It’s been an amazing lesson in what’s important in life
Storrington resident Clair Brown has detailed the highs and lows of seeing through the lockdown while being selfemployed with a family.
We are a family of four, plus a dog, cat and rabbit. Our family consists of me – a self-employed bookkeeper working from home, Ian – a full-time employee working as a machine operator, and our two boys – Jacob, 14, who attends Steyning Grammar School, Shooting Field, and Oliver, 12, who attends Steyning Grammar School, Rock Road.
Today (Saturday, April 4) marks day 13 of the boys having no school, and day six of Ian being home from work.
I woke at 7am this morning, and as I have each morning since the whole COVID-19 lockdown began, my first thought, is this real or am I dreaming?
I get up, shower and brush my hair and teeth as I always did, and wake the boys. My husband is already awake and downstairs eating his breakfast in preparation for taking the dog for his first walk of the day.
At this point not much is different to before lockdown. My boys come down and have breakfast, and then set up tables and laptops in the lounge in preparation to start the online school work that is being set each day by school.
I am very proud of how my boys have taken this big change in their stride and just get up and get on. I park myself in my office as I always did and work my way through the now endless emails.
I would normally struggle with stress from the added pressure this crisis has brought to my workload, but I am just grateful I still have a job and am managing to earn some money for my family.
Ian is finding the experience of being home rather challenging, and although the weather is being kind to us at the time, and so making it easier for him to potter in the garden, he is finding it hard to stay busy.
As a family we are also taking time to consider those around us, for whom this is far more challenging.
We live in a road where we are surrounded by many older people. We have put notes through neighbours’ doors offering help and support with shopping and prescription collection, and to date have had many neighbours take up the offer.
As a family the things we are finding most challenging about lockdown, are periods of boredom, not seeing grandparents who we previously spent each Sunday with. We are now using facetime to communicate, and this evening are taking part in a family quiz using Zoom.
The boys are struggling with not seeing friends and socialising. We are also at times are finding the 24/7 being in each other’s company challenging, and have over the past two weeks had many disagreements, which I think probably stems from lack of personal space.
I am also at times struggling with trying to support the boys learning, a few times they had said they are stuck and asked for my help, but when I look at the work, I just have no idea.
The other biggest worry is money, or lack of it as Ian isnt working and me being selfemployed mean I rely on my clients’ businesses surviving this challenging time, to enable my bills to get paid.
Things we are enjoying are the lack of time pressure, we can do things are our own pace, and spend the best parts of the day outside in the garden or out with the dog, enjoying the weather.
I also feel this has been an amazing lesson in what’s important in life.