Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
The trials and tribulations of 'Social Distancing'
For our kids, who are both only children, the impact of lockdown has been immense. They have had no siblings to bounce off, in a positive or negative way. They are demanding of their parents, who are both full-time working mums and have conducted themselves for most of the time in a normal, emotional, underwhelmed and overwhelmed manner. With moods swinging dependant on anything irrational, incomprehensible, ungrounded and therefore completely normal!
Today they found their usual sanctuary, and trust, in each other. Their camaraderie is truly amazing and strangely comforting, I feel as a parent it is something that I have yet to fully achieve with him. I found it hard to tear them apart and to commence the journey back home when our normal routine would have been a bottle of wine or two and an overnight stay.
For me, with a father who does not have the internet, a computer or a modern mobile phone, today has been one of the most humbling, emotional, yet absolutely enjoyable days of lockdown so far. I also have to admit I did break the lockdown rules to cut my father’s hair, if only to avoid him at 82 looking like the mad professor from ‘Back to the Future’, I did however wash my hands thoroughly afterwards!