Newlyweds living in lockdown #CoronaGate

Now I’m sure a lot of couples when they get married or when they move in with their partners are ecstatic about the idea of living with someone, your boo, your bae, babe – whatever you call them. Like “yay, we get to see each other everyday”.

But how many of you could have predicted that you would be faced with a pandemic that – if you aren’t working in healthcare – means you are a homebound for the next 3 weeks and spending every single day with your partner? We are living in such crazy times and the reality is the newlyweds are in a unique position.

I’m curious, how are you guys finding it so far?

My husband and I are fortunate enough to have roles that have allow us to work from home through #CoronaGate and I must say it’s been a real bonding time for us, getting to learn about each other’s little quirks, that I don’t think we would naturally have had time for.

Exhibit A. I am rather particular about breakfast protocols… So, I’ve been told. I’ve always been a bit of a cereal kid and never really the healthy type. So, my favourites would be Frosties, Rice Krispies, Cocoa Puffs to name a few! I think my husband was aware of this, but he didn’t know the intricacies that come with it. I mean after 2weeks at home together he now knows that I like milk to be put in the bowl first, then in the microwave for 30secs and then you add the cereal. And please note the cereal to milk ratio has to be right. Not too much milk or rather always more cereal in the bowl than milk. I’ve never understood folks that literally have their cereal drowning in a bowl!

You see what I mean, a very random fact that #CoronaGate has blessed him with the time to learn! Another one on breakfast – I add salt to my oats. Yes, that’s correct. And I will not explain myself lol.

What have I learnt about my husband through this time? He doesn’t like the sink being filled up unnecessarily ha! So, rumour has it I average 2 hot drinks a day but refuse to use the same mug, like why not rinse the original one and reuse it? That’s his argument. You see, what I mean a random fact that time has allowed us lol. In my defence when I’m at work I have to rinse my mug throughout the day – surely, I shouldn’t have to whilst I’m in my own home.

With Boris Johnson finally putting the country on “lockdown” for the next 3 weeks, I’m sure there is a lot more we will learn about one another in this household.

But on a serious note, how are all the newlyweds finding this time? Have there been any new discoveries about your partner? How is it seeing your partner in their full work mode?

We’ve really been making the most of it and just trying to enjoy the time together. The truth of the matter of is, we would never be fortunate enough to have this much time together in a normal situation. And the world is teaching us how precious life is and that time is really not guaranteed to no one. So, whilst you have the time and good health, enjoy it, learn about one another, grow together and be intentional about spending time together and giving each other space.

All that said, I can imagine whilst its nice having the time it’s super easy for things to get boring or repetitive or for you to simply get on each other’s nerves! Here’s a list of tips for all the newlyweds or recently moved in partners to hopefully keep things exciting and keep you sane in your house as we get through this!

• Communicate with one another : above all else. Make sure you keep this going. We are in new territory and there’s a lot of mixed emotions, anxiety, fear, worry etc. Talk through it all. And like I said you are learning about one another. Talk through those new discoveries even if they don’t quite make sense to you. Being indoors together with no other choice will mean its just the two of you. So, remember you’re a team.
• TikTok : apparently this is the most trending app to be on right now. Not quite our thing, but I’m sure there are some dancers out there who would love this. And considerably we are only one Day 1 of 3 weeks at home, TikTok may be our friend soon enough   
• Movie time : This for us is generally our favourite thing to do. But now we are looking at trying out the “greats” – you know the old school films that everyone always talks about, but you’ve never watched. This might actually be the time I watch ‘The Godfather’. Don’t judge me for never having got around to it lol. And we’ve also added movies to the list that are from different genres. Generally, we don’t watch horror/thriller type films but being indoors so much has encouraged us to push the barrier. So, we’ve watched ‘A Quiet Place’ & ‘Us’ so far … fairly enjoyable and not too scary. I’d recommend them. Maybe in week 2 I will delve into the world of things like ‘Silence of the Lamb’ – *hides face*
• Cook together : we are foodies and love eating out, so being indoors isn’t great but forcing us to try out new dishes. This is perfect for a way to bond together and take a break from work. Personally, cooking is something I said I wanted to improve on this year, so hopefully I will actually get round to securing some Nigerian dishes under my belt. Obviously, this tip is great if you can actually find the ingredients you need at the stores. I haven’t been able to find eggs or flour for ages now!

• Give each other some space : you’re still two individuals with different tastes and habits so, try and respect that. Naturally it might feel like you should do everything and anything short of going to the toilet together right now. But when you can just give each other a little breathing room. In our house that looks like one person staying in the living room and the other staying in the bedroom. One it allows us to get on with our workloads but also just means you get some “you” time. If everything was business as usual you’d have lots of time apart so, try to mirror that when you can. It also, helps add a bit of excitement to when you get round to doing everything else on this list!
• Exercise together : my husband is a gym body, me not so much but I do like to workout. We’ve created a daily workout challenge with our siblings that we can do together and have been going on daily walks and runs. Luckily the PM has said exercise is still allowed if you’re living the house. Once a day, so make it count.

That’s probably the most I can think of for now. I’m sure as the days go by there will be more ideas to keep each other going and you might find other tips and tricks in your house. A review of how everyone got through these times later down the line will be much needed. For now, stay safe, stay indoors and enjoy the time you’ve been blessed with. Our 1 year anniversary when it comes is going to be filled with lots of stories!!