This one is for the parents out there…
Overnight we went from an employee and a parent to an employee (working from home), a parent and a teacher – now if that’s not multi-tasking I’m not sure what is!
We thought it might be useful to share some of the ways the Kameo team have adapted to their new normal.
The key to getting through this is to recognise the schedule you worked towards at the beginning of March is no longer relevant – in fact – for your sanity I think it is best if you forget about it all together and reinvent the wheel (temporarily).
For older children the effects of COVID-19 and why we are having to take these extreme measures to flatten the curve is easier to understand, but if you have a younger child why not say that for the time being they are a superhero – a stay at home superhero – just by staying home they are saving the world! You can thank SophiesStories for that one (https://www.sophiesstories.co.uk/). It worked in our house and the dress up box has never been more used!
Do you usually work 9-5, or similar, and struggling to adapt to this? Kameo have tweaked their day slightly and we are starting earlier, starting later and or breaking our day up into chunks. You can commit the same number of hours to your working day and commit to the inevitable demand’s family life will throw at you too.
Are you envisioning a Professor Robert Kelly moment? Or as some of you may know him: the man whose children walked in whilst he was talking live on air! We have had several conference calls and meetings and as each one began, we explained we are home with younger children and as such we cannot confirm that we will be able to make it through without disturbance. Remember we are all in the same boat (working from home) and we hope anyone you are engaging with will be respectful of the uncertainty working from home can sometimes cause. If you are self-isolating with another family member let them know you are about to take a crucial virtual call and or if your children are older set them up with an activity that will keep them occupied for the period of time needed.
Spring is in the air! Take advantage of it, bring your laptop to the garden and watch your children play. If they’re older sit outside with them whilst they do their schoolwork, read a book, indulge in their favourite hobby and just be present alongside them – when will you ever get the opportunity to do this again?
A lunchtime or evening family walk have become a much-loved part of our new daily routine. Whilst the weather is nice take a walk, escape your house, stretch your legs and clear your mind. All of this can contribute to improving your mood, reducing stress, combating fatigue and improving your overall work performance.
If you have an office / desk space away from the hustle and bustle of family life you may be excluded from the daily routine so check in with your child like you would after a day at school – how was your day? What did you learn today that you didn’t know yesterday? What made you smile? What stay at home activity could make tomorrow better than today? This question style is aimed at the younger child, but you get the gist. Doing small things like this as you normally would, can provide your child with a sense of that old routine we have grown apart from.
Check in on you too – how are you doing? What made you happy today? What can you do today that you will thank yourself for tomorrow? You don’t have to think big here just find a window of opportunity everyday to collect your thoughts and breathe. Acknowledge that you are doing your situational best, and at some point, we will not be living this and it will be a memory. Above all else appreciate the enforced downtime and think positively, we are on a temporary vacation from our real lives and I bet we’ll miss the togetherness we all feel right now when life as we know it resumes!
Be kind to each other, stay safe, stay sane.
Team Kameo x