What’s worse than home school?

Home half term that’s what!

I can’t be the only parent who is absolutely sick and tired of all this “home” everything can I?

It’s been months and months and though I know this is all for the greater good, all for bringing down the numbers and there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it, I’m going to moan regardless.

Moan because as much as I love my children (and I do, I’m not complaining because I don’t want to spend time with them before anyone pipes up with a "Why did you have them if you didn’t want to look after them?" question), I just want more.

For them. And for me

I’m longing for a sunshine trip to Menorca, a visit to my Dad, a staycation with friends at an Airbnb somewhere.

I want theme parks and beach walks, theatre, the cinema and lunch at a restaurant where I haven’t had a single hand in any of the food on the plates.

I want to have some flipping fun that’s all and much as I can’t stand home school, can’t abide it actually, the home holidays really throw light on the fact we have been in the same spot, rooted to it, for what feels like forever.

At this point I’m finding a real hankering for my real life almost as if the past few months have been a game I’ve been playing, rules to be followed with an end in sight but now I’m out, or at least I want to be if only someone would make my piece on the board bankrupt so that I could just get up from the table and return to normality.

I want real life pre-Covid and with a week of simply doing nothing… Not even the set maths I dread, a daily Zoom call with the teachers all before an attempt at getting blood out of a stone come the afternoon (forcing my son to write something, anything and more than just the date at the top of his page) it all just feels pretty blooming diabolical!

If this were a game I’d be tipping up the board by now, throwing my paper money in the air and knocking little green houses over one by one as I gave in with a tantrum.

Only a tantrum won’t get me anywhere, not even out of play and so this week, which has dragged for the first half with only more longevity to the second half looming, I’m seeing it as an endurance test to get through.

For most of us we enjoy a bit of down time especially after a long first half term to the year. Dark mornings and early evenings with a snowy frozen backdrop call for cosy wintry evenings in front of the fire with popcorn and a movie but we’ve been there thanks. Done it and got the winter jumper.

Now surely… It should be over and out and ready for Groundhog Day to do one!

But… It’s not and I have lots to be thankful for.

Vaccinations are storming past the expected rate, we have a brand new baby girl to enjoy and wonder over, our eldest son has been speaking to us in more than “But why do I have to do English?” sentences, our daughter won a prestigious place to the high school she has been hoping to go to and the toddler has taken to sleeping in his own bed – seriously this is one major celebration if ever I knew one.

So… we crack open a bottle of prosecco, make another pancake (Shrove Tuesday is today in case you might have thought your excuses for a spoon to mouth from the Nutella jar was a scenario you shouldn’t indulge in so early in the week) and thank our lucky stars that we are all healthy and happy and we try to fill the rest of the week with… Home fun of some sort or another.

Summer is coming, it is, it is, it is and with it will come lighter mornings and balmy evenings to make all of this a distant memory.

We may be able to holiday in the UK by then, sit down with extended family and have a coffee, potentially even a hug (can you imagine?)

The game might have to be played to the bitter end but perhaps by the time the board does reach tipping point we won’t all be quite so sick of it, will have a bench mark within which to appreciate the moments we do have freedom and at some point we will win, beat the virus and get life back.

Here’s hoping folks, here’s hoping!

Happy rest of home half term, we’ve got this! Yes. We. Have!

Ruth Davies has a parenting blog at www.rocknrollerbaby.co.uk