Tips on Getting Through a Lockdown from someone who Survived Boarding School
Like most of you, I found myself giving in to the rising panic surrounding Covid-19, especially the thought of some form of 'Lockdown' being enforced.
And then, all of a sudden a little thought crept in from the back of my brain.... *PING*, 'You've done this before!'.
Boarding school.
You might think i'm joking (i'm certainly being tongue-in-cheek), but think about it. Boarding school (in my day, anyway) involves:
- Severe restrictions on movement, including not leaving the premises you work and sleep in for up to 6-7 weeks at a time.
- Timed access to locations and even not being able to use certain corridors or cross certain doorsteps. Punishment if rules broken.
- Living in extremely close quarters, often with people you have never met until the 1st day of term or just those you don't always like, for months at a time.
-Viruses and infections sweeping through the entire school population.
-Rumours, gossip and misinformation spreading almost as fast as the latest stomach bug/case of nits...
So yeah, in a way I HAVE done this before....
So here's my survival guide to being in lockdown (should it happen), from someone who survived boarding school with (some of) their sanity intact.
Tuck Box - aka snacks. One thing that kept most of us going whilst spending 6-12 weeks away from home was a tuck box, aka box of snacks and comfort food. Mine was an old blue trunk with a padlock on it to keep others out, but actually sharing is quite nice, especially if some of the other girls come from places like Hong Kong or Germany and have delicious 'exotic' (ie non-British) treats like dried mango, seaweed strips or marzipan 'potatoes'. Slip a few packs of Haribo, chocolate digestives and crisps in your trolley as you do that last supermarket run for milk and bread.
A Teddy - everybody needs something or someone to cuddle at night (mine was a Garfield toy) for a little bit of comfort. Pull your ratty old bear out of the box on top of the wardrobe if you have to. Incidentally, this can also be used as an improvised weapon should you be under attack. I once whacked a girl over the head with said Garfield during a squabble (violence not advisable) and cracked his plastic eyeballs in half. She forgave me. I don't know if Garfield did.
Duvet - one of the things we were allowed to bring from home was a duvet cover. Mine had Garfield on it (can you see a theme?). Of course, yours can have something more sophisticated on it, like retro geometric patterns or flowers, but a duvet to snuggle under is highly recommended when you're feeling stressed. Can also be used to build a fort (see below).
Books - personally I couldn't have gotten through boarding school without losing myself in an imaginary world for hours at a time.
Food - obviously essential, but for your own sanity try to vary the menu slightly from the average 80's boarding school fare, ie shepherds pie every tuesday, and oh look, its tinned prunes AGAIN... Note: we put Worcestershire sauce on everything, not because we liked the taste, but because it hid the taste of the food being served. Which might be a useful tip of you find yourself with nothing more than a 1/4 packet of rice, a wrinkly apple at the back of the fridge, some clumpy powdered custard and a tin of spaghetti hoops left in the world.
Nice to have but not necessary:
TV - we were allowed to watch Dallas once a week in the 'common room'. Bear in mind that this was during the 80's when there were only 3 channels and the most TV my mum allowed during the holidays was Blue Peter, Top of the Pops (supervised in case anyone too punky or sexy came on) the art one with Tony Hart and Morph, and 5 minute episodes of fuzzy felt stop-motion Moomins, so glamorous american millionaires seemed like the height of exoticism to me. Also the theme tune is great to make new songs up to. I hear 'Dallas' has a modern reboot on one of the streaming services... I might check it out.
Swings or a tree to climb - i'm not sure how a lockdown would affect peoples ability to spend time outdoors, but a bit of fresh air and sunshine is always helpful. And seeing who could swing/climb the highest was always fun.
Do's
Pets - some girls had bunnies or hamsters, which were kept in a little shed in the yard. We would obviously ask our friends before touching their animals, so many of these animals were effectively 'co-parented' by groups of little girls at the evenings & weekends. Spending time stroking, taking care of and playing with your animals is a great way to pass the time and reduce stress.
