So this week we officially commence ‘Lockdown Week 5’. How are we all really doing?? As I scroll through social media all the posts I see are telling me what I should be doing, how I should be feeling, what to do with the kids and what ‘work-out’ to try next! I’ve had enough of them all now.

How are we all really doing?

Here in the Hopes’ household we are completely free-styling!

I’m sitting here in my pj’s at 1.05 pm with unwashed hair, eating my fourth cupcake of the day whilst writing this. During the last 4 weeks we have attempted home-schooling. It just so turns out, we’re not that great at it! We’ve attempted various crafty/art sessions and sorted the kids’ bedrooms but have now run completely out of steam. The house is a mess to put it mildly, the washing basket overflowing and our sanity is slowly dwindling. We’re trying to get work done where we can, but the challenge is real. I am seeing lots of lovely family photos online. Those taking their daily exercise, going for bike rides, or nice walks. I love seeing these pictures, but sometimes I do start to wonder if I’m failing at this lockdown-life.

Am I being everything I need to be for my kids and those around me? It really isn’t all cake-making and movie nights.

We’re all in this together I hear a lot. This is true but the reality is so different for each and every one of us. We need to be kind to one another and to ourselves during this time and remember this.

The Reality…

For some this period is full of moments of peace and reflection. A time for reconnecting with friends over FaceTime, or for taking up a new hobby from home.

Some face feelings of lonliness and isolation from friends and loved ones. Lacking the opportunity to have any real physical contact with others. The older generation home alone, unable to navigate online shopping or Zoom calls with family. The future looking bleak.

Vulnerable young people thrust into unstable home environments, with no agency support or daily contact with school or support workers.

Single parents juggling the stress and strain of looking after their children/home-schooling and working from home. No break from any of it, cracking under the pressure.

Other parents struggling to fulfil their work commitments whilst taking responibility for their kids’ education. Small toddlers running wild at home whilst on a conference call perhaps.

Those worrying about their job security and what this all means for their livlihood down the line. The self-employed whose business and income have disappeared overnight, with little idea of when or whether they will financially be able to continue doing what they did before.

Many petrified to go out for their daily exercise or to go to the shops.

There are those AMAZING key workers out there keeping this country going. The delivery drivers, the posties, the shop workers, our teachers, the emergency services. Thank you so much to each and every one of you. We owe you so much. The worry and fear you all face right now must be unreal, the NHS workers especially. To you we salute. To you we are grateful.

The families that have lost loved ones. Unable to be there….

We are all in different boats riding a wave of huge uncertainty.

Be the Best You Can Be…That is All

The point to my blog really is that it’s okay not to be okay at the moment. It’s completely normal to feel like you haven’t got your sh*t together. Don’t believe everything you see on social media. These are the highlights of everyone’s week. The reality behind the scenes is very different. Be kind to others, but more than anything else right now…..be kind to yourself. You don’t have to be the best parent in the world, just the best you can be. That is enough, I promise x x x