Home office with children: fellow “supermoms” advise how to manage it
Working from home during a pandemic was challenging for working mothers of preschool and school-age children. Our female colleagues from msg life Slovakia shared their experience on how to set up time management and manage home office work with kids. To have a tidy apartment, cook lunch, take care of children, find time for a partner, manage work responsibilities and in addition to all this, to devote a few moments to yourself. This is what a normal day looks like for many women. That’s why they came to be called “supermoms”. However, with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown, there was one more thing to manage: handle all this while being closed at home during home office. On the occasion of Mother’s Day, we asked our female colleagues how they manage working from home and what advice they would give to other women in a similar situation.
In the article you will learn:
It is often said that a woman can do several things at once. This ability comes into full play during maternity leave, which often turns from a leave into a constant cycle of responsibilities. In addition to herself or the household, a woman suddenly has to take care of a baby that keeps her busy 24/7. Taking care of a child or children requires a lot of energy and finances.
How do we support families at msg life Slovakia?
Many of our colleagues have been working at msg life Slovakia for many years. The low turnover rate shows that the company values its employees and supports families with several employee benefits. On the occasion of a wedding or the birth of a child, our colleagues will receive a financial allowance. For unexpected events or long weekends with family, they have 5 extra days of leave. Moreover, there are also fathers who have taken parental leave for a period of time to help their partner get back to work.
How did our female colleagues manage working from home during lockdown?
“It depends: sometimes we drew, played or watched TV, other times the kids required more attention. Once in a while we sent our child to grandparents’ house. Still, I admit that my child has learned to be more independent since we both worked and needed to focus,” says Zuzana, the office manager.
Some colleagues admit that they got up very early to work or, on the contrary, worked in the evenings. “When my son saw me in my home office, he always asked me if I was working. He either sat with me for a while or let me work, depending on what kind of day he was having,” says our tester Lucka about working from home. Zuzka, office manager of project management, has a similar experience: ‘It took my younger daughter a while to understand what home office means. For her it was a clear equation. When Mum is at home and we don’t go to nursery, it means I’m on holiday and we’re going to play.”
Our tester Adka from the Zilina office admits that these times were demanding: “I had my time management set up well, but I still found the situation tiring in the long run, as I hadn’t worked this way before. However, I am grateful for the conditions the company has created for us.”
It’s hard to do without help
Many female colleagues appreciated that their partner, family or friends often helped them to coordinate work and private responsibilities. “Sometimes my husband does things his way, but I appreciate it. Without his help, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with anything,” admits Zuzana, the office manager. Some female colleagues managed the home office with their children mostly on their own, as their husbands went to work, but they add that they always helped them after work, either with the household or with the children. Other moms said they tried to keep in a routine even during lockdown: “My son is very sociable, he told me every morning who to come for him at nursery. If our work duties allow us, we tend to take turns,” said Lucka, the tester.
Nevertheless, many claim that they have already got used to the new routine. “I think it suited us all well to be together. Sometimes we spent our work breaks hugging, or playing or talking with the baby for a while,” says Zuzka, the office manager. Others, however, missed the old times: “The children missed school and nursery and I would only welcome the occasional home office. I also missed my office, my colleagues and especially the feeling when I close the door and go home after work.” Adka was especially devoted to her son, a fifth grader: “My 10-year-old son was the one I was most involved with, as he was moving on to a fifth grade and distance learning had not been very good for him.” Testers Lenka and Lucka see the home office positively: “Working from home suits me, as I often turn on the computer while still in my pyjamas. That way I save time that I would otherwise spend preparing or moving to work,” says Lucka.
Patience and multitasking
Many of my colleagues admitted that they learned a lot during the home office, for example patience. Others have revealed the negative relationships that exist between children at school and managed to intervene early in their education. The tester Lenka admitted that she is learning to be a supermom and got to know her new abilities: “During the pandemic, I was given additional roles that needed to be reconciled. Teacher, aupair, cook, employee, mother, wife. It was not easy for me. At the end of the day, I still felt like I didn’t handle any role well enough.”
And how do mothers manage to juggle all the activities? “It’s a question of priorities. There is no need to focus on perfection, you have to compromise and then everything can be managed. If I have to choose between doing laundry and spending time with my family after a long day at work, the laundry can wait,” admits Zuzana, the office manager. The home office taught Zuzka, the PMO, to better manage multitasking and time management. “Working 100 per cent from home, taking care of the household and the children has made parents into little superheroes. Sometimes during meetings you can hear children’s screams and noise among colleagues and I always enjoy it very much. It’s not that I’m gloating, it’s more that I know I’m not alone in this,” she says. Other female colleagues admit that they managed their housework during their lunch break thanks to the home office.
Some tips from our female colleagues
The office manager Zuzana: “You don’t need to do everything on hundred percent, you also need to relax, enjoy your free time with your family and the moments together. You have to accept the situation as it is and adjust things to suit yourself.”
The PMO Zuzka: “Divide the household chores among family members, don’t be too hard on yourself, even when you order lunch through a delivery service. Occasionally raising your voice at naughty children is not the end of the world. Inform your supervisor of your situation and call your colleagues. You’ll see that they’re in a similar situation. Mom is just a person too!“
Tester Lucka: “Spend an hour a day just for yourself, whether in the form of sports, painting, reading books or meditation.”
Tester Adka: “Don’t forget to think positively, plan pleasant activities you can look forward to, and be grateful for your health or the opportunity to spend more time with your children.”
Tester Simone: “Don’t forget to have enough things at home to entertain the kids and teach them something at the same time.”
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