Lockdown Week 1 (Thurs)

THURSDAY

Okay, so the cracks are starting to show. 

Not so much quiet focus as wilful wind-ups in the morning. The-12 year-old has been hiding the 15-year-old’s stuff – with help from the eight-year-old. There’s been shouting and irritability – mainly from me.

I encourage dog walking – does this count as our exercise, or the dog’s? I’m not convinced that walking slowly in the park and throwing a ball 40 times is how I’d choose to spend my allotted daily exercise time. 

The 15-year-old has decided to grab an opportunity to escape, and offers to take Satchmo out – much to the dog’s delight. The only snag is that she absolutely hates picking up his deposits, and groans heavily when I thrust bags into her hand. The eight-year-old offers to go along too, but the 15-year-old quickly declines and shoots out of the door. 

I just manage to remind her about social distancing before she vanishes. She sighs, but I know she’s worried; I can trust her to be sensible. 

This evening we applaud the NHS alongside the rest of the nation. We do it quietly, but it’s heartfelt.