School's out: 'We're trying to turn negative into positive'

By Stefani Dailly

Like parents up and down the country, I am trying to prepare for my children being at home for months to come.

For those of us who found juggling work, kids and home life tough before, it has just become more difficult than anyone could have ever imagined.

As an STV Sports reporter and mum of three school-aged children, I, like so many others, am stepping into the unknown as I try to get my head around combining my work and children at home.

As a broadcast journalist, I am a key worker but as my husband will be working from home, our kids will be able to stay there too.

There are, however, families across the country who don’t have that option. Those of us who relied heavily on grandparents for childcare can perhaps no longer call upon their help as many will be classed as vulnerable.

It’s going to be hard trying to balance work, our children’s education, keeping our distance from our vulnerable loved ones and all the while trying to ensure we don’t provoke fear and alarm in our children.

My girls, like so many other kids, are already finding it hard that their sports clubs, drama and dance classes are off, and shows that they were rehearsing for postponed.

Now facing up to not going to school and socialising with their friends is undoubtedly tough for them.

I’ve chatted to them about how difficult a time this is likely to be but what I have also stressed is that we need to turn what feels like a huge negative into some positives.

Perhaps they can shift their focus to things they can do closer to home that sometimes, in a busy world, they don’t get the chance to do as much.

Why not write a diary about all of this, go for a run, take advantage of having more time in the house as a family.

We can bake, play board games and watch movies. As well as doing school work at home, there may even be a bit more time to practice piano…

It may be an uncertain time but what I am certain of is that children definitely keep our spirits up.