he pandemic kept us all at home. And, when we say “all of us”, we mean “all of us”: children included! However, Covid-19 did not prevent parents from working as much (or even more) nor did it require them to be less productive. And it was far from facilitating the act of taking care of a child - quite the opposite, actually. If a one-year-old needs constant surveillance, what about a 10-year-old, with the demands of the virtual school?
Let's be clear: in this article, we're on the parents’ side.
Taking care of children is difficult.
Working from home with kids is tough.
It doesn't matter what age the child is. Or children.
Over the past year and a half, many parents have complained about the difficulties in getting everything done, feeling constantly failing, whether with their children, with their work, or even with themselves. "It was impossible to do both things at the same time: either I worked or I was with my daughter", begins by telling Joana Lopes, mother of Olívia - who was one year old in the first confinement and two years old in the second one - and an employee in the travel sector. "I felt an enormous frustration for not being able to finish what I needed at work and, on the other hand, for never being available for her." Obviously, later she - Joana, that is - was the one who paid the bill: "I ended up leaving for tenth plan any attempt to eat, go to the bathroom or wash my hair decently".
"It was impossible to do both things at the same time: either I worked or I was with my daughter", begins by telling Joana Lopes, mother of Olívia - who was one year old in the first confinement and two years old in the second one - and an employee in the travel sector. "I felt an enormous frustration for not being able to finish what I needed at work and, on the other hand, for never being available for her." Obviously, later she - Joana, that is - was the one who paid the bill: "I ended up leaving for tenth plan any attempt to eat, go to the bathroom or wash my hair decently".
Over time, she perfected some techniques to be able to work. For example, whenever she played with her daughter, she tried to tire her out enough so that the nap would be longer. And, of course, there were many lunch breaks in which she took the opportunity to do some work.
With the reopening of schools and the lifting of circulation limitations, for some confinement begins to seem like an old story. In these people’s memory, the caricature situations remain - and there were many! - like the several times “Mommmm!” was heard in the background of Zoom meetings, or when Olívia locked herself in her room with a calculator, saying that she too was working. For those who still work remotely two, three, four or even five days a week, with the child(ren) at home, situations like these are, more than a memory, still a reality.
Regarding the reactions of colleagues and superiors, Joana Lopes comments that there was a bit of everything, depending essentially on whether people were or not parents. From the colleagues who were parents, she says she felt mutual understanding and solidarity, as if they were all part of a “secret club”.
Regarding the reactions of colleagues and superiors, Joana Lopes comments that there was a bit of everything, depending essentially on whether people were or not parents. From the colleagues who were parents, she says she felt mutual understanding and solidarity, as if they were all part of a “secret club”.
Even so, she believes that there is still a long way to go and that companies should be more “family friendly” by choice, not by necessity. The truth is that, now that things are getting back "to normal", we are all hearing and getting to know stories of companies that decided to end remote work, forcing parents to return to the office.
After all, how can companies make life easier for parents?
To begin with, it is essential to assume that this is indeed a task that is within the company’s scope of responsibility.
For starters, comments about children's routine and behaviour are to be avoided. Mainly because no child is crying during a meeting. They are crying at home, in a space that is theirs and where they feel safe. In other words, it was the office that invaded home, not the child that invaded the office. Understanding this is already halfway to alleviating the pressure for employees of possible embarrassment or discomfort.
For starters, comments about children's routine and behaviour are to be avoided. Mainly because no child is crying during a meeting. They are crying at home, in a space that is theirs and where they feel safe. In other words, it was the office that invaded home, not the child that invaded the office. Understanding this is already halfway to alleviating the pressure for employees of possible embarrassment or discomfort.
At the same time, companies can also bet on more “family friendly” practices – several already do so, especially those that have a “fully remote setup”. Here are some examples:
- Respect the duties and rights of home office;
- Create flexible working hours;
- Allow employees to work from home whenever they need to;
- Offer childcare support benefits, such as payment of expenses related to the education of children (daycare, school supplies, etc.), access to health care, among others;
- Schedule meetings taking into account the family's schedule;
- Etc.
It’s worth mentioning that this type of measures does not remove any value whatsoever from the employees who are not parents. A company that cares and focuses on families is an organisation that cares about its employees and takes care of them.
And do you know what that means? A satisfied and loyal employee, who will also end up being more productive and efficient.
