The world is in crisis and the nation has ground to halt. Coronavirus is having wide spread and catastrophic consequences across the globe. From the relative safety of my home in rural Bedfordshire, the consequences are less devastating, but I would describe them as a challenging nonetheless.
The simple (albeit noisy and boisterous) reason for this: I am mum to a one-year-old called Hugo.
Several weeks ago, I thought working from home with a one-year-old around was impossible. Yet, as I held my breath as the nursery school tested temperatures at every morning drop off, closure seemed an inevitability.
Now, after over a week of living this reality, this is what I’ve learnt:
1. Get them involved
The Crafty gang have a daily Zoom call every morning, Hugo insists on sitting on my lap for this, and throws a tantrum if I put him down. The solution? He joins in. No-one minds this and I can still update the team on everything I need to. In fact, I think the team would be a little disappointed if Hugo decided not to join us tomorrow.
2. Flex your hours
I am currently working fewer hours per day, but one more day a week than I would otherwise. This means that I can work my allotted hours, get my job done and avoid that frazzled feeling. I spread my hours over naptime, a period where my husband takes Hugo, episodes of The Wiggles and Hey Duggee and after bedtime. At Craft, flexibility is the backbone of our philosophy, but planning my days like this takes the stress out for me.
3. Remember you
As a parent of a young child it can be hard to take time for yourself at the best of times, but it is really important now especially. Juggling work and childcare can leave you exhausted, so finding time to chat to a friend, do some online yoga or have a bubble bath is essential. I do acknowledge how lucky I am to have a partner at home to enable me to do this!
4. Kindness & understanding
My biggest takeout from Coronavirus so far is one of kindness and understanding. From the Crafty gang who are constantly checking in and supporting each other, to the neighbour who left a tin of beans on my doorstep when I was serious lacking in toddler food supplies. If we can pull together, I hope that we can come out of this with a renewed sense of community and shared purpose.
One last thing:
Don’t bother with finger painting: Its messy, it only lasts 10 minutes, and it usually ends in a tantrum (“please don’t paint the carpet sweetie”)