Can I tell you something?

I ‘ve had word that my furlough is finally ending on 31st August.

That’s right – I’ll be going back to work on 1st September.

I’ve been on furlough since mid-April, which seems like a lifetime ago now.

I almost feel like I have forgotten how to do my job. (Wait. What is my job?)

I haven’t been lounging around this whole time doing nothing, though.

Oh no – I have been kept very busy managing my children’s home learning right up until the end of school, and then I have been their carer since the summer holidays started.

Home learning certainly had its challenges, but as a family we thrived.

Furlough (and indeed this whole period of lockdown) has turned out to be an unexpected, unprecedented, and previously unimaginable, gift.

I never expected to have had all this additional time with my children, and mostly it has been wonderful!

It has been intense at times having all four of us at home all the time but it has also been brilliant to have had all this time together.

I have not missed all the rushing around – no frazzled school runs, no rushing to get dinner on the table as fast as possible, no commuting in traffic, not having to deal with tired kids after a long day at school, no pushing everyone out the door to get to Beavers / Cubs / swimming lessons on time.

It has, in short, been brilliant.

I know I am one of the lucky ones – I still have a job, and I have been paid my full salary this whole time – so I have a lot to be thankful for.

Going back to work is going to be interesting; I work in a college of further education, as a teaching assistant, and I have no idea what social distancing measures will be in place, what PPE will be available, or even who I will be working with. The first week back might actually be working from home; I have no idea.

Still, before that, we still have one last week of the summer holidays until school reopens and I go back to work. Let’s make the most of it!