Lockdown Begins (2020)

And so it begins. Lockdown in the UK started towards the end of March 2020. Being a family photographer I can easily capture this special time that we find ourselves in and I hope to look back on these images in years to come with fond memories. As I write this we are 3 weeks into lockdown and 4 weeks since the schools and childcare closed. I have a 4 year old and 2 year old so as parents along with millions of other families in the UK, we became teachers overnight. I count ourselves lucky that our boys are so young and not in the middle of any exams or more important studies. Apart from a bit of Maths and Phonics for the older one, it’s more about how to keep them interested and occupied all day so that we don’t all go a little insane.

Working from home without one of us being on duty is nigh on impossible. Luckily we have the freedom of dipping in and out of work and not having to work full time. Our days start off watching PE with Joe (Wicks) each morning; I am far more interested in this than the boys of course and is probably going to be the only way I don’t become a hippo over the next few months. I’ve always been a lover of some kind of routine and starting the day with Joe means that we’re not all still slobbing around in our pj’s at 11am.

Another new addition to our day is the Tuck Shop. It’s open at 10.30am and 3pm each day and the boys get a daily allowance and can choose from our price list hanging up on our wall. This has proved to be one of our better ideas as it is teaching them the concept of money, allows us to bribe them (all day) and it has stopped the constant nagging for snacks throughout the day. They know when tuck shop time is and they look forward to it.

I have learnt some interesting things in these first few weeks in lockdown. I won’t list them all (see a previous social media post) but the top three are definitely being a homebody at heart means I’m secretly liking the fact that we don’t have to go out, you can eek out a roll of toilet roll a lot longer than you think and setting your mum up on Zoom takes a lot longer than you think!

I’m sure the novelty of all of this will soon wear thin but for now I am enjoying this time with the boys (and even my husband) and looking forward to learning more things about us all along the way. I also realise we are one of the lucky families in that we don’t have to work on the front line and that the most we have to deal with is not being able to buy the things we want in the supermarket. We are eternally grateful for everyone in the NHS and all other front line key workers who are helping the world go round.

Stay safe everyone. Stay home.