For a lot of us being in lockdown means spending extended time with our families, perhaps more than ever before and maybe not since we were children. And while each of us has a unique life and circumstances, there’s one thing we all have in common. Parents.
If you’ve been with your parents in this lockdown it is never a bad time to let them know you care. And if we can’t go anywhere, some of the best gifts in lockdown are making it possible for people to have some downtime, like a kitchen takeover, so your mother doesn’t have to go in there for a whole day or making the evening meal together special in some way. Sometimes just putting on music, laying the table properly (even if there’s more washing later) and all sitting down together without any phones or media, makes for a change. And because families often talk about the same mundane things over and over, maybe prep with a few interesting openers to kickstart some quality family time. Sometimes these conversations can become the highlight of the day and they give us some surprising insights into the people we see everyday and think we know so well.

Here are some we found that seemed really interesting:
If you had three wishes what would they be?
What two bits of advice would you give to your younger self?
If you wake up tomorrow with a new talent or ability, what would you want it to be?
Whats your earliest childhood memory?
(But if you don’t want an evening of endless reminiscing maybe avoid this kind of question!) If you could eat just one food everyday for a month what would it be?
If you could pick your own name, what would it be?
What would be your spirit animal and why?
What is something you want to learn how to do and why?
If you had the attention of the whole world for exactly 15 seconds what would you say?

Of course, this is just a sampling of possibilities to give you some ideas. All of us are struggling with achieving a sense of normalcy and routine in a world that feels absurd. And for those with responsibilities there’s a lot of stress that often has no place to go. A home spa date for the parents on a Sunday for no reason at all could be great fun and a fabulous stress-buster. Rolling out some hot towels and facemasks and serums with fantastic aromas may just make the immediate future look a lot brighter, especially from under some cucumber slices! Get both parents involved. If your dad isn’t used to this, he’ll make fun of it all the way but secretly love it.
And then there’s you. If you’re a parent yourself, then you know exactly how hard its been. Making meals, cleaning and doing laundry may be endless and tedious work sometimes. But the real job is in making sure there’s peace and calm, that the children are busy and engaged, that they feel loved and secure in the midst of this uncertainty. So find a way to treat yourself and your spouse together. Going to a spa may be out of the question, but there’s a whole lot that you can do for each other when you carve out a little ‘us’ time.