Natalie. R Story (Health Inequalities - North Halifax)

really? Hi. Naturally. Hi, then, right. Thank you for taking some time out to share your story

Um, and I wanted to start off with asking you a question on how has your health and well being being impacted by the pan epidemic of the last year. Hm. OK, so we're talking just over a year ago now, So it was a bit of a strange situation for me

Uh, I suppose it was for everyone in lots of ways, but I just moved house, Um, in the January before, uh, the lockdown hit in in the march, and I remember lots of people were sort of worrying about it back then before the lockdown happened. And I actually took my Children out of school. Um, about a week before the lockdown, because I started to feel quite anxious, um, about the the pandemic

And I wasn't feeling confident in the government's, um, response at the time. And I and I don't think I've ever recovered uh, my faith in them if I'm honest, Although the vaccine programme is going well, so it was a bit of a strange time because it felt like everything was really weird out there. But I also felt like I was sort of living in somebody else's house

Um, I do have health, anxiety and anxiety in general, so I was very I remain very worried about catching covid. And I've been very careful and and luckily, um, not, um no one in my immediate family, um, has has caught covid. We haven't We haven't had covid either

Um, but it it's actually been, I think, quite beneficial for my well being. Um I mean, it feels like a different lifetime ago now, but if I think really hard back to how it was before the pandemic, my life just seemed to be consist consisted of getting up, rushing the Children to get ready for school, rushing out to to to get them to school, rushing back to work or doing a day's work, Um, rushing back to go get them. And then we had, you know, the rush of tea and after school activities and home work

And I just never, ever felt like I could. I was keeping up with everything that was on my shoulders and since since lockdown hit, it was I think the pace of life has just been a little bit slower. Um, certainly all of the school runs and things that were were taken out of the equation working from home

I don't have, um, a commute anymore, And it's it's really freed up quite a lot of time to do things like, um, cooking as a family. We spent a lot more time as a family. We've been playing board games

I think, actually, I'm a lot closer to my Children. Um, as a result, so that's been really, really nice. Um, I'm almost worried about things going back to you know what's normal? Uh, lots of people talking about that, and and it does worry me a little bit because I think, Well, there were so many things that weren't working before, Um, certainly for me

And I don't want to go back to that. There's there is definitely some things from this period of time. I would like to keep the same, um, just in terms of having a little bit more time, um, to do to do things as a family, Um, because we moved into a new area, we didn't know it very well, done, didn't know very many people, and that's been challenging really to To to sort of get to know neighbours in the community

Um, quite quite a community focused person, as you know, um, but slowly and steadily, it has happened. Um, So I was talking earlier about doing litter picking, Um, so just exploring my local area. And, um, we actually back onto onto some, um, an old railway line with some wood wooded areas

And it it's it's been fantastic. I can't tell you how nice it is to live so close to, um, an area a natural area, uh, instead of it all being, you know, very built up. So I think that's been really good for my mental health as well

Being close to nature, I know that that's, uh, really good for my mental health. And I I am really feeling that sometimes it's hard to know which elements have have created, um, the improvements. But there has definitely been an improvement

And by getting out and doing something in the community, you know, just to be picking, um, I've I've developed I'm starting to develop a community group called my pill, starting to get more people involved. We did. We did some direct action on on the weekend we litter picked in an area and brought and dug out an old cobbled path that hasn't been in use for years

And so those things are really nice. And and I think, yeah, I'm kind of feeling an energy from people that, um, they want to do something, too. And it's been that's been really nice, And I think it makes me feel hopeful for the future that perhaps we will do things a little bit differently

Fantastic. Yeah, it's really nice hearing that, because I know everybody has been impacted completely different, but it has had a positive impact in. It's enabled you to spend more quality time with your family

The whole sense of a busy life style has also solve them. Slowed down now, hasn't it? For yourself as well as being able to access, you know, um, being able to access local areas, which has helped, if your mental health and so forth, which is fantastic, Would you say it's had a positive impact on your health and your, um, and your and Jo and the well being? Um, it's I think it may be a little bit of a mixed bag because I I must admit it's kind of felt a little bit like being on holiday. So and the world's just been on pause, so I probably haven't been eating as sensibly as I would have done

It's like, Ah ah, well, we'll do. We'll just have the extra chocolate bar or and because we've had more time to be cook meal meals and things and we're doing a nice pudding as well. So I've definitely gained weight, which I'm not pleased about

Um, but actually, I think I'm getting out there more. I'm definitely walking a lot more than I than I was before again. I don't know whether that's because I'm living in a different area now

Um, and I'm definitely, you know, closer to to to natural areas. I I can walk in, Um, but I would say it's had a, um generally had a positive impact on my well-being. Um, I think where where I've struggled really is is with the anxiety

I I think it it is hard sometimes to let go of that feeling that you know what's gonna happen. And, um, this just isn't in within our control, is it? and I've I've had to let go of that, um, struggled a little bit with home schooling. I do sometimes worry

Um, you know that the Children are falling behind, but in the same talk. And, um, you know, when I was talking about things being inverted, common as normal, um, So for my middle child, uh, she she was diagnosed with autism, Um, during lockdown just just a couple of months ago, actually. Um, so we've had ongoing problems

Uh, she's had problems for a long time, and they have manifested at school as well. She really did struggle in the school environment. And having that break from school has really helped me to understand

Um and, well, the stop start nature of of schooling this last year and has really helped me to understand the ways it it it it does impact her, um, to to a greater degree. Um and yeah, this whole idea that Children fall behind, I mean, I do. I do worry about their education and, um, how you know how they're doing and things like that

