Can you really work and parent at the same time? I think we will all agree, it is a firm no.
There needs to be a bit of give on both sides. And as any parent knows, the give on the kid side is impossible. Kids just don’t get it. Even more so when your children are young and you cannot say ‘Mummy is on a work call. Please be quiet now’. There is just no way. And for teenagers who require your time and attention to be heard, you my find frustrations are growing in your house.
The other massive challenge has been the reliability of childcare. Schools and nurseries are still closed in some parts of the world, and those that are open aren’t 100% reliable when it comes to childcare. One case of Covid in a ‘bubble’ shuts down the class or nursery for 14 days. And this kind of shut down is instant, leaving the working parent back to trying to work and juggle the kids.
It seems there is an increase in virtual presenteeism. The pressure and feeling of needing to be seen as ‘on’ when it comes to Zoom calls and screen time is putting added pressure on parents. Is this really good quality work? Probably not. The requirement for more flexibility as we navigate our way out the other side of the pandemic feels more important than ever.
In the past, as working parents, we would leave the house and travel to work. There are some exceptions to the rule, but even if you worked from home, there was typically a division between work and parenting. Now the lines are horribly blurred. We are dealing with home schooling whilst cooking the dinner, and walking around with earphones talking on a Zoom call. This is the reality and it is stressful.
I am sure as WoMos we can all see the benefits of being home more, and if you have a job which is managed on output rather than screen time, this may very well work better for you. It is the screen time emphasis that is stretching many WoMos. If the work is getting done, that’s the problem?