1

 Insights over Lockdown by Jenny Carroll

Theoverarchingquestionis,“whywerethingsthewaytheywere?”.Itisalltooeasythesedaysandinspiteofyourbestintentionstofindyourselfaslavetoconsumerismandgreed,wrappedupinyourownselfishworldandthoughts.Covidhastaughtustoalwaysthinkofothersandhowouractionsaffectdifferentmembersofoursocietyandofwhatisreallyimportanttousasafamilywhichistimetogether,ourhealthandappreciatingthenaturalbeautyofourworldandalsonotbeinginarushallthetimeandthereforehavingthegiftoftimeandspacetotrulyliveinthepresent

MyhusbandwasneverallowedtoworkfromhomebuthasbeendoingsonowsinceMarchandreallytherewasnoreasonforhimtositinanoffice5daysaweek.Hisdailycommutehasbeenreducedfromover2hourstowalkingdownthestairs.Thoseprecioushourshavebeeninvaluabletousasafamily.

OurthreechildrenwereprobablylivingquiteseparatelivespriortoCovid.Duringtheweektheywereallbusywiththeirownindividualinterestsandschedules.Now,however,theyhavebecomemuchclosertoeachandenjoyeachother’scompanyfarmorethantheydidbefore.

Home-schoolformehasbeeninterestingtosaytheleast.IIhavefoundPrimarySchoolworkeasierthanPreschoolasI’mprettyhopelessatartsandcrafts.Happytosaythough,thatmyskillshaveimproved.Itakemyhatofftoteachers,theyareincredibly

multi-talentedindividuals.

PLAYING AND LEARNING TOGETHER OUTDOORS

NewsletterZoomingJSPPSOC

1

MyViewfromHome

LauraFieldAs a Mum to two Smallies, I approached theconcept of lockdown with a mixture ofdetermina:on, curiosity and a gripping senseof dread. I enjoy being a stay-at-homeMum,butIknowthatIrelyoncertainpropstomakethelifestyleworkable:helpandcompanyfromour family,my son’sMontessori sessionswiththefabulouscrewatJSS,lotsofmeet-upswithother mums and kids at various play centreswhere I can half-assure myself that, while Ican’tseeeitherofmychildren,theyarealmostcertainlytheonesthrowingalltheballsoutofthe ball pit, and the odd night away whichtends to end with myself and my husbandlookingat funnyvideosofour two terrors.Allofthesethingstypicallycometogethertohelpkeep our days (andmy sanity) happily :ckingover,andgiveusallahealthybalanceof:metogetherand:mewithothers.

So, in earlyMarch,when the restric:ons tookhold and my daily structures evaporated, thewholearrangementneededabitofare-think,asourworldcontractedto just the fourofus,our garden and the nearby park. The posi:vepart ofme felt uncharacteris:cally exhilaratedbytheideaof‘geIngbacktobasics’anddoingsome seriously craJy Mumming, armed onlywithafewFairyLiquidboNles,aboNleofPVAglueandanaNrac:veapron.Therealis:cpartofmeskippedforwardsafewweeks,however,to visionsofme slumped in the cornerof thekitchen, covered in fish fingers and beans,watching resignedly as my children upturnedt h e c e r e a l b o x e s w h i l e ‘ I n t o t h eUnknooooooown ’ p l ayed on i n t hebackground. Turns out, the whole experiencehasbeenamixtureofboth,a ‘coronacoaster’,asoneofmyMumfriendscalledit–aseriesofupsanddowns.

On dayswhenwe’ve all had a remotely goodsleep, life in lockdown can seem fairly simple,andmakemewonderwhyIwaseverinsucharush to leave the house for a horribly weakcoffeeandamildconcussionatSoJPlayinthefirstplace.We’vehaddayswherewe’vestartedwith gusto: chaIng away on our Zoomstory:me calls with my son’s Montessorifriends,which is alwaysanadorablemonkey’s

teapartyofabouteight liNlefaces loominginandoutofshot,adultarmshois:ngsmallpeople back into place, and frequent non-sequiturslike‘ILIKEYOURCATERPILLAR,IT’SMY BIRTHDAY IN SEVEN MONTHS!!’ or‘KNOCK KNOCK! Who’s there? A HOUSEWITHWINDOWS!’Allofwhichhasaffordedus a brief but encouraging view into thesimilarity of other families’ lockdown life.We’ve made rock-solid biscuits, rummagedthrough the recycling to find things toSellotapetogether,poppedopenthepotsofbluey-brownplaydoh,andfaced-offwiththeexaspera:ng Magic Sand. An idle driJaroundtheparkhasturnedintoahappyfewhoursofexploringwoods,buildingnestsforfoxes (complete with bits of cream crackerand raisins), and bracing games of PlopStones (throw a stone in the river. Whosemade the biggest plop noise? Perhaps I’llpatentit).

Otherdays,however,notsogreat.Agrizzlynight, combined with genuine concern forunwellfamilymembersandahugesadnessat being apart, can make the next day oflockdown seem endless and acutely lonely.Our craJy ac:vi:es have endedwith us allgeIng frustrated, our walks have been:ring and frac:ous with both childrenimplemen:ng social distancing ‘TO THEMAX’ and running off in completelyopposite direc:ons, and our aJernoonshave been spent squabbling, watchingFrozen 2, slightly deliberately all barging inon my husband’s conference calls andwai:ng for wine bed:me. It’s during these:mes that I feel the lack of our supportnetwork the most. I enjoy spending :mewith my children but I am also hugely

1

upliJedby seeingmine andmyhusband’s lovefor our children being reflected back andamplifiedbytheirextendedfamily,SoImissthebiNersweetfeelingofmissingmychildrenwhenthey go for sleepovers and excitedly openingphotosofmysoncrashingabout inGranddad’sshedandmydaughtercuddlingwithherNana.Imiss hearing the giggles on playdates, aschildren devise games that only another kidcouldfollow.Ontrickydays,wemissthesupportofourgang.

Astheweekshavepassed,lockdownhastaughtmetotakeeachdayasitcomesandnotaimtoohigh. Idon’t think it’spossibletobeeverythingto your children, and I think that’s where thepressure,forme,lies–Idon’thavethegenuineenergy to entertain all day. So, I’ve graduallylearnedtotakethepressureoffand‘goslow’,asitcan feelas thoughthereareabillionhoursadaytofill,sonorush. Itdoesn’treallymaNerifthereisn’taclearplanfortheday,ifthechildrenare doing something…leave them…make a cupof tea…eat some leJover Easter egg behind acupboard door…. I’ve learnt a lot from justlistening to the mad inner monologue of myson’sgames;whatittakestoentertainhimisn’tasdemandingasIthought.Thecapacityofsmallchildren to adapt and entertain themselves isremarkable; their ability to accept the new,strange,quieterworldordercanbeinspiring.So,whilelockdownhasn’tnecessarilybeeneasy,it’sdefinitely been a useful lesson forme and oneI’llhopefullytakewithmeintothefuture.

NOTES FORM THE EDITOR

WehaveallfacedthechallengeofCovid19.Wehavealllearnedandadapted.Parents,teachersandpupilscanalltakeabow.

Welookforwardtoourcomingtermwithhopeandcourage.

LookoutforourcommunicationsonstaffingplansandarrangementswhicharecurrentlybeingaddressedbyourwonderfulteamofteachersandBoardofManagement.

Thesewillbeappearinginyourinboxinthecomingweeks.

Bestwishes,MaryTelford,Chairperson,BoM.