Life in lockdown
Liana Shaw speaks to parents about their working from
home/home-schooling struggles during lockdown
They say it takes a village to raise a child. I think we
have all discovered that during this topsy-turvy year
so far, there have been real examples of us banding
together as a community to give some sense of
normality amongst the chaos.
Speaking of chaos; how was your lockdown? How was
your experience of working at home (if you did) with children
around? Every family is different and at the end of the day, as
I said to many of the families I work with, it was a ‘please do
what’s best for you’ situation.
Unless you are Obama, who called this pandemic back in
2014 (seriously, check out the video on this that’s floating
around the internet, who knew he could see the future?), no
one was expecting 2020 to be turned on its head so drastically.
Especially not children.
It was so interesting to hear the different experiences
of others, especially when it came to how they taught and
looked after their children. As I work with children, I know
that this has had a huge impact on them, and I have nothing
but admiration for their resilience – and that extends to their
families too!
As humans, we are naturally very adaptable. We’ve had to be.
Personally, there were times I missed the children I work with.
Their laughter, their hugs. Their wonderful ideas and energy.
It’s hard trying to communicate with young minds through a
screen. Whilst I’m very thankful for the technology (education
wouldn’t have been the same without it), there is always a little
something lost in the transmission of yourself. But it made me
appreciate how much I relish being in a classroom, how much
I relish the laughter and the connectivity. Like a little hive of
bees. It is not to be taken for granted.
Thank you to those who got in touch to share your
thoughts. It can be hard to talk and share, especially in times
of struggle. Though it wasn’t all bad, your stories of strength
and determination and that ‘let’s get on with it’ attitude, have
been enlightening. Here are some of your stories*.
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