Be Prepared

The light at the end of the tunnel has been switched on. The last Coronavirus 5pm update has been shown, and I have been given a date to return to work.
Initial feelings of elation; 'I am needed', 'they do remember me', 'I can see my colleagues and friends again', 'I no longer have to participate in home learning' started to give way to a realisation that I have to remember what it is I do.

Whilst living through a 'month of Sundays', I have eaten and drank my way through a heady mix of crisps, nuts, biscuits, cakes and pies. Wine - red, white and rose, pina coladas, gin and caffeine in general. Anyone would think I was the 'Hungry flamin Caterpillar'. Which means my pre-covid working wardrobe, is no longer working.

My youngest son looked at me this morning and said "Oh bugger mummy. Your hair looks like a man-lion." I am aware a four year old shouldn't be saying 'bugger', but it was rather amusing. And of course I am acutely aware Im looking rather worryingly similar to my tan leather handbag. I don't think this is what is meant by 'matching accessories'.

As I plan my 'come back', I reflect that surely my life in lockdown has finely tuned some of my skills which will stand me in good stead for my return to the office. Let's face it, if I was in the Girl Guides I'm pretty sure I'd have gained at least five new badges during this experience.

1. Conflict Resolution Badge
I have spent a large portion of lockdown hollering "stop fighting!"
My boys spend their days alternating between nominating each other for the best brother in the whole world award, to rolling around the living room floor, pinning each other at the shoulders like Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks (remember them?!) Until - bright pink and sweaty - one ends up in tears and the other breaks their (inherited) vow of stubbornness with a stroppy sorry.
As much as I can't imagine any of my work colleagues rolling around the open plan office like two tiger cubs (the lint off the carpet is terrible), I feel like I'd be able to deal with any disputes in the work place. All of which are bound to be a walk in the park compared to the battles I referee on a daily basis.

2. Be Prepared Badge
Not only am I now always armed with a selection of hand sanitiser, hand wipes and hand cream, I also feel like my time in lockdown has taught me resilience and to be ready to deal with anything that might come my way.
Take Sunday morning for example....
For a change, as lockdown eases and the world begins to slowly re-open, I booked the family in for a round of crazy golf at Congo Rapids Jurassic Adventure Golf. As the name may suggest - there was water involved. And of course naturally it wasn't too long before my eldest son was wading in with his size three and a halves to retrieve his ball.
'What fun' my youngest son must have thought. Whilst teetering on the edge of a bunker, he slipped and ended up bum first in the same water.
Without panicking, cursing or drawing attention to ourselves, my new found resilience meant I just whipped them out quick as a flash and we finished the last two holes in bare feet and boxers (them not me).
Resilience is definitely a newly acquired transferable skill ready for the office. Show me a set back, bring on a social distancing barrier or take away half of my resources, and I'll give you the emotional strength to cope. Oh and I always have a great stash of snacks to hand, that would be sure to keep the whole office going if the next lockdown we encounter is in the work place. I hope people like raisins.

3. Negotiation Badge
Let's face it, a large portion of parenthood involves negotiation. The daily negotiations on how much writing practise needs to be done before the first 'break time' (I say first, as there are several). How many more maths sums need to be completed before a twenty minute Nintendo Switch sess'. How many mooorrrreeee spellings there are in the spellings test.
There's the more obvious negotiation of what time to go to bed, and perhaps the less obvious one of going on a daily walk. The daily walk was something that quickly became a much needed part of our daily lockdown routine. But then as the sun shone and the heat wave came, the pool in the garden was a much more attractive option.
Luckily my boys are good eaters and I never have to negotiate over eating their five fruit and veg each day. Thank heavens for small mercies.

4. Communication Badge
Communication, communication, communication. I can't get enough of it and I think it's one of the most important life skills you can have (put it in a blender with confidence, and you are on fire!)
In lockdown I think my whole family has developed better listening ears. And weekly quiz's that span counties and age groups mean I've become quite a dab hand at facilitating group discussions. I find myself calming the panic when someone's lap top battery is on its last legs or when someone else cannot be seen. Or end up being the one texting those who are still on mute.
Lockdown has honed and developed my ability to communicate whether through the constant teaching, mentoring or support of the kids, or the fact I actually physically speak to my friends and family members now. On a telephone! At least on a phone no one can see my hair. The telephone at times, is something of a relief.

5. Mathematics Badge
I've now lived through months of home learning doing times tables, fractions, currency and percentages - need I say more?