Have you ever thought that parenting and working from home would be a great situation? In early spring, I received news that my school district was going to online learning due to the coronavirus. My daughter’s school was also on leave, and I thought, ‘Perfect, we will be home together.’ I looked at my daughter, and I thought she is just the cutest little girl ever and my heart melted. ‘I’m going to be a great stay at home mother that will protect her, make great lunches, and teach her.’ I learned quickly that juggling my daughter’s workload and my teaching career would be hard to do.
The Experimental Week
The first week of working from home was the best week because we slept in, and there was not a lot to do. We did not know how long the pandemic would last, and we both hoped that we would be back at work within a couple of weeks. My daughter was in second grade, and I was teaching reading lab (7-8 grades) and career exploration (8-9 grades). I was more stressed out about my trip with my sorority sister on our 20th anniversary that was postponed. My spring break was the following week, and my daughter’s spring break was the third week into the pandemic.
After my daughter’s spring break, life became tough. My district had specific requirements. Teachers had to call the home of every student that did not attend a Google Meet or was failing the class. We had to keep detailed records of each student’s contact. There were work-throughs from the teacher’s evaluating principal. We had to post the daily objective, provide office hours, and contact parents/students every day on Google Classroom. We were required to have weekly Google Meets and submit lesson plans by Friday, along with a Google Form. My days quickly went to 8-12 hours. My daughter craved my attention, especially when I was on Google Meets. I began feeling like a bad mother because my daughter was not getting the best of me. I would tell her to go to her room and play. I was not spending quality time with her.
I decided that I wanted to spend more quality time with my daughter. I started getting up an hour earlier and calling parents in the morning. I posted the daily objective on each class’s Google Classroom, and I began grading papers. I made an intentional effort to have lunch with my daughter. I was on a group chat with my sorority sisters, and one suggested making a fruit and cheese tray. I made my daughter a tray with carrots, cheddar cheese, turkey pepperoni, strawberries, and grapes. Throughout the day, she would munch on the tray. After we shared lunch, I would return to my online work, and she went upstairs.
Having the Problems
My daughter had work online to complete and two Zoom conferences a week. Her work was due on Friday and, later during the quarter, Thursday. I decided to have my daughter complete all her work on Tuesday night. The first step was having her retrieve all the paperwork and then work on it independently on Google Classroom. I had to show her step by step how to get to Google Classroom and get her work. I learned it was best if she worked independently and asked for help; otherwise, she would have a meltdown. On the days she had Zoom, she would dress up, and I would fix her hair, making her look presentable.
It never failed, Zoom conferences failed connection, and sometimes we needed to use the iPhone to connect. When my daughter was on a Zoom conference, she was happy to interact with other kids, but she was shy. The Zoom interactions helped my daughter and I bond because I had to take a break from my job to pay attention to my daughter. After some conferences, we would take a walk or make dinner together. My daughter’s teacher had homework that included creating family crafts and making desserts. Those homework assignments tunneled my focus to my daughter, and I truly appreciated it.
Friday was the busiest day of the week. I had a lot of work due on Friday. My phone call list, lesson plans, emails to parents and students, and a district Google Form were due on Friday. Before I managed better, I would have two Google Meets scheduled for Friday. My lesson plans had to be posted on the Google Classroom and submitted to the principal by Friday afternoon. I remember some Fridays I was sweating from the stress of trying to accomplish everything by 4:00. When everything was accomplished by 4:00 on a Friday, I spent time with my daughter. Sometimes we would go for a ride, or we took small walks.
Bonding After Working
I was very appreciative of my career and its income, but I love my daughter and want a strong relationship with her. I quickly learned that I had to balance work and home life. My focus was on having a routine with my work and my daughter. My work shift ended at 5:00, and I began helping my daughter with her homework, which sometimes included making desserts. I made sure that we ate lunch and dinner together. Some Fridays, we were able to eat lunch and dinner together, except when my daughter went over her dad’s house. I did not let my work-life consume my job as a mother. After dinner, we would play games, such as Uno or Scrabble, to bond. I think my daughter watched too much tv while I worked. If I could make any changes during that time, it would be cutting the television and unproductive time. When I was on a Google Meets conference, television kept my daughter busy. If we both work from home again, I have to be stricter on my daughter being productive.
Being a parent and working from home can be stressful, but if you plan out your day, you can be a productive parent. Making and keeping a schedule would prevent idle time and keep you focused on what is important to you, your child. I learned it’s the meaningful moments spent with my daughter that mean the most. Over a meal, we would talk about life, and I would teach her about our family, values, and beliefs. She was seven, but I wanted to teach her about valuing education and how our family used education to gain careers, such as being a lawyer, teacher, FBI agent, and writer.
What were some of the challenges you faced as a parent working from home, and how did you overcome them? Leave a comment below.
Leave a Reply