The Things That Have Changed In Families in Lockdown And How They Haven't Really

Many things have changed for families over the past several months from not being able to see friends and extended family members, to holidays and days out being cancelled, to having to school from home. However, there are several things that still look very much the same. In a world that is constantly changing, It may be hard to see the things that have stayed the same and to focus on those good things.

Here are some of the similarities and differences in many family households as we continue into the new year.

Mornings: Things That Have Stayed The Same 

Mornings are still a struggle for most of us even if we’re not leaving the house. While we may have the luxury of having more time to get ready for school and work, these things will still start at a certain time - and everybody knows that deadlines are best completed at the 11th hour. So as parents, we’ll still have to contend with slow-moving children, somebody insisting that they no longer like the cereal they have asked you to buy or somebody in the house waking up on the wrong side of bed. 

Working from home and doing homeschooling should be much easier, right? No navigating the rush hour or dealing with that work colleague you don't get on with. Nope. In spite of not having everybody rush to the door with the right shoes on their feet and the right shirts on their backs, the mornings are still always going to be rushed!

It’s Noisy - All The Time 

Having everyone at home all the time was never going to be a quiet experience – especially when there is no physical place for anybody to go. Peace and quiet have gone out of the window since school started from home. Now that the weather is colder, kids are less likely to be incentivised by being sent out into the garden to play so you can enjoy a cup of coffee in peace. Many of us live in flats too, so there is no outside space. It means less time to ourselves. 

Make sure you try and have some time away from the kids, whether that is a bath in peace or half an hour watching your favourite programmes. It really is relentless.  Check out the top 73 apps for firestick for a choice of TV stations when you've watched everything else on normal tv.

You Get To See Your Kids Progress 

When you send your kids to school all day, you don’t get to see how they’re doing. We’ve all had those ‘How was school?’ ‘Fine’ ‘What did you do?’ ‘Nothing much’ conversations with our kids. It’s hard to know exactly what they’ve learnt about until parent/teacher conference time.

Now that we’re home with our kids and seeing just how much they have picked up in spite of these extraordinary circumstances. At school, you don’t get to see what they retain, what makes them tick and the things they enjoy and grow passionate about in real-time. Sure, you get to see it over time, but this is something so unique and beautiful about the times we are living in. 

We get to see more of how smart, fun, and creative out kids are which is the biggest privilege of them all.

*Collaborative post