Gardening - we were allowed a tiny little area to do 'gardening' supervised by the headmasters elderly mother. I built a little rockery which had a few pansies and succulent type things in it. Try tending your houseplants or window boxes if you have no outside area. Looking after something living and watching it/helping it grow is hugely therapeutic and a great long term project.
Reading - I had read my way through every Tolkien in the library by age 11. I thoroughly recommend a series of good thick novels to sink your head into as a way to pass the time. As a side note, if anybody can tell me the title of the one where the little rat-owl creatures live in the drains of the little girls house I would be ever so grateful.
Helping others - a Sunday afternoon option was to go across the road and chat to the people in the retirement home. I'm not sure if a bunch of 11 year old girls had anything of real interest to discuss with someone's Gran, but the thought was there and we made them cups of tea and biscuits. It might be unadvisable to be face to face in Coronavirus times, but maybe find another way to check in on your elderly/vulnerable neighbours and let them know you care.
Build a fort/den - I spent a lot of time in the 'Spinney', a small strip of shrubs and trees next to the sports field building dens out of branches and things I found. If you can't get outside at the moment, building a duvet fort indoors is a good idea. It might give you a bit of 'me space' if you are stuck indoors with your family and its all getting a bit much.
Scrapbooking - when I left one boarding school my friend Emily gave me her prize possession; a 'book of hunks' she had made by cutting pictures of movie/pop stars out of magazines. I still have it. I'm not sure about all of her choices, but I think Alec Baldwin has stood the test of time.
Talking - with little else to do, we spent a lot of time sitting on each others beds chatting. Its particularly interesting if you have been put in a dorm with a girl from somewhere completely different from your rural english home, say Nigeria or Madrid, but chatting about shared experiences and differences is a great way to pass the time. Having a human connection is essential at times like these.
Phoning your mum - conversations weren't always that private as the only phone was in the main entrance hall, but I always knew how to make a reverse charge call or use a prepaid phone card. Sometimes just hearing your mum's voice can make you feel better.
Writing letters - having to write a letter home every weekend which was read by a teacher (for punctuation/spelling and IMO nosiness) before being posted wasn't great, but receiving post was always one of the most exciting things in the life of a boarder. Maybe make someone else's day by sending them an unexpected card or letter. Our postman Alan tells me that posties are taking extra precautions, so for now the postal service is running AOK.
Bullying - this happens more frequently than anyone would like to admit at boarding school. Of course it is unacceptable, but the root cause is usually the aggressors own unhappiness. We are all going to get frustrated and anxious in these uncertain times, so try talking about your feelings instead of making others feel as unhappy as you. And those little 'jokey' digs about someones weight, for example, are really going to grate at a time like this. Don't do it.
Hiding behind the pile of suitcases in the attic crying - this one is quite boarding school specific, but my point is that if you feel things are unbearable please, please tell someone how you are feeling.
Detention - no one wants to spend the afternoon in the doghouse. My deputy head used to think he was clever by making us write paragraphs on a subject of his choice. I used to think I was clever by writing out the relevant Encyclopedia Brittanica entry in different words and changing the sentence order, then spending the rest of the time reading C.S. Lewis. I don't even know what I did wrong half the time. What i'm trying to say is try being more tolerant, we're all going to show our human flaws over the next few weeks.
Being a Hypochondriac - aka wasting matron's time. Yes, you will definitely get some sympathy and attention, and calpol or that strawberry flavour one is quite yummy, but someone else might really be sick and need matrons help more than you. Plus it might backfire and you'll be sent to TOTAL isolation in sick bay for a week, which is opposite the really grumpy junior matrons quarters. No thank you.
I think the advice being given to stop total overwhelm of NHS 111 is to only call if you 'can't cope', so use common sense and obviously if you have a small child or vulnerable adult make the phone call.
Gossip - try not to spread misinformation. There's always going to be rumours and catastrophising at a time like this, so try and check the truth of something before passing it on via social media etc.
