These are strange times at the moment, for everyone actually. Yet comparatively less has changed for me than for a lot of others. After all, I've been working from home for years, and it's still the same. Only now is working at home supplemented with husband and children over the floor. After a few weeks of experience, I can tell you exactly how things work here and because I like it.
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I have gone through different phases in the past period. From 'oh nice' to 'completely desperate' and from 'accompanied by the situation' to 'shit, school will start again in a few weeks'. I can tell you a strange feeling, that change in feeling about the fact that Frank and the children are also walking around here while I work at home.
Let me first say that Frank doesn't just walk around here, but also works at home for his boss. One of the advantages of sitting in front of the PC in the office; this can often be done at home as well. In any case, we have finished the renovation of our home office just in time, so that we can easily get started here with the four of us.
In the beginning I thought it was very nice that everyone was home. I was therefore at odds with all the other mothers who were fanatical about making plans for their children in connection with home learning. No, here they slept in a bit and went to bed later in the evening. And in between, the children learned a bit at home while Frank and I enjoyed working at home. Holiday mode on, have fun!
Lotte is fairly easy to motivate and also needs relatively little guidance. So it's a breeze to do homework from home. She generally finishes in a few hours and has the afternoon off. So it's been like this for weeks. She enjoys doing crafts, walking the dog, meeting every now and then, making tiktoks on her phone, watching Netflix and helping in the garden. Those phones are working overtime at the moment, so we are now comparing Sim only to buy her a new subscription, regardless of the prepaid she has had for years.
My dear, it's a bit different. He is more difficult to motivate and certainly now that it appears that he has 'passed', there is no more homework waiting for him. That means sitting on the couch. And I also mean 'Major' couching. That he doesn't have a very big seat area surprises me enormously! He did some homework in the first weeks, but from the moment the final exams are cancelled, he actually already has his corona diploma in his pocket and is free. He will be at home until his new training starts in September - whatever form that may take.
And then working at home with children takes on a different meaning, because nothing is more frustrating than a couch-hanging teenager. Fine every now and then, but all day? or week? Arrrgggggghhhh. Fortunately, he has just sent his first application email and I can't wait for him to start somewhere. Finally some activity in his schedule.
Well, sitting on the couch is one of the annoyances. But I have a few more . Hubby's phone use. Now he happily calls on his own cell phone, but I'm just not used to all that talking in the background. I've been working from home alone for 10 years and I've really liked it so far. From one day to the next while working at home I have my children around me, but also my husband next to me. I can tolerate all that tapping on the PC, but sometimes he spends hours on the phone, driving me crazy! I notice that my concentration is hard to find, I'm just not used to it anymore.
What I do find very pleasant is having a cup of coffee together in between. Strange really, because we just do that behind the PC while we're working, but it's still more fun to make a capuccino for two than just for yourself. In addition, Frank often sets him. In addition, I find the walks with the dog in the morning a lot more fun since Lotte comes along. Then we have the most valuable conversations!
On social media I see whole groups of mothers who are happy that their children are going back to school soon. And on the other hand, there are mothers who are afraid for the health of their child and therefore prefer to work at home with the children still around. So not to school. I am especially happy for Lotte, because she would like to go back to school.
But I'm not there to jump. Not because I'm afraid for her or her health. And not for our health. No… I've just gotten really used to having my family around me in the past few weeks. Anyway, now at least still looking for a Sim Only Subscription with Simyo and then the children can also reach me outside the home with their mobile if necessary. When Lotte goes back to school a few days a week, she has a continuous schedule and I foresee that she will also want to meet again in the afternoon. Can she give me a call from the school yard and let me know where she's going! Or just to chat, because you understand that I will miss our good conversations.
Apart from some minor annoyances, conviviality is the predominant theme here in the house. And I'll admit it honestly… I'm going to miss them terribly when they go back to school all day long. When Luc starts his new education in September and when Frank might go back to work instead of working from home. I have already suggested that he should ask his boss if he can work from home 2 days a week 😉 .
It undoubtedly has a lot to do with the age of the children. As a 15-year-old Luc is already very independent, and does not need to learn anymore, so he does not need any help. Lotte learns easily and quite independently. Even though she's only ten, she doesn't need much help. The pressure on homework is not so high here in the house. Frank and I can fit in well with our own work every now and then. I understand that working at home for parents with smaller children is a lot more difficult.
How do you handle it?
