I was a good student but never inclined toward science and math. Now I really respect what doctors and scientists can do. I want my kids to pursue those fields. My work feels utterly, truly non-essential (and has dried up at the money). More important it has become less and less fulfilling.

How exactly would having guns help you during quarantine?

I own a shotgun that I use for clay pigeons. But I can't use it right now during quarantine.

No. In terms of marriage, kids, house, household, job, education, finances - our decisions have actually stood us in good stead. I do wonder if we should have invested in some guns but then I feel that I am giving in to unnecessary fear.

I liked my life exactly as it was pre-Coronavirus.

I was never a homebody type, I loved being out and about, and we are all extroverts, so this isolation has been rough.

We are a busy family with kids ages 5 and 7. My kids were very overscheduled. They each had 6 activities they did each week, with two every Saturday morning and two every Sunday morning--soccer, swimming, etc. We all loved these activities and they gave structure to our weekends. I never felt like I was rushing around or stressed. The kids miss their activities and they are going to lose so many skills, like swim skills, given how long it will be until they can get back into their sports/activities.

I feel stressed with all this down time with nothing specific to do. It's stressful to figure out how to entertain kids for 12-14 hours a day.
Now the days just feel like they drag on and on.

We had so many special milestone events and celebrations planned for this spring and summer, those are all canceled of course and can never be rescheduled (like my parents' 50th wedding anniversary party).

I really miss travel, that was one of the things that gave my life meaning. And now no travel for probably 2 years, makes me so depressed.

We are doing distance learning/homeschooling but the kids don't like it and I don't like it. I am not a teacher and don't like being in that role.

My life feels very small now, being stuck at home with nowhere to go and nothing meaningful to do.

Nope - we moved away from DC two years ago, built our dream house (including a massive office overlooking the water), and established the life we'd always want to live in a different city. Now we are so thankful we didn't wait any more time to get out of DC and move here - we'd be going crazy in our older much smaller place with no good outdoor space and nowhere for us to both work from home. This has affirmed that the decision we made to move was definitely the right one. We're also so glad we put our kids in private school here - they have done a fabulous job with the online learning and our kids are engaged and happy, which definitely helps us get our work done. I wouldn't say we're living our best life right now because we miss our nanny (we are paying her to stay home because of a health issue she has), we don't love having to clean the house all the time, and we all miss our friends, but we are so grateful to be where we are. Also, the one sport my kids play is solitary and outside so we've been able to continue with that, which has been such a blessing.

Nope. Things will go back to normal within a year or so. We live in a small apartment so it sucks at times, but the flip side of that coin is that if one of us gets laid off, we are financially secure still. Living small has never looked so good.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish we could all make a pact that nobody will enter their kids into competitive activities after this is done.

Hear hear! Cut down on the structured activities and let them hang out and play.

I mean, there is a way to engage in a competitive activity without it taking over your life. You don't HAVE to sign up for the travel baseball team that is out of town every weekend. There are other competitive sports that allow kids time to just hang out and play while also providing a lot of benefits.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I wish I lived closer to my parents.

+1000. Miss them so much. Both sides of parents require 8+ hour plane rides to get to. Sad not being able to see them right now and have our kids play with their grandparents.

We're buying a house in the country much closer to family and plan to work from there for a while. Eventually might move there.

So - we want to spend more time close to family and in nature. I've been in a big city for 13 years.

Yes. I live in denver and it has made me certain that I want to move to a more remote mountain town.

Well, my retirement math has changed. I'm 57 and was on track to retire at age 87. Looks like that will get pushed out to age 107.

Surprisingly I am not going stir crazy. I've set up a cute, comfortable home office, and am loving being at home, wearing athleisure. They are going to have to drag me back to the office, kicking and screaming.

Kind of debating if I should either job hunt or negotiate WFH days now.

NO I loved my life before and I can’t wait to return to it, especially the frequent travel for pleasure!

Anonymous wrote:Not at all. I am so glad I married the right person - this time has been so stressful, but there is no one I'd rather be "stuck" with than my DH and kids, and no place makes me happier than our home.

Me too. Talking to friends or relatives in unhappy marriages especially reinforces this feeling. I feel so sorry for my one friend who is contemplating divorce since she realized how much she dislikes her husband during this time and my SIL and BIL who are basically just roommates but stay together for the kids and are now stuck in a small apartment with each other 24/7 for weeks on end.