Living in lockdown: McLaughlin style!

Gerard McLaughlin (Jazza) on the hunt for the free ball
Like everybody reading this column today, I have been trying my best to get through these mad times as best I possibly can.
With very little happening in the way of sport, I decided I would fill you in on how exactly I have been passing the time.
Before I go any further I would like to point out that I would go back to my normal way of life in a heartbeat but at the same time, there have been some positives in the last couple of months, which I will share with you now.
The Wains
Our two wains, Chloe and Cian are at a bad age for all of this craic (is there a good age I hear you say?)
Chloe will be 14 in October and she was always very outgoing. She loved nothing more than getting out to meet up with her friends and generally doing what girls of her age do.
All of a sudden, it was all taken away from her and that hasn’t been easy, not in the slightest.
In fairness to Chloe though (and I’m sure this is the same with all wee girls her age), she hasn’t complained too much about it, she is simply getting on with her school work and has even done some home baking, which I have been very impressed with.
Cian will be 10 next month and he’s a wee bit different in that he wouldn’t have been as outgoing as Chloe but at the same time, he’s missing his football very badly at this stage.
I managed to get some nets from Maginn for the front garden and in the beginning, they were a godsend but as time has gone on, the novelty is wearing off and he wants nothing more than to get back on the training pitch with his friends and I just hope that isn’t too far away.
It’s now at a stage that I can’t even rare up on him for being on the Playstation because after doing his wee bit of school work and tapping about in the garden for a while, there is very little else for him to be at.
It’s been a very hard time for children of this age all over the country but I have to say, I have been delighted with the way our two have handled it all.
That’s not me trying to suggest that Fiona and myself are some sort of super parents by the way, the wains deserve all the credit for keeping their heads down and getting on with life as best they can.