Attitude Adjustment

As seasoned home educators, the thing I’ve heard a lot over the last few days is ‘Oh, you guys are used to this – won’t be too much of a change eh?’ (or words to that effect). But no, just like the rest of the country, our world has been turned upside down. Not going to our regular groups and classes, not seeing friends and family, not going freely outside, is just as discombulating for us as for everyone else.

Yesterday we attempted a “normal” day of home ed, we did work in the morning (Sophia had her Latin lesson over Skype, they all did music practice, maths/reading eggs and we played some board games), had a break after lunch whilst they did a treasure hunt for each other and then we went on a rainbow-spotting walk through the ghost town of our estate before dinner. This morning, we started with a Joe Wicks PE workout on youtube and then did some cosmic kids yoga. And then I was so overcome with anxiety and fatigue that I offered them a day off work which was eagerly received.

After some teething issues (translation: fighting, sobbing siblings), the boys are now happily building a theme park out of lego and Sophia is baking. I’m working through a backlog of covid-19 related Forest School admin (or was before I wrote this) whilst trying to wrestle with the constant stream of worries circulating round my head. Last week my anxiety was work-based, it consumed my thoughts. This week, it’s about my jaw! I accidentally tried to chew something without thinking on Friday and Eli then hit me in the same spot over the weekend which has resulted in pain, swelling and restricted movement where there wasn’t any previously. Last week my surgeon said to contact him if any such things happened as I’m only 4 weeks out from surgery. So I spoke to an on-call doctor yesterday over the phone who said give it a few days and of course, now I can’t stop thinking about it! It’s probably just my body’s response to protect itself after the new trauma but worst case scenario, I’ve caused damage to my jaw and the plates which would need repair. I think deep down I know it’s the former but now I am obsessively looking at my face and comparing it with pictures of last week to assess the extent of the new swelling.

To be honest, at the moment, as a natural born worrier, I think I’m prone to just grabbing any little thing to obsessively stress about. But that doesn’t have to be the case, I can own it but I don’t have to succumb to it. Because, as I said to the kids, we can make this lockdown much easier or much harder based on our behaviour and attitude. So it’s time to adjust my mindset!

Misery loves company as they say. So if we all mope around the house, feeling sorry for ourselves and bickering endlessly, it’s going to be a really long few weeks stuck at home. But if we try and focus on the positives, devising new ways to have fun, work on keeping our cool and communicating effectively then things are going to be a heck of a lost better! (When I say ‘we’ I am mostly just referring to my rabble, not casting aspersions as to what the rest of you lot are up to!)

So here are my positives, if you’d like to share yours in the comments below that’d be AMAZING:

• We are healthy and safe
• The sun is shining and the sky is blue (and for the third day running no less!)
• We have a roof over our heads, food in our cupboards and clothes on our backs
• We’ve put a tent up in the garden and the kids are into their second hour of moving all their wordly posessions out there and showing no sign of stopping!
• My family and friends are all healthy and safe
• Whilst I can’t eat much for another 3-4 weeks, I can still drink tea and eat ice cream
• Due to the wonders of technology, we can stay in touch with those we love
• I have an endlessly cheery yellow hoody, new enough to still make me happy whenever I wear it
• This crisis has brought out countless stories of the goodness of humanity, helping those that need it and generally being lovely and kind to each other
• Local communities are going to great lengths to safely share useful information and provide entertainment for kids (rainbow walk anyone?!)
• Dan and I already both work from home so we can still work
• I’ve got loads of free time to write
• We’re still allowed outside to exercise – moorland runs, here I come!
• We’ve got a whole backlog of home ed work that we were planning on doing that’ll keep us busy for a while
• I’m married to an absolute joker, who is absolutely keeping our spirits up
• Dan has an awesome server (his contribution to this list!)
• No one appears to be panic buying the chocolate ice cream

A short story (of simple pleasures)

Music coursed through her veins as she shed her jacket and slipped off her shoes. The sun was streaming through the bay windows and as she surveyed the scene in front of her, she basked in it’s warmth. The smell of jasmine tea brewing permeated every corner of the flat and she gathered her easel and paints and moved them into the sunlight. The beat of the music was rhythmic, infectious, and fast; she turned it up louder.

She took a few minutes to look at the view outside and then started to paint what she saw. The council gardeners had done a beautiful job on the communal green space opposite. Luscious green lawn was punctuated by bursts of colour as flowers bloomed joyously in their beds. Beyond the green, she could just see the sea, waves gently lapping at the shore, beach almost non existent, submerged by the spring high tide. It was mid-morning now and people were starting to migrate outdoors; runners moving steadily along the promenade, mothers and children playing in the park, teenagers and students lounging in strategically placed groups.

She painted until her hands ached, until she was happy with the result. She stopped to get some food from her small galley kitchen and ate it with the windows wide open, summer air streaming in, full of glorious scents and snatches of music played by the students on the grass. She spotted the time and realised she was going to be late; grabbing her towel and costume, she locked the door and walked quickly across the green.

The tide was starting to recede and on a patch of newly dry sand, a welcoming smile met her. Not wanting to waste a minute of the day, they changed and before long, were dancing in the surf, acclimatising to the chill of the water before finally diving in to start swimming beyond the shallows. The friends swam further than expected, along the shore until they reached the edge of the bay. Exhilirated, they clambered out and onto the rocks to soak up the summer sun. The friends talked, simulatenously about everything and nothing, relaxing and enjoying each other’s company. Time slowly sped by and soon they dove back in, swimming back to their spot on the beach. There, they resumed their chat, from the comfort of their towels.

They spent the rest of the afternoon sharing; their thoughts, their feelings, their food. As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, they parted ways and she strolled towards home, salty hair blowing gently on the evening breeze. She stopped and sat for a while on the green, enjoying the quiet and the mild summer’s evening. Eventually, she let herself back into her small home and put on some music. She tidied away her things from the day accompanied to a different music than that which started her day. It was mellow, soulful, relaxed. To start and end a day with music, filled her with joy.

Eventually, she climbed into bed, still smelling of the ocean. That these days happen are not a certainty she thought, but when they come around, the happiness is sublime.

A day of simple pleasures.