The sunny side of lockdown life
Grania Dear explains what she's been doing in lockdown, and discusses the positives and negatives that the lockdown has brought.
Lockdown has caused the past two months to be littered with both bonuses, like the extra time for relaxing, and drawbacks, like the abrupt end of schools, which meant the loss of an essential part of growing up and moving on for Year 11s and 13s: the end of year partying, the goodbyes, and the end of exam celebrations.
Schooling at home is something else! The work is set and I do it like I would if I were in class, yet it seems to go on for longer than the school day. Mum has become my new face-to-face teacher! And while my teachers are supportive, it doesn’t feel the same, not seeing them.
However, in all of the struggles, loss and difficulty there are positives: I love the time at home, always seeing my pets. I go on walks with my dog, enjoying the fresh air with them and get some exercise in, and I can be with my guinea pigs all day if I want to! The only drawback is that the guinea pigs probably feel that they are being constantly pestered! Another great bonus is that I can eat food whenever I want to, and it is fresh, not stuffed into a sweaty sandwich box.
Of course, going on walks has become more difficult; it becomes almost dance-like when someone is approaching me and we have to manoeuvre in order to stay two metres away from each other. People seem to freak out when they see me coming, as the initial panic of where they’re going to run and hide sets in, but being able to walk in the sun and get away from the confines of my house make it worth it. Even if it is annoying!
Then, there is the clapping and banging of pots and pans on a Thursday evening. It is brilliant to look up and down my road and see people thanking the essential workers. I have seen neighbours that I haven’t even met before! It’s a very moving demonstration of how such an awful and terrifying pandemic can bring the nation together.
One great perk is that there is no shopping, well not for me because children are not allowed in all the supermarkets. I hate shopping. In the time my parents are grocery shopping or working, I’ve enjoyed watching some films, and this is new for me because I can’t keep still long enough to watch them usually! I’ve also been in the garden over Easter, planting vegetables with my dad. I’ve been able to see them start to grow too, which is great. I love being outside, and I’ve seen loads of bluebells, and everywhere seems so much quieter because there are less planes in the air, and a lot less less traffic on the roads. It’s like the pandemic has made the world go quiet and almost brought peace and rest to nature.
My family and I were supposed to be having a barn dance party, and going to Italy this summer, but all this has had to be cancelled, which is sad, as we still have to stay at home! But, we can do all these things after the lockdown, I hope.
Hope. That is the key.
Don’t lose hope and you will persevere through this.
By Grania Dear, year 10
Lockdown has caused the past two months to be littered with both bonuses, like the extra time for relaxing, and drawbacks, like the abrupt end of schools, which meant the loss of an essential part of growing up and moving on for Year 11s and 13s: the end of year partying, the goodbyes, and the end of exam celebrations.
Schooling at home is something else! The work is set and I do it like I would if I were in class, yet it seems to go on for longer than the school day. Mum has become my new face-to-face teacher! And while my teachers are supportive, it doesn’t feel the same, not seeing them.
However, in all of the struggles, loss and difficulty there are positives: I love the time at home, always seeing my pets. I go on walks with my dog, enjoying the fresh air with them and get some exercise in, and I can be with my guinea pigs all day if I want to! The only drawback is that the guinea pigs probably feel that they are being constantly pestered! Another great bonus is that I can eat food whenever I want to, and it is fresh, not stuffed into a sweaty sandwich box.
Of course, going on walks has become more difficult; it becomes almost dance-like when someone is approaching me and we have to manoeuvre in order to stay two metres away from each other. People seem to freak out when they see me coming, as the initial panic of where they’re going to run and hide sets in, but being able to walk in the sun and get away from the confines of my house make it worth it. Even if it is annoying!
Then, there is the clapping and banging of pots and pans on a Thursday evening. It is brilliant to look up and down my road and see people thanking the essential workers. I have seen neighbours that I haven’t even met before! It’s a very moving demonstration of how such an awful and terrifying pandemic can bring the nation together.
One great perk is that there is no shopping, well not for me because children are not allowed in all the supermarkets. I hate shopping. In the time my parents are grocery shopping or working, I’ve enjoyed watching some films, and this is new for me because I can’t keep still long enough to watch them usually! I’ve also been in the garden over Easter, planting vegetables with my dad. I’ve been able to see them start to grow too, which is great. I love being outside, and I’ve seen loads of bluebells, and everywhere seems so much quieter because there are less planes in the air, and a lot less less traffic on the roads. It’s like the pandemic has made the world go quiet and almost brought peace and rest to nature.
My family and I were supposed to be having a barn dance party, and going to Italy this summer, but all this has had to be cancelled, which is sad, as we still have to stay at home! But, we can do all these things after the lockdown, I hope.
Hope. That is the key.
Don’t lose hope and you will persevere through this.
By Grania Dear, year 10