Working from home with toddlers
We are living in strange times. Have you seen Contagion or any pandemic end-of-the-world-apocalypse movie? Yeah, we are a living it and its surreal. Countries across the world are in various degrees of shutdown; international borders restricted, pubs and malls closed, gyms shutdown, “gatherings of two” banned and some societies in complete lock down.
However, essential workers have been asked to be at work. The rest of us non-essential humans have been told to strictly work from home. I just want to state there isn’t a non-essential bone in my body. But yes, sadly my ability to help society is now restricted to the premises of my home, driveway, mailbox and backyard; and I’m abiding.
[image error]Working from home with toddlers has given me new founded respect for zookeepers. How do they do it? Even with just two kids, Nuwan and I feel like we are in an endless loop of keeping the monkeys fed, hydrated and clean. And the ratio is 1:1 here! We have kept the kids at home 13 days now, not that I’m counting. (Please sound the alarm bells if I start measuring the time in hours.)
Self-isolation is tough on everyone. Kids cannot be cooped up all day, every day. I have found safe ways of taking my children out for fresh air. We are lucky to have access to a backyard and play area that is in pretty much isolated. The days the weather has been good, we are outside playing or riding our bicycles. We don’t run into anyone, so the 6-foot distance is easy to abide by. It should be noted that my 3-year-old is rather regimented with her personal space. Based on whim, her mood or the moon phase, there must be no more than 6 cms of distance between us. Once she has had her quota of “Amma”, and her sense of security is restored, she releases me and busies herself with brother and toys.
Calling into meetings where I am actively participating (read- not on mute) is a fun little challenge. I try to be creative and set up the kids with something that will occupy then for more than a fleeting minute. And yet more often than not, it sounds like I’m dialing in from a fish market. Screams and squeals are interchanged on a regular, no one can tell if they are fighting or dancing.
Then there are the moments where all you can do is surrender to the situation. Like the time when I was having a one-on-one with my manager and my son busted in and proclaimed, “Amma you’re doing a great job!” I’m going to say that is a performance review. Then there was a time I was hiding in the closet, called into a meeting, when my daughter found me and demanded, “Do you see the tears in my eyes?” The dagger of guilt is deep with this one.
[image error]Nuwan and I are caterers, the cleaning crew and fast food workers; we are also engineers in any breathing moment. We want to be diplomats and mediators, but most times it is enough that we are referees in a tough fight. We also cut hair; Vihaan looks like bird now thanks to the feathery haircut with uncut wings we gave him. Regardless of the position we hold, for Vihaan and Aarini, our role as mom and dad is their entire world.
The reality of working remotely with young ones who have no sense of the world, offers a strange sense of levity from the harsh reality we are in and the uncertain times ahead.
With everything we learn – the 98,000+ covid19 cases in the US, the sharp rise of deaths in Italy, Spain in peril; Prince Charles, Boris Johnson and the health minister affected… writing this post about toddler children, innocent and clueless, warms my heart. I hope it does yours too.
