Lockdown diaries: 'It's like the novelty has worn off'

Throughout lockdown single mother-of-four Vicky Price has been juggling running her own marketing business from her home in Henleaze in Bristol, while home-schooling her children in the evenings and dealing with general day-to-day matters. This lockdown she says she is "feeling the pressure" to keep all the plates spinning.

"It's like the novelty has worn off.

"The first lockdown was full of a lot of anxiety, and a lot of fear and the unknown. But it was spring, we had the summer coming and there was no knowing how long it was going to be.

"So I adapted, but I had less work at the time.

"At the moment schools have adapted to remote learning and are doing really well, but there is now a pressure on parents to meet the needs of their children.

"I will admit I couldn't do it the first time. I really struggled with it. And here we are again and it's no different, only it's slightly more intense.

"Because I run my own business I'm part of a large network with other business owners and there is a lot of support there.

"I'm not alone as a single parent doing what I'm doing with my children. No-one has got quite as many children as me, but people get it.

"I've noticed both of my girls are a bit more chilled out [this time.] There was no FOMO and no-one was anywhere else so they didn't have to be anywhere and they weren't getting stressed about it. I noticed that last lockdown they had calmed down as well.

"My teenager walked into the kitchen just after I was having this thought and said how much they're loving lockdown, that there's less pressure and they can get their work done.

"Right now I don't miss the school run and it means I'm saving money on petrol. There are some things that I do appreciate at the moment, like how things are on the one hand slower and yet more intense on the other."