Being a Work-From-Home Parent During the Pandemic

<h3> n <span> n <font> n <span> n n Like many of you, a few of our team members have been forced to navigate the difficult world of parenting while working from home.  Samantha Krause is one of them.  This is her perspective on the last year along with some tips and tricks that have allowed her to adapt to this “new normal.”n n </span> n </font> n </span> n</h3> n<div> n <img src=”https://irp.cdn-website.com/5551ecde/dms3rep/multi/wfhwk+1.jpg” alt=”A woman is sitting on a couch while a girl plays with wooden blocks on the floor.”/> n</div> n<div data-rss-type=”text”> n <div> n <span> n n When I first started working as a Communications Expert for Cormack in February 2021, Ontario (where I live) was seeing high COVID numbers, but we still weren’t in a full lockdown situation. That allowed me to ease into starting this job and getting comfortable at Cormack, while still spending time with my daughter whilst my son was in school. That slow and easy transition into work didn’t last long however, as soon after I started working, schools switched back to online learning. Having been through this twice before, I knew we were in for a bit of a rocky road, but I tried to remain optimistic. n n </span> n </div> n <div> n <span> n <br/> n </span> n </div> n <div> n <span> n n Our last go around with online learning and balancing work felt like an absolute disaster. I struggled to balance entertaining my daughter during the day while simultaneously ensuring my son got his school work done and really struggled to find time in the day to do my job. This time, I was determined to do things differently. My first plan of attack – reach out to my boss. As soon as they announced we were moving back to full time online learning in Ontario, I picked up the phone and called my manager. We openly discussed the restrictions I might have and worked on a plan for success together. This was a game changer because it allowed me to create a schedule for my family so we could balance everything being thrown at us.n n </span> n </div> n <div> n <br/> n </div> n</div> n<div> n <a> n <img src=”https://irp.cdn-website.com/5551ecde/dms3rep/multi/be+kind.jpg” alt=”A laptop computer is open to a screen that says “ be kind ”.”/> n </a> n</div> n<div data-rss-type=”text”> n <p> n <span> n n Ultimately, everyone is trying their best in these challenging times. So many families are in uniquely difficult situations throughout this pandemic. One thing that I can guarantee across the board is that everyone is struggling, no matter how much or how little they have on their plate. Try to be kind to yourself and to others because this is an exceptional time to live through, and we all are doing what we can to get through it.n n </span> n </p> n</div> n<div data-rss-type=”text”> n <h3> n <span> n n Sincerely,n n </span> n </h3> n</div> n<div data-rss-type=”text”> n <h3> n <span> n n Samanthan n </span> n </h3> n</div>