Some new strategies
First day of lockdown and it's gone well. I was a little worried about not being able to get out for a cup of tea every day but did some baking so Ash could have a treat with his afternoon cup of tea and then I downed tools at 4pm to join him in front of the tv for an hour. We're rarely out for longer than that on our trips so am hoping that if we can do this every afternoon he'll be happy with it as a replacement. It certainly seems to have done the trick today as he's been very relaxed and happy although I think this might because he thinks he now has my undivided attention every day for the next 4 weeks.
So that's one new strategy and another is around clothes. You may remember that Jake had difficulty with the laundry while I was away as Ash flatly refused to put his clothes in the wash when it was suggested. I thought about this and am fairly sure he was worried about having to find clean clothes in the cupboard and possibly having to decide what to wear so since then I've made some changes and now, when I scoop up the dirty clothes, I don't replace them with clean ones and, instead, leave him to get them out of the cupboard himself. Today I've ordered another 3 sets of everything which, I think, gives him six sets of identical outfits, almost one for every day of the week. Am now going to see if I can get him to put his own clothes in the laundry basket every night so that the next time Jake comes we should be in a whole new manageable routine.
My third new strategy which is working really well came about because of Jake telling me that Ash lit the fire every night while I was away. Right up until that point lighting the fire was my job and something I just got on and did but since then I've left him to it. The first couple of nights he was a little hesitant and I walk out of the room just to stop myself interfering but now it's become an accepted thing that Ash lights the fire and, not only that, he's started coming back from walks with the dog carrying sticks he's collected along the way and so has started taking responsibility for it too.
So, new strategies, yet more ways of doing things and a realisation that nothing stays the same. If I can just keep watching, taking note and recognising when changes need to be made I might just get through this without my world tumbling down around my ears..
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