Photo: Berber Harnia ‘Being able to do concentrated work with two young children at home is an illusion. Quickly answering some emails is okay, but I need to be able to focus for lengthy periods of time, and that is impossible right now. The youngest is just able to stand but is having trouble staying put. Every fifteen minutes he gets stuck somewhere with leg cramps. And if not that, our two-year-old will be colouring the walls somewhere. I thought it would be a good idea to work together; he could colour while I work. But his attention span is ten minutes at most.
I spent the first week working evenings and the weekend, but soon discovered I would not be able to keep that up for months. I consulted with my supervisor so that I can now work two and a half days instead of four. My partner is a freelancer and is doing the same so that we can take turns in keeping an eye on the kids. We have a small room that we use as a home office. It’s a solution, but it doesn’t feel entirely right. I just want to be able to do my job. My partner’s workload hasn’t decreased, so he is beginning to fall back.
WUR is an excellent employer in this regard. I have heard stories of neighbours working for commercial companies that simply say ‘get it done’
WUR is an excellent employer in this regard. I have heard stories of neighbours working for commercial companies that simply say “get it done”. That is easier said than done, not everyone is eager to babysit, and day-care centres are closed.
However, it is nice to spend more time with the children. I usually only see them in the mornings and evenings, when they are tired. During the daytime, they are fun and cheerful.’
This is the tenth episode in the series on working from home. Every day, the editors call a WUR colleague to hear how they are doing. The picture is (of course) a selfie or a photograph shot by a housemate. Want to join? Email resource@wur.nl or share using #WURKfromHOME.
