In Babies and more we have touched on different occasions the topic of teleworking with children: from real examples of mothers showing what it is like to work from home with their children, to some tips to try to organize ourselves a little and take it better.
But now, an illustration has revealed another part that we had not touched: the effort that thousands of parents make, working from home, to appear and feel that everything is under control .
Personally, I think that in addition to all the things that we have lost due to quarantine and confinement, one of the most difficult aspects has been having to adapt to this new reality, in which we find ourselves most of the time at home while We try to balance it all
The funny thing about all this is that although there is a lot of talk about the subject in terms of tips for teleworking with children, little is shown of what is hidden behind video calls and conference calls: real life in a house with young children.
Perhaps that is why an illustration published a few weeks ago in The New Yorker magazine, created by illustrator Teresa Burns Parkhurst, where you can see a father working in a small corner of the house , where he is shown smiling and dressed for your work video call in front of a neat background, while the rest of the house is … a mess.
We’re all pretending. #NewYorkerCartoons
The place on the table where the baby ate, the clothes hanging over the chairs, the exercise supplies left on the floor, the box of crayons on the table in front of the mirror, the laundry basket over the top, the toys everywhere and as a final touch, the dog eating the leftovers of what the baby threw from the table.
Of course, not all houses are like this, nor does our home look like a disaster area every day, but what the illustration wants to show is how we do everything possible to show or pretend that everything is normal , when in reality the situation it is more complicated than many of us assume.
In addition, it also reminds us of a situation that already existed but that became even greater during the quarantine: social expectations towards parents, since being in a pandemic they are expected to be highly efficient and productive, when at home we have a million responsibilities.
Of course, many of us have the capacity to meet the responsibilities and demands of our jobs, but this does not mean that we do not exhaust ourselves trying to do everything and it certainly highlights the complicated and stressful situation that many families have experienced during confinement.
Illustration | Teresa Burns Parkhurst
Via | Working mother
In Babies and more | 27 interruptions in 11 minutes: this is a mother’s attempt at teleworking, a situation with which many of us identify, Organizing and being flexible: tips for moms who work from home with babies and young children
