Lockdown 3 | Kent Family Photographer
Jayne Nottage
Anyone who had a baby towards the end of 2019/ beginning or 2020, and has other kids, definitely has had very different experiences during each lockdown.
Lockdown 1:
Baby naps lots - win.
Baby lays nicely on playmat - win.
Baby feeds every two hours - definite challenge with homeschooling.
Baby wakes every two-three hours in the night - just exhausting.
Homeschooling - felt quite positive, bit hit and miss. No school runs, massive win.
Getting out - just adored finding all the amazing walks right on our door step.
Maternity leave - cancelled.
Lockdown 2
Baby now naps twice a day - win
Baby can now crawl and pull themselves up - nowhere is safe, and while teaching one child what a subordinate conjunction is (I had no idea and had to google this) you’re also trying to stop the smallest from unearthing all the tiny bits of lego under cupboards, choking on them and nearly dying or from licking the bottoms of shoes. Just a tad stressful to say the least.
Baby decides he still likes to keep me company at night - during maternity leave this would be hard but having had no sleep and then waking up (or remanning awake!) to have to explain common denominators to an 8 year old was….lets just say not my favourite.
Homeschooling - more of a rhythm but I’m definitely no teacher and was often torn between feeling like I wasn’t encouraging them to do enough and telling them to just leave it and enjoy time outside playing.
Getting out - we now know our local woods like the back of my hand although the kiddies now getting reluctant to go for walks and sugary snacks had to be packed as a midway bribery.
Maternity leave - still cancelled.
Lockdown 3
Baby only naps once a day - why oh why!
Baby can now walk and climb - NOTHING IS SAFE. Shout the phrases “who left the stair gate open?'“, “who left the bathroom door open?” on repeat.
Baby sleeps - Hoo-flipping-rah! Best gift 2021 has given me so far.
Homeschooling -Maths, English, topic, lunch, walk, repeat. Please open school please!
Getting out - “walk” has become a swear word in our house to our kids. All the sugar needed on any walk longer that the end of the road.
Maternity leave - still cancelled.
And now lockdown has ended, for good? I so flippin’ hope so! Joking aside, I did treasure having the kiddies at home for a season. Giving them a break and being able to protect them from the tougher bits of school, letting them just play more, getting to know each other better and obviously giving their youngest brother all the affection and cuddles they could was something I will never forget and always be grateful for. HOWEVER, the exhausted side of me just needed it to end. There is no denying, it was hard.
It has been hard for so many in different ways. Loss of income, loneliness, anxiety, stress, fear and loss of loved ones have all played major parts in lockdown. The pathway back to normality will be so different for everyone. I for one have so very much needed the last week to slow down, to not feel stressed or small peopled out.
I am excited to capture family memories again and have been so blessed by those who have purchased vouchers during lockdown and I can start booking these in now for after the 29th March (outside only at the mo). But for now I thought I would share some of my family memories since January; 10th birthday, 38th birthday, snow, and 6th birthday….
(Quick note as feel the stool on the table needs explaining…we have a family tradition that the kids don’t know what cake they’ll get so we surprise them. The better half, every birthday, brings out random objects before the actual cake. Dad humour!)
