deal that we can do about it, we’re to plodding along and doing our best.

Oliver turned to me as we both watched Poppy get hand fulls of sand out of the sandpit and dump it on the path. He said, “high-level parenting really goes out the window when there’s a global pandemic.” And he’s right but unfortunately, I still have to be the slightly strict mum that I am to continue re-enforcing those boundaries with Poppy. Because without them it’d be chaos and we’re already pretty close to it!

We’ve reached a level in our house where chocolate has been banned from toddlers. They’ve never had a great deal but Easter really showed what chocolate and boredom make. Which is a child who escapes a gap in the back garden and gives her mother a heart attack.

So Mr Boris Johnson if we could figure out a way to get the Coronavirus thing in hand because Poppy Swan would really like to have her chocolate rights invoked again please!

I joke of course, happily looking forward to a time where things can be semi “normal” again but also hoping everyone reading this is doing their bit and staying safe!

Danielle Swan x

Poppy & Holly Swan April 2020