Since many of us are still under stay-at-home orders and even more are still practicing social distancing, that means parents are still at home, trying to get their own work done while also tending to their children’s needs and at-home learning requirements.
And as many moms and dads have revealed, it hasn’t been the easiest.
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Recently, Today Show co-host Dylan Dreyer took to Instagram to share how working from home has affected her and her kids. As Dreyer explained in the past, for the first half of quarantine, she was still on maternity leave after welcoming their second child, Oliver, into the world four months ago.
As Dreyer wrote on Instagram just one week before going back to work, this end of maternity leave is nothing like it was when her maternity leave ended after welcoming her oldest son, Calvin, into the world.
“I remember at this point with Calvin, I was so emotional thinking about heading back to work. It’s very strange to think this time next week, my commute to work will be from my bedroom to my living room. It’s a bittersweet way to rejoin my @3rdhourtoday family but I’m really looking forward to being with everyone again!”
However, after one week back to work, Dreyer realized how difficult the transition from maternity leave to working from home would really be.
“Working from home is bittersweet. The extra time with my family is a blessing but the constant multitasking means Calvin doesn’t get a ton of undivided attention,” Dreyer shared on Instagram. “Brian snapped this while I was pumping and replying to emails and all Calvin wanted was for me to play with him.”
“The look in his eyes makes me want to cry and I’m going to use this as a reminder that even though I’m working, to my kids home is home and I need to stop what I’m doing sometimes, get down on the floor, and play.”
And other moms used the comments section of Dreyer’s honest post to remind her that she’s not alone in how she’s feeling and dealing with the new norm of working from home. “It is so hard,” one mom wrote. “I’m a teacher that has been teaching full time and being a stay-at-home mom. It’s really a struggle to do it all!”
“Being a working mom is like a double edged sword sometimes. It is definitely a delicate balance. You could spend more time playing with the kids and less time working, but then would you still have that fabulous job? And that fabulous life? Sometimes you have to give a little more. The kids will understand. Mine are now teens but I had those same guilty feelings.
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“You do what you can,” another told Dreyer. “He is most fortunate to have parents like you and Brian. Go easy on yourself.”
So to all you moms and dads out there struggling to do it all, go easy on yourself. For many of you, this is unprecedented territory, it’s okay that you’re still trying to figure it all out.