This lockdown has been a big shock to many people. For some its been a positive thing but for others it`s been a nightmare. I know people who normally spend very little time in their own home, they drop their kids off at childminders then commute to work, long drives and long days and then another long commute home, see their youngsters for maybe an hour before bedtime and then it`s the same routine every day and then try to cram everything ie family time, grocery shopping, household chores etc into an all too short weekend.
Being furloughed or working from home has enabled a lot of families to have far more time together and enjoy it. My son`s friend is a prime example, she`s a single Mum, a civilian manager for GMP and has a 7 year old son who under normal circumstances she only sees him for a couple of hours a day.
Of course there are many people who hate the lockdown. They hate being isolated, fear for their jobs or are a people person and love being around others all the time. My husband`s niece is one of those and she`s actually suffered severe anxiety and been on medication for it during lockdown and simply can`t cope being at home 24/7 and away from her friends and colleagues. Her kids are grown and away in their own homes, she`s been unable to see her grandkids because her hubby has a heart condition so he`s been shielding and she`s actually begun drinking a lot because she relied so heavily on her colleagues and friends for company other than her husband and she`s also the main bread winner because he doesn`t work. She says she feels trapped.
One of my own sons is utterly exhausted because he`s working such long long hours and more shifts than usual, many of them 24 hour shifts involving sleep overs. He works with children in care, the kids have lots of issues both behavioural and psychological and many have come from abusive backgrounds. Two staff members have been shielding because they are pregnant, other staff have had to self isolate because either they or a family member have shown signs of Covid and the home where my son works has to be staffed 24/7 so he has been under tremendous stress and his partner is a nurse so they`ve been like ships passing in the night for months.
And so it goes on, peoples lives turned upside down, domestic violence increasing, addictive gambling increasing, alcohol abuse increasing, relationships being tested like never before, mental health deteriorating and peoples livelihoods at risk. Is this the new normal ?