CREATING A STRONG ECONOMY
How to Work From Home with Your Kids During Coronavirus
Having kids can make you more productive - except when they’re there all the time. So how can you meet work obligations now that schools are closed By Alina Dizik | BBC | April 4, 2020
I love working from home, far away from chilly air- conditioning vents and noisy colleagues. I have few pointless meetings, zero interruptions and no need for awkward watercooler chitchat. My output should be high – after all, studies have shown that being a remote worker and a mother could both increase my productivity. Unfortunately, I now have new, tiny colleagues at home – and they are needier than any I have encountered before. Like many children round the world, my kids Anais, 7, and Theo, 4, have been sent home from school to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. But classes aren’t cancelled; they now have their own video conference calls with teachers, demand constant printouts of daily work and need to be motivated in the style of an all- hands meeting. My husband – also now at home – and I have suddenly taken on new roles as lunch caterers, office admins, therapists and assistants to our mini-
executives, all on top of our regular jobs. Every day feels like a Monday. Of course, I’m not alone in the new normal of balancing ever-present kids with work; parents in several nations are tackling this issue, with sometimes hilarious results. Many are trying to establish new rules to help with the transition and figure out how to remain productive in a comprehensively changed ‘office’. This, experts suggest, may come down to combination of measures. Good planning, structure, creativity and flexibility can all help you create an environment in which everyone can fulfil their obligations – while maintaining family harmony. Communicate a family plan With a house full of kids and working parents, it’s important to be realistic about your working situation
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The Business Review | September 2020
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