A spoon full of shit makes the medicine go round.

Me and the family, earlier today. 

Today was a nightmare. 

Absolute nightmare. 

The pandemic lockdown has meant that we have to stay home and work from home, no school, and for us, only childcare on one day a week while we both work. This means two year old and a six year old in the house today while one of us works. 

And it was my turn to keep it all together while Lucy does her work. 

I failed miserably. 

I didn't plan it this way but it started with me and the two year old watching Mary Poppins. In Mary Poppins, the dad is rubbish. Disciplinarian, disconnected from the kids, judgemental, out of touch, no imagination, not interested in listening to the kids (or anyone else for that matter), just a pain in the arse. 

They need a nanny. And then Mary Poppins flies in. She's perfect in every way. Exactly the opposite to what the dad's like. She's engaged. She listens. Annoying tasks are fun if they're played like a game. That's what they're singing about with A Spoonful of Sugar. They're getting the room cleaned. And they do. 

But it's unfair. 

Because old mate Mary can do real magic. 

So the day goes on and I completely fail in getting the six year old into her homeschooling. She does not one minute of it. And we fought all day. It got worse and worse, and the worse it got, the deeper I got into the mud of it all. I lost all patience and confidence. It was torture. 

I was the dad in Mary Poppins, the obvious rubbish dad, and there was nothing I could do to improve. 

This is what the lockdown is doing. It could be a wonderful opportunity to have the best time with the kids. But I'm tired and today I couldn't come close. 

Luckily, tomorrow's another day. 

But I did get to play the Up There Cazaly clip to the two year old. 

He was transfixed and wanted to see it again and again and again. 

Just like when I saw it for the first time.