After one week in lockdown with my children, I have a newfound respect for teachers.
It’s not that I ever undervalued them, it’s just nothing is more eye opening than doing someone else’s job without the proper training.
And boy, do you need some form of qualification to supervise my children!
If you thought Brexit was a political nightmare, try negotiating between a three and two-year-old over who gets to wear which hair clips each day.
Freedom of movement is also a regular subject of debate, especially with our youngest daughter Penelope, who remains allergic to sitting still for longer than five minutes.
And don’t get me started on the trade deals you have to broker with our eldest girl Georgina, who knows exactly how to barter for extra food, the better toys or yet another viewing of Frozen “because I’ve been good”.
Our children would normally have been attending pre-school during this time of lockdown, as the United Kingdom does battle with the coronavirus, and it’s very clear that they miss the place.
While my wife and I are attempting to work from home, we’re balancing those responsibilities with pretending to be pre-school teachers and it’s been exhausting.
During such a surreal and uncertain time, it can be easy to let your temper slip when the children don’t appreciate the gravity of the situation, or the fact that you have to concentrate on carrying on with your job. I’m sure I’m not the only parent feeling that way right now.
When your face is glued to a laptop screen, deciphering who pulled the other’s hair first is just infuriatingly impossible.
But, as my wife (quite rightly) keeps reminding me, it would be unfair to expect children of such young age to fully understand what is happening right now.
When their normal routine is knocked off-kilter by something that even adults are having a hard time processing, it is only natural that those of a younger age will become something of a handful. That’s what I have to keep telling myself and I’d encourage other parents to live by that mantra too.
I must say that my wife has done a much better job of this whole thing than I have, making sure there are enough projects to engage our little ones and showing the right amount of empathy given the circumstances.
So, not only do I now have a better understanding of the pre-school staff who help educate (and police!) my daughters daily, and the fact I would *never* be able to do their job half as well as them, I am also discovering newfound respect for my wife and her ability to put our children’s education above her work. Thanks Emily!
