Grandmothers don’t know everything….

I am an experienced grandmother: I know important things such as how to make Barbie cakes and favourite biscuits; tell embarrassing stories about their parents and read the same Mr Men books over and over again. I provided rescue monkey when teddy had been forgotten for a sleepover and especially “Grandma’s house, Grandma’s rules”.  That applies to sitting properly at the table as well as not having to finish your broccoli in order to have ice cream….

When the Corona virus advice started to come in I was resistant to changing behaviour. My adult children started to nag: we have an epidemiologist in the family and I am conditioned to believe evidence rather than anecdote so we reluctantly caved in. By the time the UK government recommended “social distancing” we were ready for it.  

Never mind pandemic, pandemonium ensued around us. People were bulk-buying toilet paper. As far as I am aware diarrhoea is not a consequence of the disease.  However I do realise that in a situation where we have no control (!) to be able to control something ticks a box. We always need toilet paper, it doesn’t date or go off – but the supermarkets can’t keep up with supply. There have been scenes in the supermarkets reminiscent of the first day of the summer sales. 

Some pharmacies have been charging extortionate prices for disinfectant hand gel. We are going to move to another pharmacy when all this is over as the one we usually use is doing this – an increase in price during a shortage I can understand but almost ten times? I have half a dozen bottles of barely used hand gel because every time we go away I forget to take it and buy a bottle at the airport. 

And then there’s soap - I confess I am a hoarder. A French market visits our area every quarter and I am always tempted by the lovely fragranced soaps. They are scattered around in drawers and on shelves and in wardrobes. Perhaps time to repurpose.

Wash your hands!