Lockdown has shown us many unprecedented days. We don’t see people making groups and gossiping. Kids are not playing gully cricket and even your favourite daily soaps are not there on the television. Life has been completely different in these last 4 months.
One such big change or you can call it Leap of faith, I have taken.
We have become a joint family from a nuclear family. Yup!!! You heard me right. Ever since marriage or even my mom always had a nuclear setup. In-laws coming to stay with us, or I stayed with them when my first born was an infant for a month, was I guess the longest continues time we had spent together.
Lockdown, which came with work from home and online schooling made location an absolutely negligible entity. Most of my husband’s friends married as well as unmarried moved back to their parent’s place. This is the longest vacation, in terms of office travel any one can get. Is the logic.
We were so bored sitting in our flat in a high rise, the human interaction we were left with was only with the vegetable vendor whom we were visiting in a fortnight. Sometimes even that was missing, Thanks to the smooth supplies of essentials by online orders. So, the idea of driving all the way 500 kms, feeling the air in my hair was the most tempting thing I could materialize in last many months. Even kids were excited.
So, we travelled from there to here. It’s been only 7 days. There are few good and few adjustments happening from everyone.
What has changed
The top most reason for my happiness is, I can get some time for myself. And we (read me and my husband) can sit and enjoy evening and morning tea together. Without kids hovering our head. I am sure mothers can relate to my feelings. This is like “baadal pein paaon hai”.
I do not have to run behind them for making them eat, putting them to sleep or even to keep them away from screen. All that has been taken care by grandparents.
That’s why we love our grandparents right. No rules, only pampering.
This is a win-win for me.
The rest of the chores of cleaning, utensils, cooking remains the same. As I was doing it there as well, so it hardly matters. But now I can help my aging MIL, and reduce her burden gives me a sense of satisfaction. She can spend some time in meditation and gardening, two of her most favourite things.
The weather here is good right now. Sitting on the couch, sipping tea, and watching rain is like a dream, which had finally come true.
Some Hicups are must
There are challenges, and we are trying to Overcome them too.
Here, not many online apps are providing premium services for essentials. Like we highly depended on bbdaily and amazon now for our supplies, sadly both are not providing services here.
People are less serious about the pandemic. You can spot many people without a mask. Yesterday India has its highest number of positive cases which is close to 50 thousand. Still people are taking it lightly. Not just that, we even spotted people enjoying chaat and golgappe when we entered the city. That was a shock for us. We were into a highly quarantined environment, by choice. Seeing these people, my younger one asked me,” Mom, has Covid19 being wiped out? Can we go and play now?”. To which I had to give a long explanation.
Staying together, under one roof has reduced out anxiety. We are going to bed early, sleeping well and getting up early. The bouts of sadness, crying or unprovoked agitation has not been there. We are spending morning time doing exercise, meditation. And sitting in garden with mummy papa and enjoying the special kadha made by papa, all this before waking up the kids for virtual school. Hope it stays like this.
Not just elders but even kids are acknowledging the difference. My elder ones only upsetting moment is when all the elders start asking him to study, till then all is more than well.
Glad we took this decision. As of now the thought is to be here, till the time schools and offices do not start functioning as they were in pre-covid.
What is the biggest change happened in your life, during this stay at home time?
*Very well written Ujjwal! Direct dil se❤️. Your description is so tempting that even I feel like rushing to spend time with my parents . Enjoy every moment because …. Aisa mauka phir kaha milega ❤️❤️
Great aspects here and so true in the way bonding ..connections..conversation..fmaily is finding time and support to be a family..it will be crucial to keep these lessons as we move ahead
Pandemic has definitely taught some important life lessons especially on the family front. Something that all of us lacked for a long time. Nice write up.
I wouldn’t call mine a joint family though my father in law lives with us. It’s fun for the kids for sure and he’s quite helpful and non nagging.
Very well said , cooking with mom in kitchen to planting with dad , family doing yoga together every morning . Not sure if we can do this again . Enjoying every moments though.
I really like your write up here. You have striked a chord. I live alone and due to pandemic I have shifted to Mumbai with my joint family. Pandemic has really taught us many things!
Oh I can so relate to this. We stay in a necular family but after Unlock phase 1, we started visiting my inlaws house (which is 10 mins away) n use to stay there for weekends. With cousins, my kids are always busy n playing and I and my husband r relaxed and get to spend sme tme togther and catching up on the week.
Thats the usp of such a setup. Some Us time.
Every thing has a good and not so good side 🙂
For me it was the perfect time to go back to a simpler way of living. This time of pandemic. I realized few things. and this is perfect opportunity to bond with your families
Yes, the pandemic has taught us the real meaning of the work Essentials
Even we have become a household if 6. I am hell exhausted doing everything alone.
I understand. Hugs to you dear.
Very well described the positive side of this pandemic ,it’s perfect time to spent with our family
I live in a nuclear family. But it’s not entirely nuclear, as in, my parents stay on the first floor. We have separate kitchens but we meet every day one way or the other. I’m blessed to have them around 🙏
I would also love such setup. Its like living together yet independence and privacy isn’t compromised.
You have narrated the positive side of covid so intelligently. Loved it.
Been thinking of this today morning infact. Great post
It’s nice to see someone looking at the positive sides of a pandemic which everyone is just thinking to opt out of!
And yes, I agree there are many more positive sides to COVID! Thanks for giving out your positive outlook 😍
We have also moved to my parents place and it has been a blessing. With my clingy infant and a schooling girl, I was kinda getting lost. Now, atleast I have a little help with my son.
Yes, pandemic brought lot of changes in our daily life n make closer to everyone in the family. Me n my husband also never have tea time together except weekends.
On a contrary, I have always been living in a close knit family with parents… But yes, lock down has definitely helped to build the bond steonget. A good article this is.
Absolutely true !! This lockdown has definitely taught everyone something positive and if not positive then taught to see the positive side of some negative things in life. . Lovely post 🙂
For us, the lockdown has become a nightmare. Essential commodities (except medicines) are also not available. Veggies are of worst quality.. Amazon Now and BB Daily are not delivering to our area as we belong to containment zone. Prices hs gone up like any star product. Not only this, but stress has also become the part n parcel of our life…
The covid has definitely compelled us to take some measures for our well being and safety. Moving to a joint set up is definitely helpful in these times. Hope you have a great stay 🙂
This was the best thing for me too as wen I went to stay with in laws, my kids were easily managed with the whole family.
I guess there are benefit of having to live with In laws. But unfortunately we didn’t have that option!
Loved your write-up.
What a lovely post. I live in a super big family. It’s fun for the kids and I’m glad we are there for each other.