To recap; Be kind. Talk to each other. Ask for help. Eat snacks.
And then, all of a sudden a little thought crept in from the back of my brain.... *PING*, 'You've done this before!'.
Boarding school.
You might think i'm joking (i'm certainly being tongue-in-cheek), but think about it. Boarding school (in my day, anyway) involves:
- Severe restrictions on movement, including not leaving the premises you work and sleep in for up to 6-7 weeks at a time.
- Timed access to locations and even not being able to use certain corridors or cross certain doorsteps. Punishment if rules broken.
- Living in extremely close quarters, often with people you have never met until the 1st day of term or just those you don't always like, for months at a time.
-Viruses and infections sweeping through the entire school population.
-Rumours, gossip and misinformation spreading almost as fast as the latest stomach bug/case of nits...
So yeah, in a way I HAVE done this before....
So here's my survival guide to being in lockdown (should it happen), from someone who survived boarding school with (some of) their sanity intact.
Essential Kit:
Tuck Box - aka snacks. One thing that kept most of us going whilst spending 6-12 weeks away from home was a tuck box, aka box of snacks and comfort food. Mine was an old blue trunk with a padlock on it to keep others out, but actually sharing is quite nice, especially if some of the other girls come from places like Hong Kong or Germany and have delicious 'exotic' (ie non-British) treats like dried mango, seaweed strips or marzipan 'potatoes'. Slip a few packs of Haribo, chocolate digestives and crisps in your trolley as you do that last supermarket run for milk and bread.
A Teddy - everybody needs something or someone to cuddle at night (mine was a Garfield toy) for a little bit of comfort. Pull your ratty old bear out of the box on top of the wardrobe if you have to. Incidentally, this can also be used as an improvised weapon should you be under attack. I once whacked a girl over the head with said Garfield during a squabble (violence not advisable) and cracked his plastic eyeballs in half. She forgave me. I don't know if Garfield did.
Duvet - one of the things we were allowed to bring from home was a duvet cover. Mine had Garfield on it (can you see a theme?). Of course, yours can have something more sophisticated on it, like retro geometric patterns or flowers, but a duvet to snuggle under is highly recommended when you're feeling stressed. Can also be used to build a fort (see below).
Books - personally I couldn't have gotten through boarding school without losing myself in an imaginary world for hours at a time.
Food - obviously essential, but for your own sanity try to vary the menu slightly from the average 80's boarding school fare, ie shepherds pie every tuesday, and oh look, its tinned prunes AGAIN... Note: we put Worcestershire sauce on everything, not because we liked the taste, but because it hid the taste of the food being served. Which might be a useful tip of you find yourself with nothing more than a 1/4 packet of rice, a wrinkly apple at the back of the fridge, some clumpy powdered custard and a tin of spaghetti hoops left in the world.
Nice to have but not necessary:
TV - we were allowed to watch Dallas once a week in the 'common room'. Bear in mind that this was during the 80's when there were only 3 channels and the most TV my mum allowed during the holidays was Blue Peter, Top of the Pops (supervised in case anyone too punky or sexy came on) the art one with Tony Hart and Morph, and 5 minute episodes of fuzzy felt stop-motion Moomins, so glamorous american millionaires seemed like the height of exoticism to me. Also the theme tune is great to make new songs up to. I hear 'Dallas' has a modern reboot on one of the streaming services... I might check it out.
Swings or a tree to climb - i'm not sure how a lockdown would affect peoples ability to spend time outdoors, but a bit of fresh air and sunshine is always helpful. And seeing who could swing/climb the highest was always fun.
Do's
Pets - some girls had bunnies or hamsters, which were kept in a little shed in the yard. We would obviously ask our friends before touching their animals, so many of these animals were effectively 'co-parented' by groups of little girls at the evenings & weekends. Spending time stroking, taking care of and playing with your animals is a great way to pass the time and reduce stress.
