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They say practice makes perfect. Lockdown 2.0 might be a testament to that. What lessons have we learnt from the last time round to help us this time?

Here are mine:

I’m thankful for school. It takes a village to raise a child, and my children are happier meeting others outside their family bubble. Just us (as important as our unit is) is not enough for the wellbeing of my children.

Nature and the great outdoors are therapeutic. Make the most of it — WHATEVER the weather. It takes a village to raise a child, and my children are happier meeting others outside their family bubble.

Exercise — like your life depends on it, because it does.

Lockdown isn’t actually as fun as we initially thought. We really need each other to meet each other, to feel connected with others to feel that our lives are worthy.

It is possible to be connected to an extended family in different time zones. You need the will, commitment and shares on Zoom to do so.

Is it unhealthy to have a lot of expectations out of our children? Big bear is going to be sitting her 11+ next year. We have a schedule, and I love sitting down with her and pushing her and watching her inch towards a goal she thought was impossible a little while back. I am filled with the wonderment of the transformation in big Bear, from a sense of frustration to one of quiet wonder — and dare I say confidence — when she realizes she can do something that she felt she couldn’t.

I have a love-hate relationship with expectations. I see them as a driving force but also know that they can be debilitating when not met.

If we do not make a habit of pushing our children, how and when will they acquire the understanding that impossible tasks are possible if you take small consistent steps towards a goal of your choice? To push our children not to achieve, because that ends up being a rabbit hole — but so that she becomes comfortable in the discomfort of the journey to success. The key, I feel, lies in ensuring that our children have enough emotional fuel and security to power through those times when you don’t meet expectations.

When I look back at my childhood, my mother believed in disciplining but not in achievements. My father sporadically gave us maths tuition and pushed us to our limits. Those moments of being exhausted but getting somewhere have stayed with me.It’s the sense of achievement that withstands the test of time.I don’t want to look back thinking I should or could have done more when it comes to my children. But to keep trying hoping that where my child or I fail, my village can help fill in the gaps.

Aasiya I Versi