First posted to my private facebook page at the end of week 2 of New York State quarantine, March 27, 2020.

Yay-hey-hey, it’s Friday!!! But strangely it doesn’t seem to have the same appeal today as that thought usually has...

As we come to the end of our second full week working from home and homeschooling, where we have minimized contact and been living in virtual isolation, I thought I’d share, predominantly with my UK friends who are lagging about a week behind, some of the learning we’ve done across the last 14 days.

Firstly, probably Monday is going to be rough for you. Normally, when you have a difficult week like we may consider we are having right now, normally the weekend acts as a chance to reset, to change your perspective and do something different, take yourself away from it all. You are not going to get that chance this weekend, and many, many of my friends who entered week two with me last week commented on Facebook and through zoom calls and in texts that Monday was a really really really tough day; both for them and for their children. So, I mention this as a chance to be proactive and do something different. And bearing in mind the clocks change in the UK this weekend, Sunday was always going to be one of those days without a pandemic getting in the mix! 

My suggestion to you would be, try and do as many things differently over the weekend as you possibly can. If you made your children get up at a set time during the week leave them to sleep. Stay up late and watch family movies together. Maybe bake cakes, if you could find eggs. But do as many things as you possibly can to make this coming weekend feel different from the past week. And go into Monday prepared and ready for the fact that you and your family might just find it tough.

I’ve been racking my brains trying to think what we could do to make our weekend feel different. So far, I think we are going to sleep in; I haven’t been, well not very much, but the girls have been all week, maybe I’ll make them get up early instead! Lol I think we are going to have a pamper session, get our toe nails painted, have some relaxation time; my back and eyes could definitely do with a break away from sitting at the computer most of the day, every day! And a movie marathon, maybe make a pillow fort and watch movies together, with popcorn, in the basement just for a change of scenery.

Anyone got any other ideas or inspiration for making the weekend feel different? Please share below if you do.

And while I’ve got your attention, I beg of you as you go into the new week... stop replying to all in emails, stop forwarding viral funny fb messages to casual contacts, we are all seeing them ourselves. I appreciate you sending me the love, I really do, but when I receive the same viral message 20 times, that I already saw myself I don’t feel the love being sent, but instead I feel a sense of being overwhelmed. I am drowning in information overload right now; my working day is being conducted online, all socialization is being done online, all lessons are being done online, our internet infrastructure is already groaning under the strain, so let’s all try to give it a little breather in the coming days where we can.

Meanwhile, be kind to yourself. Be kind to those around you, but most of all be kind to yourself... and stay safe and health xoxo