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Lessons from Lockdown – Be more Toddler!

Last week was a bad week.

There seemed to be a myriad of news stories that were all doom and gloom….it certainly felt there was a certain amount of relish in reporting increased numbers of deaths in hospitals and care homes; a lack of testing; no track and tracing; we had people complaining very scathingly locally about music in the streets for the ClapforKeyworkers Thursday evening session and of course the usual rantings of a certain breakfast TV presenter!

Zoom and Whatsapp meetings with family and friends just seemed to highlight that we are distant from those we love and care about and even the weather seemed to be on a downer with chilled winds and coats needed for the dog walks.  By Friday a right grumpy mood had descended and all the social media quotes in the world about “being grateful”, “celebrating nature”, “being kind to yourself”…well frankly they just rankled and sounded preachy.  It’s easy to see how a “down” time can spiral into something much darker and how simply mental wellbeing can be affected.

And then, a very sensible husband declared – “The only thing you can control is what is in your scope”.

You can turn Piers Rantyface off; you don’t have to read negative Twitter feeds; you don’t have to listen to endless newsfeeds with everyone criticising everyone else. If the locals don’t like the music being played at Keyworker celebration time, that’s not something you can influence… you can either enjoy it or ignore it.

This week is better.  The sun is shining, the garden is a haven with baby robins nesting in our bird box for the first time in 13 years; Capt Tom Moore has been Knighted for his efforts; we had a catch up with family yesterday afternoon and lots of laughter amongst a remote game of cards.

Our daughter then sent through some video of grandson Connor, who has mastered the art of walking during lockdown.  He has used his time very productively!  His utter joy at wandering through the park with grass under his feet, heading towards his dad for a cuddle and pushing his little trike around certainly lifted the mood.  His days are filled with new experiences and anything he doesn’t approve of or enjoy, he basically directs his attention to something else he likes.  That may be cheerios, watching the Lion King or splashing in the bath.  He knows what he can control and delights in relishing the fun things that amuse him and provide joy.

The Lesson from Lockdown this week is to “be more toddler!”  Enjoy what you love; if you can’t have something you want, move on to something you can and at the end of the day, if you don’t like or approve of something, blow a raspberry at it and move along.

 

 

If you would like to read our other Lessons from Lockdown, visit our blog page

https://athelbraeblog.wordpress.com/