Life in lockdown by Karan Abrol

There is no doubt that lockdown is one of the most difficult times for humanity. It is extremely hard to see that so many people are ill and dying and to worry about your own and the safety of your loved ones. I cannot go out to see my friends and I cannot celebrate birthdays with others or even just attend my various clubs and activities. Like most people, I am trying to counter my social connection issues by using apps to regularly video call my friends and family. I have been enjoying playing online Ludo - with me and my dad, and my friend and his dad being in opposing teams; it is great to cheer and to compete with each other. My mum is a key worker and my dad works for himself and although they have been able to work from home, it also means I have to keep myself engaged and do my work, mostly independently. This is a challenge and I sometimes catch myself getting distracted, but I have kept on top of all the work my mum sets me for the day. I have been learning Spanish, French and German on the Junior Language Challenge and managed to stay in first place in the international competition. I play with my dog in the garden and am training him to play Frisbee! I have been making my own breakfast every day and I have also tried some new recipes as I’ve now got more free time to do so. I have tidied up the bookcase and have been reading lots of books. I’ve read books by M.G. Leonard and Robert Muchamore. I sometimes imagine being a character in the book I’m reading. I feel very grateful to the delivery people for supplying me with my little pleasures and my books from the series that I’m reading. I’ve also written a story and created a few new characters. I painted my bedroom with my brother and my sister, have cooked with them, played Monopoly and chess with them and probably spent more time with them than I would normally do in a year, as they are both generally busy with work and university. This has meant that we have bonded like never before. My Scout sessions have become interesting as they now happen online. I’m glad to get to see the leaders and other Scouts. We do riddles, play games, and learn new skills. We learnt about cartography and I enjoyed figuring out what the different symbols on the maps meant. We celebrated Easter and VE day. These sessions have been my key contact with peers. As part of my weekly Scouts’ challenge, I have been creating various art and craft pieces from recycled materials. I have made a variety of things: skittles and toothbrush holders from plastic bottles; a plant pot from a yoghurt tub and plastic bags; a fountain from stones, plastic tubing and a cardboard box; and frames from kitchen rolls and a shoe box. I have loved being involved with these; it has helped harness my creativity and kept me happily occupied. I have also started doing my piano lessons on Skype and have been practicing daily, something I struggled to find time for before lockdown. Initially, I was cautious of leaving the house and decided to stay indoors for the first 6 weeks. Time in my garden was the only fresh air I got. I tried to keep up with the news daily and worried a lot. I tried mindfulness meditation, listened to calming music and tried to keep myself occupied. For In the last few days my mum has encouraged me to join her for a daily walk and it has made me feel recharged and energised. I think I will build this as a routine that I stick with even after the lockdown. The pandemic has encouraged me to research cells and other viruses and I think in the future I will study biology to work towards a career in science. It is reassuring to see that scientists are working hard to test vaccines and cures for the virus. I wish that a vaccine is available for everyone soon and that we humans can win the war over Covid 19. I also wish for things to get back to normal.

Karan Abrol, aged 11, lives and attends school in Greenwich, London. Currently approaching the end of his primary school career, he is an avid reader, writer and contributes widely to his school community.