I wake up early but don’t get to my desk until late.
As a work from home mom, there are no traffic jams en route to my computer.
There are three kids who, while semi-independent, need help in getting to their remote classes on time.
One kid begins each morning by blaming the alarm clock for not waking him up. It is a nine-minute rush from bed to computer, with quick stops at the bathroom. Of course, once settled in for the first lesson, there are shouts that the notebooks and books he theoretically organized the night before are nowhere to be found.
Another kid has ample time from bed to computer to eat, brush teeth, even read a book. My prompts to keep track of the time are agreed to… but inevitably, I must ask the bookworm to move to the computer one minute before the Zoom lesson begins.
The third kid is the most independent but still needs reminding that lessons are not done in pajamas and that getting dressed for the day sets the mood.
When they’re all decked out in headphones and screens, it is coffee time. And then, I, too, can settle in front of the computer.
But, wait, the Zoom classes encourage participation.
And the kids, although in different rooms, shout out their answers. With headphones on their ears, they scream at their screens.
I turn up the sound level of white noise on my ear buds.
Just as I get in the groove of writing, someone has finished a class. And needs a snack/help getting ready for the next class/help finding a notebook/needs to tell me something/needs computer help.
WFH? Work from home?
Remote learning is a full-time job for the parent at home.
It’s no wonder that most of my best work is done after midnight.