Love in the Time of Lockdown

Here we are inching our way through lockdown and although we’ve had some ups and downs, this time of quarantine has genuinely been a good time for us. I’m surprised to hear myself say that but it turns out that not needing to get your kids dressed in a school uniform before dashing them out the door to get to school on time can do wonders for family life.

As cliched as it sounds, I’ve been reminded that love can be spelt T-I-M-E and let’s be honest, we’re drowning in time at the moment. I’m loving having my husband’s physical presence in the house all day, every day and feel that parenting is that much easier and so much more fun when he’s around – even if he is working for most of the day, just having him in the house is such a treat. Our kids are thriving with the slow-paced life of doing a lot of not-much-at-all, with both of us within arm’s reach. Yes, they are all still full on and still get on each others’ nerves but they’ve also had so much opportunity to learn to play with each other well, with the distractions of homework and extra murals now magically out of the way for now.

I’m no Pinterest mom but I have made a conscious effort to let the kids do more ‘messy play’ – think mud and paint and lego strewn across the lounge. Our kids’ current love language is ‘time in the kitchen’ and I’ve done my best to relinquish control in this area and accept the help from eager little hands when baking occasionally and preparing supper each night. Last night we gave the kids a big yes when we let them prepare just about everything for our burger braai all on their own – this involved helping Dad start the fire and braai the burger pattyies (we went meat-free and used the chicken-style pattys from Frys), washing and then chopping mushrooms for the mushroom sauce with a sharp knife and also cutting the rolls as evenly as possible before also setting the table.

The kids loved being involved in the process and even went so far as declaring the mushroom sauce ‘delicious’. At the end of the night, our kids’ love tanks were full up and so were their tummies – a simple, easy to prepare meal doesn’t have to be boring or unhealthy. Plus sitting around the table together for a meal is always worth it – this is where we have our best conversations and gain precious glimpses into the inner workings of their minds.

Scroll down for some snaps of the kids at work and then enjoying the fruits of their labour. Gosh, I love them!