CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN: A MUM'S VIEW ON HOW TO COPE Week 3

I’ve discovered three things this week, firstly I can make Yorkshire’s, secondly that I can get my parents to virtually babysit and thirdly that the five year old can break into a locked bathroom and I have no idea who taught him this. He likes to demonstrate this new skill when I sneak up for an hour's peace in the bath which is fun.

I want to elaborate on the happy accident that is virtual baby sitting as I’m thinking it might help some of you out. My five year old has been really struggling as he is used to lots of one on one time after school with my parents, this has been coming out in crazy emotions and it’s hard for us to manage with a houseful, not much one to one time is available as you can imagine.

So mum suggested for him to take the iPad up to his room and FaceTime her. This lasted three hours! They managed to play snakes and ladders (a dice each and the five year old moved the counters) hangman, charades, various drawing challenges and also a very good demonstration of his football skills with the iPad propped up in the garden.

My advice to anyone who has children that are missing friends or relatives they spend a lot of time with right now is to do this if you can, it’s made such a difference in just a couple of days. Plus it gives the siblings a break from each other as that can get quite full on in our house from time to time. I would highly recommend getting one of those indestructible iPad or phone covers first though, just incase!

It allowed our two year old to have cuddles in peace too as I’m finding the jealousy over affection is ramping up between them the more we are all under one roof.

The only slight downside is that we can’t hear a thing from downstairs when he’s in his room, cue my mum calling me to tell me he had had a poo and I needed to go up and wipe his bum. Also half an hour later to refill his drink to which I found him cuddled up in bed dangling his bottle off the side for me to replenish like I was his servant, which I guess I kind of am.

I might add that he was also in bed eating the aforementioned Yorkshire’s which he knows he is not allowed to do but ‘Nana said it was ok’ (bless my mum). So maybe establish some basic boundaries with your virtual sitter first. Like the no eating in bed rule which has always been in effect in our house since forever.

In other news I managed to sunbathe for 20 seconds since lockdown in the company of the two year old. I thought that was a pretty good achievement!

Find out more about our guest weekly blogger, Sara Witham owner of Evil Empire Marketing by visiting her website https://www.evilempire.co.uk.