My Story About Working from Home with Kids
Blessed, that I am ridiculously grateful to be one those people still being able to work from home so that there is still an income coming in, which is more than millions of people in the world can say now. Cursed, because I feel like I’m losing my damn mind trying to work while tending to super energetic and mischievous four year old twins, a demanding thirteen year old teenager, a husband, and two dogs who seem to poop and urinate all over the house 24/7 (can’t seem to house train them!)
It seems like the minute my four year olds see me working on my laptop and my attention isn’t on them, they scheme between themselves and then the next minute you turn around they’ve gone to the laundry area and emptied out the entire content of the fabric softener onto the floor and decided the floor is a skating rink…skating on their stomachs. Or they decide that they’re going to have themselves a picnic, so half of the fridge contents are on the porch and they are feeding themselves and six of their dollies…or decide they’re brushing their teeth on their own which is great, except doing it themselves requires them to use ¾ tube of toothpaste per brushing episode. Or they climb up and get the Vaseline and decide to paste their entire bodies down with it, and then commence to roll around in baking powder. My list of mischievousness is endless but I’m trying to keep this short, so to curb some of this I either have to take myself and laptop to wherever they are keeping themselves busy so I can keep an eye on them, or they are both on my lap while I’m working, with one twin being my hairdresser and the other coloring.
My thirteen year old, on the other hand is much easier to handle in the sense that she isn’t up to mischief but, since schools are closed due to the pandemic, she’s now doing school from home. My problem with that is when she comes to me for help I’m meant to be this super helpful and smart mom…um, hello I finished school TWENTY SIX years ago. I have no idea or sure as hell don’t remember all there is to know about fractions, geometry, algebra, Roman numerals, or do I know one thing about ancient Rome, Greek Gods or ancient Mesopotamia…WTH is ancient Mesopotamia anyway? All I can say is thank God she has access to something I never had growing up…the worldwide web. Half the time or maybe even ¾ of the time she asks me these debilitating questions my answer is ‘Honey…please google it.’
As overwhelming and exhausting as it is to work from home with kids, there are upsides to it. The first is I’ve never spent so much time with my kids as I’ve done in the last couple of weeks. I’ve learned so many new quirky and cute things about them and at the end of the day we are creating beautiful memories that will last a lifetime. Another and the most important with them being home is that they are safe and no matter what it takes or how long it takes…keeping them safe is my number one priority…no matter how much of my sanity I may or may not lose. I should cherish these moments together and I will, I promise…right after I’m done hiding out in the bathroom.