It’s the 6th of April today apparently…I had to actually check the bottom of my laptop screen there as I wasn’t sure. Honestly, we are only just beginning our 3rd week of the Coronavirus-fighting lockdown in Scotland and I’ve already lost track of the days and dates.

I keep getting well-meaning texts from people and comments from my neighbours (from behind a fence, more than 2m away in line with UK Government advice obviously) telling me that they don’t know how I am coping or how I am managing to entertain 5 kids of various ages etc…and I have a confession to make so here it comes…

It’s actually been easier than normal life to cope with.

There you go, I said it. No school runs; or after school clubs; or ironing awkward uniforms; or rushing between nursery pick-ups and school pick-ups; or squashing my young baby into her car-seat for what feels like the hundredth time in a day to collect the older kids from God knows where, as said young baby bawls her eyes out as she hates being trapped in said car-seat. Actually no driving (or parking) anywhere at all is a win for me as I am a rubbish driver (and parker).

And I feel horrible for saying that as the UK (and the rest of the world) reels from the dreadful, Global pandemic that we are facing. Tragically, people are dying at an alarming rate every day all over the world and of course, it is scary and heart-breaking and I am definitely finding myself having more nightmares than usual as a result (random non-virus related ones such as burglars breaking in or one of the kids going missing, granted, but nightmares all the same). And I’m terrified that one of my family, particularly my parents and in-laws who are in the at-risk category, are directly affected by the virus but I do love being cocooned at home with the children. I’ve never spent as much time relaxing with them and I know we never will get this time together again.

And for their part, the children are quite chilled about it all. I thought my eldest would struggle in particular, due to him being a demanding teenager who usually spends most weekends whiling away the hours in a local dessert shop eating cookie dough and slurping ice blasts bought with money that he hasn’t actually earned. But, much to my surprise, he is coping really well; he’s actually working out every day and practising his football in the back garden (much to his coach father’s delight) and hasn’t been at all unpleasant. Evidently, he still spends his night in his lair (known to others as his bedroom) surrounded by snacks and giggling dementedly with his friends on Xbox but I think that knowing that he isn’t missing out on anything and that all his friends are in the same boat has meant that he has (so far) taken the lockdown in his stride.

The younger kids are all doing well; the three-year-old is delighted to be surrounded by his siblings and follows them around constantly – he’s barely given me a sideways glance since the lockdown began. Unless it’s to demand food or to wipe his bum obviously. The 7-year-old is happy to be off school as it gives him more time to build Lego and lie on the sofa eating steak-flavoured McCoy’s.

The baby is absolutely thriving; the slower pace of life is suiting her down to a T- giving her ample opportunity for lots of extra breast feeds and snuggles. Her cheeks are filling out and her little thighs are becoming podgier. Plus, she is also now able to avoid the aforementioned dreaded car journeys that she despises so much.

The only child that has so far struggled with the lockdown and social distancing situation is the 11-year-old. She is in her final year of primary school and due to start Secondary in August. She feels cheated that she can’t enjoy her last few months with her friends and the leaver’s assembly and disco and fun events that come with the end of primary school. She was also due to make her Confirmation in May, which was unfortunately cancelled due to the ongoing situation. She had a couple of down days last week mainly comprising of a few melodramatic meltdowns, over-the-top and unnecessary arguments with her older brother and more than a few tears. We have spent time trying to explain to her that these are strange times that we are living in and that these measures have been put in place to protect us all from a serious virus that is rampaging through the world causing destruction at an alarming place. She has been much better over the past few days and has started to realise that many other people have had their plans ruined because of the virus: special family parties have been cancelled as well as weddings; Baptisms and holidays. We’ve also spent more time with her – her dad has played pool in the garage and sang songs with her at night and I’ve helped her put on fake tan for the first time and baked with her to cheer her up.

And today as the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson is moved into intensive care 10 days after first being diagnosed with the virus, as I keep telling all of the kids, we just have to keep taking it one day at a time.

Today is the 22nd of March 2020 and it’s Mother’s Day! As a mother of 5 with kids ranging in age from 5 months to 14-years-old, I had a joyful start to the day which began with an extra (much needed) hour in bed. Unfortunately, a black cloud is hanging over day to day life at the moment thanks to the looming threat of the global pandemic, The Coronavirus.

For anyone who is fortunate enough to have been living under a rock recently (and if you have been, I hope your rock is surrounded by an impenetrable tractor beam and is full of supplies), the Coronavirus (or COVID-19 as it is also referred) is a terrifying flu/pneumonia like illness that has been sweeping the world, causing destruction and massive death tolls wherever it goes. Heartbreakingly, in countries such as Italy and China many thousands of people have succumbed to the virus which currently has no vaccine or specific treatment.

The terrifying illness arrived in the UK around two weeks ago and already 281 people have tragically lost their lives as a result. The Government advice is to undertake ‘social distancing’ from others to help prevent or slow down the vicious spread of the virus. This advice translated as doing your best to avoid anyone who doesn’t live in your home, particularly those over 70 and with underlying health conditions. This meant that, like many others up and down the country, the hubby and I couldn’t visit our own mums on Mother’s Day, We attempted Skype and Facetiming with both sets of parents and subsequently found both sets to be equally technically inept. Although their video call efforts did serve to provide a few hilarious moments for the kids who loved all the upside down and unflattering angles of their grandparents as they tried to get to grips with the technology.

Afterwards though, I just felt a little hollow. Normal life is definitely on hold at the moment – schools closed for an indefinite time on Friday and my teenager was gutted when he found out that all the McDonalds restaurants in the country will also close their doors to help in the fight against the virus that is spread by human contact. The official Government guidance is to stay indoors and only to leave if you require essential food or medical supplies. So my family is now officially ‘self-isolating’ and to be honest, it all just feels a little bit surreal.

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