29/05/2020
Dear parents
This Thursday marks ten full weeks since our schools closed and Sunday since our country went into lockdown.
You have had your children home for more time now than you would if they were on summer holidays. People will say ‘but they are your responsibility’ and while that is true no-one could be expected to have imagined this period before they chose to conceive.
You have protected, nourished, educated, supported and entertained your children during a period of national and international uncertainty and fear. You have experienced emotions for yourself and your family that you never knew existed, never mind experienced before.
This is a long time.
Think about how you feel at the end of the summer holidays, how ready you are for routine, how badly your house needs cleaning, how much work you are ready to catch up on. Remember that exhausting feeling of having so little sleep, much less money and hearing ‘mum/dad’ every time you happen to sit down.
And you wonder why you are exhausted after all this time in lockdown?
You are amazing! You have achieved something no other parent ever has! You have faced this time unable to take your child or children anywhere, no parks, holidays to break up the boredom, no day trips, no family to help. On top of that you have juggled work demands, loneliness on a level never experienced before, information overload from the internet and emotional turmoil of not being able to see people you hold dear. Even getting food to eat has been a major drama!
So it’s ok to feel drained. It’s ok to feel like you would sell your soul right now for five minutes alone. It’s ok to feel uninspired about another day of homeschooling, another day of never ending laundry and cooking.
It’s ok to be so very tired.
It is a long time.
But you have made it.
Be proud of yourself. Stand tall.
History will show you for your courage, your children will remember this period as a time knowing they were safe and loved and teachers everywhere are deeply grateful that you are there for your children when they should be but can’t be.
In short: you are awesome!
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