Tag Archives: #covid-19

So, They Closed His School. Is It Really A Surprise? #90DaysBlogChallenge #Covid-19

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Today’s writing prompt for my #90DayChallenge: ‘what’s on your mind right now, what’s happening?’

Well, as I write this rather a lot. I sit here in the early afternoon multitasking, which is even more of the new norm for me since the pandemic. (I shared how much my day and life has changed in a blog post here.) At this moment in time I’m surrounded by school books, pens, paper, pencils, the washing, and the normal content of my kitchen, my son is having lunch and has his nose in his tablet watching a movie. Pretty normal right? But, I’m in a state of shock. On one hand I ask myself should I really be, is there really a surprise here?

The prompt is to just write about whatever’s on your mind, in all honesty I have so much, I don’t even know where to start. I’m sorry if I seem as though I’m rambling. *Sighs*

This morning I got the one call I really hoped that I would never have to answer. A parent who is also a friend, and their child attends the same lovely school as my son called me to say ‘they’ve closed the school.’ I was like, ‘what?’ In a nutshell last night an email circulated, and teachers made contact to let parents know there has been two cases of Covid-19 confirmed. One teacher and one child. Now, no doubt I never got that contact as some of you may recall, I never returned my son to school. I opted to home-school since September. This decision was made after listened to the evidence, news, science, government and still was not sure about the safety of schools reopening. I then spoke to a friend of mine who is a scientist in Brazil. He forwarded research that published that day, confirming that as we know now kids carry the virus with no symptoms etc. It does not mean in any case that they are ‘safe’ and not at risk. After all they could and do transmit it to others.

At the time, I may have been a bit overprotective, but now I so glad I made that choice. Schools have only been open technically half a term- six weeks. Already his school is at risk.

In all honesty, this virus Covid-19 is serious and it makes me so mad when there are people in power, tweeting, ranting, and showing bravado that ‘it’s not that serious’ ‘ I’m immune now I’ve had it’ etc. It’s just rubbish and gives the wrong message about how serious this thing is. It’s kinda really hit home to me today, just how much we must be careful!

After I received that phone call, right when I was in the middle of a math problem with my son LOL I felt like I could not even continue to teach, or focus on it. I had so many questions, who is the child? Who is the teacher? What class was it? Of course, the parent who called me could not give me details. They didn’t even know, the teacher who made contact would not or could not I should say disclose this information. We’re all none the wiser.

Over the course of the morning I’ve been in contact with friends who have older children, they too told me that at their child’s school there have been cases. Even the parent that called me also said, their older child who has just started the secondary school ( high school) phase just September gone, also was sent home last week– one case at their school in their actual class. To add to the fact that the school their younger child attends with my son, is also now closed.

Jessss, does it ever end?, I wondered. As of now, I am really concerned about the state of the world with this pandemic. But happy that I made the decision to home-school as I could. I pray for every parent who reads this or does not even read this, who has a child in school. I send positive energy, there’s a bubble with some kind of protection that surrounds your child as they move through school, mix with other kids, teachers, and members of society that are not part of the family.

All I can say is keep well everyone! Please take this pandemic seriously. I know it’s hard, I know lock-down was even harder and by the looks of it, parts of the UK are under this threat, as are many other parts of the world. Keep your eyes and ears open, do what you can to protect yourself and others. Never feel as though you’re being ‘too scared or over protective’ by making certain decisions, keeping distances, not meeting up etc. I have no doubt many friendships have suffered. But, if people are really any friend of yours they will understand, and care about their safety and yours. make use of the Internet and communicate with cameras etc.

So the question is for me, is there really any surprise that the school has closed? Nope, I guess not when you look at the statistics around the world. And locally where I am. I just never once expected Covid-19’s impact to get so ‘close to home’ the school is literally at the bottom of the road LOL. It’s close! I have no idea what happens after half term, which is coming up. But all I know is looks like home-school is here to stay.

Wherever you are keep well.

