Half-Term Lockdown

Week 10. Week 10 of lockdown. Ten weeks of being inside with my small people. Ten weeks of homeschooling. Ten weeks. It certainly feels like a milestone, doesn't it?

In the beginning, we sort of muddled along for a couple of weeks sticking to school start time and length because the schools would be opening again after the Easter holidays, wouldn't they? We had our Easter break, didn't go and visit the grandparents but did manage an Easter egg hunt and it was alright. The kids spent way too much time on screens but it was the holidays.

Then we went back to homeschool and this time there was a lot more direction from the school website. They'd gotten serious. So we stuck to our routine, mixed it up a bit, added some extra breaks and finished a bit earlier because... you know what? Being indoors, all the time, with your kids, all the time, and having to interact with them, all the time, despite any plans you might have to do anything for yourself, they want you all the time! Screen time continues to be a big feature.

I have a day job. Yes, I might be a stay at home mum but I work as well and my work can easily fill an entire day, with no breaks from the moment I get up to the moment I go to bed, late. I am not pushed for things to do. So usually half-term for me would be the resignation of knowing that I'm not going to get anything done for a week because I'll be entertaining the smalls, taking them out, visiting people, going places and having fun.

That feeling of resignation has been my constant companion since lockdown began. Together with parental guilt, varying stages of panic and worry plus a general sense of what the hell???

I have absolutely no idea what we will be doing this half-term apart from not a lot. I need a break from key-stage one maths and English. I don't want to colour-in. I don't think I could watch an animated cartoon/film if you paid me a million dollars and I cannot play another game of snakes and ladders.

But hey, it's not all doom and gloom. We've got another 7 weeks of school and then... the summer holidays!!

See you on the other side. Maybe.

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.