As a mum of two children under the age of 3, I wish I could say that working from home is a dream come true. I wish I could tell you how I am able to get a lot of work done while spending time with my family, and enjoying the bonus quality time.

Unfortunately, this is only the case in the alternate universe that I have created in my mind. In this universe, MY IDEAL WORLD, everyone has a schedule that they follow to a T. Things are smooth sailing always and I can continuously predict what will happen next. If on special occasions, although very rare, when something out of the ordinary occurs, I would always be prepared for it and would be ready to handle it head on without as much as a hitch in my scheduled activities.

[Stops]

[Laughs Hysterically]

[Belts out Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Sike! (As in…The Preceding Paragraph Is A Fantasy.)

Wake Up Lady! You Are Dreaming!

Truth is, although there are many things to be grateful for about working from home and even more positive things that could come from it, the fact is… It Can Be Very Challenging. Quite frankly, it would be deceitful of me to let anyone think that working from home as a Mum is anything BUT CHALLENGING.

In the first instance, the word work is there. That means, the expectation to accomplish normal task and responsibilities in relation to a typical workday is understood, as it should be.

I guess…

I mean technically, the only difference is the change of environment. The work is the same. The person is the same, so similar results should be expected. Right?

Right! Said the clueless person that has obviously never had to work from home with children.

What is The Correct Answer?

The correct answer is…It’s Complicated. It is not a simple YES or NO.

Why?

Because they are many factors that have to be taken into consideration when a person, especially a Mum is working from home.

What the fictional person that answered my previous question failed to realize was that working from home as a caregiver when compared to someone that does not have to provide childcare can be a completely different experience. In one scenario, (the non-caregiver scenario), the person can wake up, create their schedule, and know with 100% confidence that if they so choose, everything will go as planned. They can focus, and put in as many hours as they wish, uninterrupted, and be able to accomplish virtually everything they set out to do. How come? Because the only things that can interrupt their schedule are those things that they, the non-caregiver, permits i.e. their pets (if applicable), their smartphones, the beautiful weather outside, their stomachs (stop snacking), the voice in their heads saying you could use a nap, etc…you get the point (laugh out loud).

However, a parent and caregiver has additional factors to consider when working from home.  When making their schedules, yes, they have to seek to accomplish their professional work goals; BUT  also, other factors including the schedules of their partners (if applicable), their child(ren), and in some cases, the family pet must be considered. Oh, as an added bonus, if the caregiver has multiple children of varying ages, this also means that the children will require varying levels of attention.

So, in a normal world, which was a time in our lives before the coronavirus pandemic that we are currently facing (see below), the life of a mum working from home had many moving parts that resulted in an additional layer of complexity.

So Now, In The Height Of The Coronavirus Pandemic, What Is The Reality of Mums Working From Home? And How Does It Affect The Above Scenario?

First of all, the coronavirus also known as Covid-19 was first identified in 2019. It is an infectious disease caused by a new virus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)). The disease spreads very easily, has a high infectious rate and can be very deadly. To date, the coronavirus is affecting everyone, everywhere, in nations across the globe, All At The Same Time!

It has caused many dramatic changes in the way our day-to-day life is lived. It has changed the way businesses are conducted, institutions are ran, schools are attended and the way other operations are performed. From healthcare facilities to the way restaurants operate, to who can shop during certain hours at the grocery stores and who can visit who’s home, when, or if at all…Our Lives Are In Many Ways Unrecognizable.

In terms of the specific topic of this blog post, the reality of mums working from home, the coronavirus has played a major role. The activities of mums and all individuals caring for children have greatly been affected because the support channels that many guardians, and mums depended upon have been impacted. Daycare facilities and schools have been closed. Limitations on visitations have been imposed and the size of gatherings has been reduced, all due to the practice of social-distancing (efforts to slow the spread of the virus and impede the disease). All in all, the people that can and have been supplementing childcare to allow mums (and other guardians) to work have been nearly removed and in some instances, are no longer among the living. 

Mums are currently required to perform their professional duties while also providing childcare. Additionally, mums are expected to give 100% of their attention and efforts to both their professional responsibilities and to their personal responsibilities, even though their physical human capabilities have not been enhanced in any way, shape or form.

This is utterly impossible without the support that mums (and other guardians) relied upon.

Let’s be clear, I am NOT saying that mums are any less of the workers they were in their “normal” professional work environments; No, Not At All. I am simply saying that, mums (and other caregivers) should not be expected to perform at the same level they did prior to the life disruption caused by the coronavirus and with less support, increased stress and increased demand on their times.

As mums, and fellow members of the human race, our lives as we once knew it no longer exist. It is currently just a memory.

We are all currently grappling with our new realities; a new reality that includes business and school closures, the loss of jobs and thus loss of income to many households. Even greater, we are left with the loss of loved ones, dear friends, neighbors and celebrities we admired from afar. Still for some, the new reality means working from home or teleworking, online visits to doctors or telemedicine, and virtual learning atmospheres or e-classrooms. It is a world that none of us recognize; yet, it is the world that we all have to acknowledge, live in and support each other through.

It is my hope that as we navigate this new way of living as mums (and other guardians) teleworking, the new age of students online-learning and a new way of children virtually interacting, that society also gives us mums and caregivers a break when it comes to the expectations of teleworking. Because, although it might seem like an ideal situation at first glance, it is in reality a challenging experience and we, mums, need time to work out our new virtual work-life balance.

As always, I welcome your feedback and comments below. Feel free to share your ideas and tips to help mums with this new reality, because as I mentioned in my previous blog post, We Wear The Cape, But We Still Need Help.