90 Days of Writing: Average day and Routine? #90dayBlogChallenge.

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I woke up this morning in a very good mood, not that I don’t normally but today just felt like I had an extra spring in my step. I don’t know if it’s because release day is nearing for me, or just from reading some very uplifting books these last few days. Either way it felt good as I fixed my morning tea and thought about what’s on today’s to-do list.

I can hardly believe that we’re already in October and if I’m honest, it’s always in the last quarter or so of the year I personally get more productive. Whether this be with writing and/or personal goals. This year it’s been very different, the Covid-19 pandemic in a very ironic way pushed me to get more done. I was and still am at home so often, that I have not much choice put to get on with what I should be doing, around managing the household.

So anyway, this morning I woke up and realised, ‘damn it’s already October’ and I felt like I really wanted to focus my time on my personal blogging. I’ve had this blog/official author site since 2016. Back in the day I did a hella-lot of blogging and writing prompts. I slowed down though because of other projects. I decided I’ll do my very own blog challenge that I included in my writer’s reference book , and respond to all the blog challenge topics myself as we close out 2020! Reason being 1. to actually do the challenge myself 2. allow you a little more of a glimpse into me the person, and my life 3. as mentioned I felt like I wanted to spend more time on my blog, personally rather than just featuring others and posting reviews etc. it’s been a while since it’s had a ‘personal touch.’ If your interested you can find out more here on this page, ‘personal blogs n’ rambles’. The funny thing is in the book I’ve set the challenge from the months October- December so it’s perfect timing LOL.

Also I’d like to say do join in with me on the prompts and topics, feel free to link back to this page! I’d love to actually spend more time reading personal blogs of others. Back to that habit I developed years ago. Use #90DayBlogChallenge if you’re onboard.

My Average Day and Routine?

I really wish my day was that simple, wake up, coffee, the rest… since March my average routine has flip itself upside down, around, backwards, and God knows where else. The reason? Yep you guessed it Covid-19. Here’s what my day looks like now as we move through this second wave of the virus in Europe.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday

7.00a.m: Alarm goes off, I moan, curse ,and generally ask myself WTF it’s time already? by 7.30ish I’m out of bed.

7.30-8.00a.m: coffee, tea, or a herbal tea, switch the heating on if it’s chilly, sit down at the kitchen table, express my gratitude for the day and think about what needs to be done today. Quick check of emails.

8.00-8.30a.m: Most days I try to fit in about twenty to thirty minutes Yoga. I really like Vinyasa, Astanga more dynamic yoga in the morning to wake me up! During the summer when I started this new routine, I’d take my yoga mat out onto the patio and practice there. If it’s chilly I’ll practice in the kitchen lol.

8.30a.m: Wake everyone up! Make breakfast, then I jump in the shower and get ready for the day.

9.30a.m: Shower time and dress my son.

10.00a.m: Home school starts! Now this is the major change to my average day since the pandemic. My son has not returned to school since they opened, closed, then opened again. I’ve made the decision to home school until the risk with Covid-19 is a little less. I would rather my son goes to school and has social interaction, yes. But in all honesty health first. I know maybe I’m over protective so much so that I will disrupt my ability to work and earn to home school, but there are ‘vulnerable at risk people’ in the house. The thought of him bringing the virus home (sans symptoms as kids don’t have them), then passing it around. Or him becoming very ill in anyway frankly, it freaks me out. We focus on all the subjects for his age, the national curriculum for his key stage, and we follow the work sent home from school etc.

12.30p.m/ 1-ish until around 2pm: Lunch time. I’ll prepare something, or we’ll have something from the night before. As we all take a break from the day, I allow my son to watch his tablet if he wants, or play a game. Generally he gets to chill. I will check on emails, calls, anything I need to do. Sometimes if need be we’ll eat then head straight out to run errands.

2.00p.m- 4.30ish: Back to home school. We will change topics and/or subjects.

5.00p.m- 7.00p.m: Me time! Finally I get to chill and do as I please. My son will go off and take his time also.

7.00pm: Cook dinner.

by 8.00pm: We all eat!

9.00p.m until bed time: Family time, chill time, reading, writing, enjoyment at home. I actually will do my ‘day job’ around this time I work from home part time.

So Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday that’s generally my ‘pandemic routine’ before this there would be no home school. My son would be at school, I would work and write in the days.

Wednesday officially there’s no school, my son only ever did four days a week anyway. This is a day of rest for us all and enjoyment. I may write a lot on a Wednesday, catch up with work in the evening. On the weekend Saturday and Sunday we take it as it comes, wake up whenever,eat whenever,get dressed whenever and general it’s whatever and whenever I love it. The changes to my week and days has been a lot to get use to. But we’ve managed, it’s working very well. In all honesty I see the improvement in my son’s overall educational abilities from the one to one focus. As mentioned I do really hope that he can return to his normal traditional school soon. But only when this ‘second wave’ is not so risky.

How does your day or routine look? Has it changed since the pandemic? How do you feel now with the changes? Let me know below, join in the blog challenge link it back if you want or comment

Daily Gratitude Challenge Day #11: The Here and Now #DailyGratitudeChallenge

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A few weeks back I discovered this really cool blog challenge by Suzy Speaks. I did one challenge for day 16,  which was based on hobbies and interests. Today I’m dipping in at day #11, what I’m grateful for in the here and now.

To be honest, I just wrote and shared an article about the impact on children and Covid-19, based on science. I shared some key research. Once I finished writing it I said to myself, ‘thank God for…’ and now wish to express that gratitude and take part in this challenge.

Here and Now…

I’m extremely grateful for the fact that I’m a ‘lucky parent.’ I wish to acknowledge this, and express gratitude for it. I am in a position where  I can take control and decide the fate, long term health, and care of my child. I can decide whether to send him back to school during this pandemic or not. Finance and money have no major say in it. I’m thankful that if my son stays home, we will not be financially impacted in a way that means my family will not eat. I work from home,  my hours I can decide what time of day or night I work. Which means I just have to swap around my working life. Yes it’s true I will be very tired by doing this LOL yes it’s true I may not make as much money as during the day I need to home-school and care for him, but we will eat! I wish to extend a prayer to all families who will be impacted on, as they need to leave the house and the kids go to school. Therefore finance and money are the deciding factor, or for whatever reason they are pushed to send them back.

 

I wish to express gratitude for my career before I became an author, the ten years I spent in the classroom as a teacher. From this I am able to carry out home-schooling confidently. I wish to extend a prayer for those parents who may not feel as confident, and leave you this website with home-schooling resources, every country can access it. https://www.twinkl.co.uk/

Personal Development

I want to express gratitude as during this pandemic, I’ve blogged about it before it has allowed me to make some wonderful progress! Writing two books and completing one novella. I’m about to finish a second novella too. Not only that I’ve been on a personal development journey. I completed a Reiki course, and just enrolled on a Yoga and Pilates teacher course online. Purely as during ‘lock down’ I had to keep myself amused in the house, what could I do? I found some online courses to kill time.

About ten years ago or maybe just over I started a Yoga teacher’s course, but circumstances did not allow me to finish it. This time all these years later I would like to, and aim to complete my course. I also have had a chance to go back to practicing both Yoga and Pilates which has been a blessing, to help kill time at home.

Writing

I’d like to express gratitude for my talent as a writer, just because I want to put that thankfulness out there! I’ve started a journaling challenge for the next twenty one days too, I would like to express gratitude for this opportunity, blog, and article I read about finding me randomly. It seems like a brilliant way to get through these tough times that might ahead with how life has changed with the pandemic.

Interaction, Social Media and the Internet Radio

This is going to sound weird, but I would die without my Internet radio, and the BBC World News Service station. I don’t watch TV at all, I prefer books and the radio, music or YouTube. Plus my son takes it over so I barely watch it. I would like to express gratitude for technology which allows us to all keep up to date with what is happening in every corner of the world, from the comfort of our own homes.

And everyone or anyone who has picked up a book of mine over the pandemic read it, reviewed it, or reached out to me and made contact. Also everyone who follows and reads my random blog posts and rants I’d like to express my gratitude in the here and now for all of you. What are you grateful for? Join in with Suzy Speaks #DailyGratuitudeChallenge and write it down.