But at the same time, I I feel like we need to move away as a society from the from the current school schooling system, which just seems to be absolute obsessed with testing and, um, meeting certain criteria and this idea that you could you can fall behind. Um, I read a really interesting article, not so long back that was talking about the fact that there's no such thing as lost learning that learning is a lifetime thing. And we should be instilling a passion for learning

Um, rather than telling our Children that they're going to to fall behind, So I think in some respects it's, um especially for my Children. In some respects, it's It's been better for their their well being and certainly for my middle child, who really does struggle in school. Um, but I might I know my youngest daughter

She is She's missing a friend, and she does really enjoy school. But then we live. I mean, what a time for this to happen

You know, we live in an age of, um, great technology. So it's been possible, uh, for for people to to stay in touch and actually in terms of of working, I think it was very stressful in the beginning. My my job very much involves being in the community and speaking to people to a lot of door knocking things like that and engaging people that way and that all had to be knocked on the head

Um, so trying, trying to find new ways of working. Um, I feel like we're getting there now that the things are still the things that are happening despite not being able to go out. Although I've got to say I don't enjoy looking at myself all day on Zoom, so I often have my camera off

And I know some some people, uh, can be a bit funny about that. They I know it does change the nature of the of the, uh, sort of meeting, you know, face to face as such. But, uh, yeah, I do try and keep the camera off where I can

Yeah, And I think with everything around home school, it has. It has. In a way, it's it's changed how it has also changed, Um, some family dynamics as well and how people are supporting each other

And they've had to, um, to change and to, um, and in in in as well. Um, but I suppose maybe one final question for you. Now it is a what? Has your experience been like home schooling? Um, it will be interesting to hear more on that

Well, for home schooling. Um, so I think in the first lockdown, there wasn't really any direction from school. I think they may have sent home some sort of basic school packs

Um, so my so my Children are at different schools. My middle child. Um, my I I have an adult son who's who's, uh, he He's left home now and works and everything

So he's on, um, and then my middle child. She's in year eight of high school, and my youngest is in year five at junior school. Um, so it's been a bit of a different experience

Um, of of what, the, You know, the how the different schools have, um, handled it. So in the first lockdown, there was just these work packs, but there was no real direction, and I didn't really feel the pressure to sort of keep up with that that home schooling. Um, and we did get the odd phone call from the school, but I sort of said to them, you know, we're doing we're doing other things

We're doing life, life skills. You know, they were cooking with me while they were coming out. We let a picking with me those kinds of things, and we didn't really focus on formal academic stuff

Um, this lockdown has been very different. Um, so the high school has been having online lessons. Um, but I think because because of my daughter's autism, she I mean, she struggles in a school environment, but also that huge change, and, uh, she just hasn't been able to engage with it

I think she had some some difficulties in the beginning, logging on. And of course, um, that became a barrier then and she didn't want to keep trying. Um, And for my youngest, um, they they've been sort of sending time tables and work packs to do, um, and she did OK in the beginning

Um, she she was she was doing some of the work, but it became really difficult because I'm I'm obviously I'm working as well, so I I can't sit with them and sort of direct that, uh, So she was getting quite frustrated and and would give up. And it's It's got to the point now where they're actually, neither of them are doing doing any work. Um, but I'm trying to be really relaxed about it

Um, I'm you know, I'm not their teacher. I'm limited in what I can do anyway, because I'm I'm working, and my focus really has been keeping our stress levels low as possible. Um, I didn't see the value in in sort of forcing them to do something that I probably didn't understand either, Um, and was really challenging for them to do on their own

So, yeah, I I I've I've kind of taken a relaxed approach about it. I've got to say that was quite stressful at times. Some there were days where I was

I was getting dozens of emails from one school and dozens of emails from the other. And, um, this these these they use different platforms. One was using email

The other one was using, uh, this app that they they they have. So sometimes just keeping up with the communications was challenging. But I find that that's that's the case, usually anywhere

Um, you know, you get you get a lot of letters and And what? Not from school and sometimes keeping on top of them feels like a full time job. So, yeah, that that was slightly stressful. Um, and school school does they do go back next week

I've got to say, I don't feel like the time is right. Um, I'm I'm, uh It's given the case numbers and things. If you look at where they've locked down before and their their initial plans to to to ease lockdown over time, Um, I don't think they've really stuck to that this time

And, yeah, it does concern me. I I personally don't feel like it's a safe situation, so I haven't decided whether they'll be going back yet, but it does feel like a huge conflict. And it's a very difficult decision to make because obviously we're being told that the best place for them to be is school

Uh, well, I think that's debatable. It depends on the child, doesn't it? Because certainly for my middle child, she did. School is just a real challenge for her

Um, and I say I'm risking being fined as well. What I would have hoped is that parents were given the choice and that we were trusted to make those decisions that were best for our families. And so, yes, I haven't made my mind up yet, but I know lots of people are pleased about them going back to school

Yeah, I think the the situation with home schooling and how much how much as parents you are able to do and to influence is tricky. Especially as for teachers spending years and training and then for parents to be expected to, to influence and to promote what teachers do at home is a challenge. And I and I think hats off to all you parents who have had a a, um a a, um, a challenge in home schooling

Um, but I would just want to say thank you for sharing your Sorry, Natalie. I'll be pressing the the finish button now. Um, so thank you

No worries. Thanks very much then.