The Great Indoors (2012)

Everybody has spent a lot of 2020 indoors.

As a family we've been shielding since March. My partner has several Doctors looking after her and they've all advised us to stay at home - even when restrictions were lifted for a few weeks in August. So it's been a long year. It's probably been slightly less of a problem for us, because we've had some practice.

My partner has had a few health scares and operations over the last decade so we've never been able to go too far from home. 

One thing that I hope comes out of this year of lockdowns is a greater understanding of how some people have to live. People with life limiting conditions have been living with similar restrictions for a very long time.

Nine or ten years ago my partner had a hernia repair and it all went a bit wrong. She was in and out of hospital and I had to spend most of my time looking after our very young son. I was lucky because I had brilliant in-laws to help with shopping and childcare - but I did have to spend hours and hours in the house, trying to keep a toddler entertained. 

Following so much upheaval - and being 'let go' from work - I was really low and sometimes found it difficult to motivate myself. But my son needed his meals, his naps and his bath at the same time every day - so I stuck to his routine and it kept me going. I even found myself eating more fresh fruit and veg because that's what I was preparing for him.

Apart from visiting time at the Hospital, we were pretty much housebound. I struggled to leave the house (just as I have done for the best part of 15 years) so we had to make the best of it. How do you keep a kid entertained all day? I didn't always have the energy or the time to play or set up craft activities. 

I'd promised myself that I wouldn't just sit my son in front of Cbeebies or Cartoonito all day - but some days I did exactly that. I was amazed how many times my son could watch the same episode of Fireman Sam or In The Night Garden - and how quickly he'd pick up the songs or catchphrases. Sometimes we'd pretend to have a picnic on the living room floor in front of the TV or build a camp using blankets.

 

I'd also built up a good library of books and movies. 

I used to be brilliant at scouring Charity shops for bargains and South Shields had A LOT of Charity shops*. I tried to piece together all the things I thought my son would like to watch or read. To be honest, it was mainly things I'd enjoyed when I was younger; Disney films, Roald Dahl books, Paddington, Narnia, The Wind in the Willows...

My son loved hearing about the Battle of Toad Hall or the different adventures of The Wombles. We'd have 'bedtime' stories a couple of times a day (before naps as well as at nightime) and that became part of our routine too - losing ourselves in adventures and faraway places.

 

And then I started drawing. I hadn't picked up any pencils or paper since I was about 17 (A-level Art had put me off) but in amongst the long days and nights I found it relaxing to sit and scribble. 

I copied the illustrations from the books we were reading and the DVDs we were watching. My son was amazed to watch some of his favourte characters appear - as if by magic - on blank pieces of paper. He'd make suggestions about what I should draw next - or he'd tell me if things 'didn't look right'.

My son still has dozens of the pictures in a binder. It's not great art but it helped me through a difficult year. I could unwind and concentrate on something other than health and money worries. 

I've found myself looking for similar things to do during 2020.  

*I don't know how many times we watched The Lion King, but since it was only £3 from the Heart Foundation Shop it was definitely a good investment.