Homebuilders – Moving out of lockdown

For many of us, life as we knew it came to a standstill when the country went into lockdown.  While it might not be true for everyone, some of the feedback from families has been an appreciation for having a period of time with reduced pressures.  These have included, but are not limited to:
•    Getting the children up and ready for their respective day-cares/school
•    Getting yourself ready for work
•    Driving to school/work/appointments
•    Taking children to their respective after school activities/playdates
•    Social occasions/social pressures
•    Pressure to make decisions about purchases, be it lunch at work, material items, clothing, or items spotted by the children on a trip around The Warehouse, to name a few.

Furthermore, this period of time has allowed us greater time with our partners and/or children and have required us to be more present and connected with them. Old school games and puzzles have been dusted off.  Activity appears to have increased for many, with almost daily bike rides and walks.  

Moving out of Level 3 and into Level 2 potentially reintroduces these pressures.  So, it’s a good time to re-evaluate, and see where you can possibly retain some of the benefits that lockdown has provided.

Here are some ideas:
•    If getting your child to do homework causes nothing but stress and pressure for both of you, don’t do it.  As you may have discovered during lockdown, your child can learn in many creative ways, such as through cooking, creating, building, reading, playing games.
•    If you’ve managed to successfully work from home, talk to your employer about the possibility of this continuing, even if just for a couple of days per week.
•    Keep up with the family time – games, walks, bike rides, movies, Tik Tok, whatever has bought you joy and connection through lockdown.
•    If life gets busy, there is nothing wrong with beans/spaghetti on toast for dinner (or anything else equally as easy).

Other questions you might want to think about to help you re-evaluate and/or work out what you want to prioritise as we move into Level 2.
•    What in your life, or your child’s life, can you let go of?
•    What are the things you truly missed during lockdown?
•    What are the things you didn’t miss during lockdown?
•    What are the things you enjoyed the most about lockdown?

We also appreciate that some families have found the lockdown period stressful; this may be due to strained relationships, children’s challenging behaviour and money pressures, to name a few. Equally, for these families, it may be time to re-evaluate and this might mean seeking support to help address these challenges. Homebuilders Family Support Services are available to take new referrals from any family in the community requiring this support.

Suzanne Stewart
www.homebuildersfs.org