Gardening - we were allowed a tiny little area to do 'gardening' supervised by the headmasters elderly mother. I built a little rockery which had a few pansies and succulent type things in it. Try tending your houseplants or window boxes if you have no outside area. Looking after something living and watching it/helping it grow is hugely therapeutic and a great long term project.
Reading - I had read my way through every Tolkien in the library by age 11. I thoroughly recommend a series of good thick novels to sink your head into as a way to pass the time. As a side note, if anybody can tell me the title of the one where the little rat-owl creatures live in the drains of the little girls house I would be ever so grateful.
Helping others - a Sunday afternoon option was to go across the road and chat to the people in the retirement home. I'm not sure if a bunch of 11 year old girls had anything of real interest to discuss with someone's Gran, but the thought was there and we made them cups of tea and biscuits. It might be unadvisable to be face to face in Coronavirus times, but maybe find another way to check in on your elderly/vulnerable neighbours and let them know you care.
Build a fort/den - I spent a lot of time in the 'Spinney', a small strip of shrubs and trees next to the sports field building dens out of branches and things I found. If you can't get outside at the moment, building a duvet fort indoors is a good idea. It might give you a bit of 'me space' if you are stuck indoors with your family and its all getting a bit much.
Scrapbooking - when I left one boarding school my friend Emily gave me her prize possession; a 'book of hunks' she had made by cutting pictures of movie/pop stars out of magazines. I still have it. I'm not sure about all of her choices, but I think Alec Baldwin has stood the test of time.
Talking - with little else to do, we spent a lot of time sitting on each others beds chatting. Its particularly interesting if you have been put in a dorm with a girl from somewhere completely different from your rural english home, say Nigeria or Madrid, but chatting about shared experiences and differences is a great way to pass the time. Having a human connection is essential at times like these.
Phoning your mum - conversations weren't always that private as the only phone was in the main entrance hall, but I always knew how to make a reverse charge call or use a prepaid phone card. Sometimes just hearing your mum's voice can make you feel better.
Writing letters - having to write a letter home every weekend which was read by a teacher (for punctuation/spelling and IMO nosiness) before being posted wasn't great, but receiving post was always one of the most exciting things in the life of a boarder. Maybe make someone else's day by sending them an unexpected card or letter. Our postman Alan tells me that posties are taking extra precautions, so for now the postal service is running AOK.
Don't's:
Arguing - this happens quite frequently when you feel cooped up with the same people for months on end. They don't say 'familiarity breeds contempt' for nothing. Try talking instead, and please don't resort to hitting someone with your teddy (see above).Bullying - this happens more frequently than anyone would like to admit at boarding school. Of course it is unacceptable, but the root cause is usually the aggressors own unhappiness. We are all going to get frustrated and anxious in these uncertain times, so try talking about your feelings instead of making others feel as unhappy as you. And those little 'jokey' digs about someones weight, for example, are really going to grate at a time like this. Don't do it.
Hiding behind the pile of suitcases in the attic crying - this one is quite boarding school specific, but my point is that if you feel things are unbearable please, please tell someone how you are feeling.
Detention - no one wants to spend the afternoon in the doghouse. My deputy head used to think he was clever by making us write paragraphs on a subject of his choice. I used to think I was clever by writing out the relevant Encyclopedia Brittanica entry in different words and changing the sentence order, then spending the rest of the time reading C.S. Lewis. I don't even know what I did wrong half the time. What i'm trying to say is try being more tolerant, we're all going to show our human flaws over the next few weeks.
Being a Hypochondriac - aka wasting matron's time. Yes, you will definitely get some sympathy and attention, and calpol or that strawberry flavour one is quite yummy, but someone else might really be sick and need matrons help more than you. Plus it might backfire and you'll be sent to TOTAL isolation in sick bay for a week, which is opposite the really grumpy junior matrons quarters. No thank you.
I think the advice being given to stop total overwhelm of NHS 111 is to only call if you 'can't cope', so use common sense and obviously if you have a small child or vulnerable adult make the phone call.
To recap; Be kind. Talk to each other. Ask for help. Eat snacks.
Genius!!!
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