Reflections from a stir crazy Head of Services
Drum roll please ….. I have almost completed my first few weeks of work whilst home schooling my 11 & 13 year old children. I thank you!
Well, ‘home schooling’ might be a bit strong. But I’ve forced them to do PE with Jo Wickes most mornings, and I tried to sign my daughter up to Carol Vorderman’s maths class. Job done! I’m desperate for my husband to be furloughed so he too can enjoy 24-7 family togetherness.
Emotionally it’s been a strange time. I’ve felt tears alarmingly close to the surface when watching Facebook videos of rescued dogs, and have felt unaccountably happy seeing things like tadpoles in our little pond. (Despite not being a particular dog or frog fan).
But I feel a little bit more settled into this new normal now, and there are some definite pros and cons:
Pros
- No travel time
- I don’t keep checking my diary/calendar in case I’ve forgotten something (there’s nothing to forget)
- I don’t have to do all the hideous admin related to my children’s many clubs
- I can wear my dressing gown at all times
Cons
- Constant guilt!
- I can never really switch off from work
- I’m sooooo bored of making meals
- I keep eating. Someone will have to take down a wall to get me out of this house
So what are my reflections on the past two weeks? Well I know that I should say something like “stick to your normal working hours and take regular breaks”. But actually I think my reflections are:
- try not to feel too guilty that you aren’t doing an amazing job of everything. Accept that you are doing your best and everyone is in a weird situation
- try not to do too many things at the same time (or your brain might explode)
- don’t bake a cake with your daughter while talking to your boss on the phone. (See above, and cake mixture is a bugger to clean out of the charging port.)
- enjoy the spring weather!
Blog by Kirsty Rowlinson, Head of Services
