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In Wales, whilst younger children have been back at school a few weeks now, many only went back on 15th March and some children won’t be returning full time until after the Easter Holidays. I have children in all these categories, so it’s been quite a mixed bag and a new juggle again recently.

Whatever your situation, you will no doubt be thinking ahead to the Easter Holidays and what you will and won’t be able to do with your children after the changes to the Welsh Government Restrictions.

#KeepWalesSafe

#KeepWalesSafe is the Welsh Government’s official response to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. After a long period of lockdown, which has seen shops and attractions closed and parents home-schooling their children, restrictions are now beginning to lift.

It is clear that restrictions can only continue to lift if we all follow the guidelines to #KeepWalesSafe. None of us want to face further restrictions along the line do we? Let’s all work together and do our part.

What are the rules over Easter?

I had prepared myself and my children for news of lockdown and the tightest restrictions continuing over Easter. I figured that if we expected the worst, we could only be pleasantly surprised if things improved by then.

I’m thrilled to hear that things have improved and this Easter in Wales we will be able to meet outdoors with up to six people from a maximum of two households. Remember that children under 11 aren’t included in those numbers, so, if you want to meet up with a friend and their children outdoors you can!

This is wonderful news, after what has been a tough time for so many families. It feels like real progress and something we can all look forward to, that and watching all the spring flowers pop up and the gorgeous lambs!

If you are anything like me, you will feel a little giddy about this news. That said, we mustn’t get complacent or carried away. With children back at school, there is already more movement and interaction and it is really important that this isn’t seen as an opportunity to break the rules.

If you are planning to socialise this Easter, make sure to do it outdoors and keep to the number limits. This is safer and minimises the risk of spreading the virus.

Meet your friend for a long walk and blow those cobwebs away, have a BBQ in your garden (weather permitting of course) with extended family, meet up with a friend and their children for a scavenger hunt, or, like us have a friend and their children over for an Easter Egg Hunt.

I know we can’t share crockery or cutlery at the moment, so finger food it is – get you friend to bring their own cup too!

Our Easter Egg Hunt

This Easter I will be inviting a friend and her children over for an Easter Egg Hunt in our garden. I’m not sure who is more excited, us mums or the kids!

We worked out it has now been over a year since we all did anything together. We normally see each other several times a week, so this has had a massive impact on everyone. The kids are best friends and for us mums, well, we keep each other going through the mundane, the difficult, the stressful bits of life and have a good laugh along the way.

In all honesty, we don’t care what we do as long as we get to meet up, but the children LOVE hunting for things in garden, so that’s what we will be doing. This will all be within the rules as we will be two households meeting outdoors.

Now that there is more daylight and the weather is getting milder, socialising outdoors seems much more possible again. If this helps to stop the spread of Coronavirus, this really is the best way to spend time with those people we have missed during lockdown.

Remember, it’s still important to keep your distance, wash your hands and use hand sanitiser. The more we can all do to #KeepWalesSafe, the more ‘normal’ life will become.