by 
A written and video submission on life during lockdown by Claire Peden a Trade Union Organiser based in Glasgow.
This video represents our family journey through the months of lockdown where I learned a different way to juggle work, family life and schooling. It’s clear Covid has been a devastating disease, wreaking havoc around the world but my job as a mother was to shield my children from its horrors, therefore, we spent the early months ensuring each day was not only a distraction but an adventure. Our daily 1-hour exercise saw us exploring our local area, listening to the birds and the wildlife without the usual traffic and busyness of life. As a family we done things we don’t often make time for like sitting under the stars at night, experimenting with new recipes, planting vegetables and herbs, we even painted a mural as a family. Time seemed to stand still in the first months of lockdown, a strange world where we only connected with friends and family via zoom. Friday night quizzes became a family event.
This could not and did not last forever, soon home schooling and working from home took over what was a peaceful hideaway. I found out I’m not the most patient teacher, that I can’t remember simplifying fractions and that there is not enough space in our house for 2 adults to work from home. My job became full on with little respite, 12-hour days sitting on the sofa with my laptop burning my legs. The kids got bored hanging out with Mum and Dad and spent hours playing Minecraft. But still, we made it work.
The kids were excited to go back to school and have showed no sign of being adversely affected. If anything, we are more appreciative of our home, garden, and our time together.
