Well normally they do; and like you, we cant wait to walk together again. With friends, with our sisters and brothers, with our parents and the kids grandparents, with dogs running and jumping around and shaking their soaking wet fur all over our boys after a dip in the sea or river..
Life on The Wirral is special to us, the places sacred, special and beautiful and the people kind and welcoming, with a sense of identity and pride in where we live, where we are from and what its like to spend our lives here.
We are now on a strict lock down and #stayinghome is now the new going out out. I am surrounded by my party of 5 day in and day out and reminiscing about the “normal” days.
While I take on my new role as Head teacher; Miss Take, as the children have named me and my husband has become the dinner lady, Mable Syrup, we try to make things light hearted as we do our best to carry on through our chaotic life at the present.
As the parents of three young boys we are bombarded with questions that we simply don’t have all the answers to – a few of my favourites are:
“Why didn’t we get a pet before this lockdown?”
“What are we doing tomorrow?”
“Will my birthday be cancelled?”
While my training in improvisational theatre has helped me to get through many tricky situations, I find navigating the endless amount of questions that erupt out of my youngsters mouths a delicate task. I want to be honest enough with my children to show them how serious the situation is, while also not scaring them so badly that they have nightmares each night.
Last night as we were doing our bedtime routine, you know the drill; the book, the cuddling, the sending them back to the bathroom to brush their teeth, when they said they had already done it. Putting them back to bed and then a glass of water etc etc…. the prolonged dance my children do each night before they eventually fall asleep sometimes all in the same bed.
They must read about how to do all this to us, it must be a kids hand-book that they all have hidden inside the very valuable loo-roll – on how to put off going to bed for as long as possible.
I find this time is usually when they ask the most burning questions.
Last night was my oldest sons turn for a meltdown, he is in tears and saying how he, “misses his mates, his weekend bike rides”, that as a year 6 child is his first taste of freedom.
When we used to be able to let him out around the estate with a few pounds in his pocket, his bike and his best mates all playing cops and robbers, climbing trees and building dens together. Now he can only FaceTime or text his mates and as a mom of all boys, talking on the phone is just not going to cut it – they are not the chattiest of the genders.
He is desperate to run free, be out and feel independent again. So, I sat at the edge of his bed and know how he feels, because I had that same feeling when I was sent a letter from our oncologist saying you are high risk and should not leave the house for 12 weeks.
No walks for me, no driving, so we are both feeling a little bit the same. I am the mom (I am American so I haven’t made a spelling mistake!) so I need to be the one who gives the pep-talk, the locker room cheerleader (told you I was American), “Get it together Miss Take!”, I say to myself.
So I tell him, “Son, we need to focus on the things we have with us now. You have two brothers that always want to play. You have food and a home that is safe.”.
We have so many things, why is it that when we have everything taken away we just want it all the more. I kiss him and reassure him that one day you will be back on your bike with your friends, but for now we have each other let’s make the best out of this situation. Lets stay in and Save Lives.
I tell him this knowing I need to follow my words and appreciate what we have. And we do have a lot to be thankful for don’t we.. Fresh fruit and veg from @claremontfarm they have an excellent selection and have been so helpful during this whole situation – showing what community spirit is all about.
Peninsula Living 