Home office with young children, working in Corona times. Never before have so many people had to reorganize their everyday lives. Four mothers from Pullach report from their everyday work in the home office.
Pullach– That was one of those moments again. Michaela Karakelle was just in a video conference with her colleague Swantje Schütz, she was looking at the laptop, when Mrs. Schütz said: "Now you turn around and see what your daughter is doing." Karakelle could just prevent her Two-year-old, who was gymnastics on the ironing board, with the thing hit the floor.
Home office with young children, working in Corona times. Never before have so many people had to reorganize their everyday lives, had to find a way to keep the kids happy at home - without neglecting their own jobs.
"It is an absolute challenge"
Swantje Schütz, who has been working in the press department of the Pullach community since May 2007, after ten days: "The first time was borderline for everyone, we partly went to our knees." Janina Decken, who like Michaela Karakelle and Sophia Schreib up to now recently shared an office with her on the ground floor on the left in the town hall, says: "It is an absolute challenge." In the first week she had to "permanently put off" her children, it has now become clear that a "structured plan" is for everyone involved.
Swantje Schütz at her improvised workplace. After about ten days of work at home, she and her husband have rearranged the living room.
© private
Because that also adds to this: the men are of course also at home. Have to work too. Sometimes they have to be shielded from the little ones. Ms. Schütz's partner had a very important conversation on the day you called her. So they made a film for the youngest of their three boys, who is six and doesn't always understand why he doesn't get an answer from the adults when he asks them something. "It was too delicate for us."
A prerequisite is a functioning technology
First of all, the technical requirements for the four colleagues, who are all young mothers, are ideal. The municipality of Pullach equipped its 64 employees with laptops in record time, the IT department on Johann-Bader-Straße, which actually consists of only two people, set up all of the laptops. And at the same time also got a new telephone system up and running, which now enables communication in many forms - just not personally. Swantje Schütz says: "I can work as if I were in the office."
"The current situation also welds us together in a way, even if it is super stressful." Michaela Karakelle with her daughters, two and six years old.
© private
All four press officers in the Isar valley community have now made a “structured plan”, such as they were drawn up by Janina Decken at home and even painted for the children. Swantje Schütz plays with the two big boys, nine and eleven, at home right after school, chores are done until 1 p.m. She even sends her children outside at break as usual. "Then they rave and play."
Siblings are more concerned with each other
Sophia Schreib is the other on the team who already has a school child - Luise is in second grade. "If I just press the worksheets into my hand and say: do it - it only works if she should practice fine writing." Little progresses with math alone at the daughter, which is practiced when Ms. Write her 27 hours a week cycled down for the community. "We'll sit over it on the weekend." She says: "It's still chaotic." Like her, the colleagues also report that the siblings have recently had more to do with each other, which is nice. Sophia Schreib: "A few days ago, Luise had to give a talk about hamsters, and then her little brother also tinkered with the table." Game fans are nowhere to be seen, Michaela Karakelle's big daughter, who is six, has recently been talking to her best Girlfriend via Facetime, also the contact with the grandparents is maintained.
Sophia write while working at home - surrounded by her son and daughter. "In the meantime, the children no longer ask whether they can go to the playground."
© private
All mothers talked to their children about Corona, at least the older ones. How else should the little ones understand that the parents are at home, but don't have time for them, that the kindergarten is closed, but you still can't go to the swimming pool? At Karakelles at home, only the "stupid virus" is mentioned in connection with the pandemic.
From mess to routine
In the meantime, the initial confusion has given way to a first form of routine in all four households. Swantje Schütz reports with a series of smileys by email that coffee tastes better at home. Janinadecke, whose children are two and five, notes: "Week two is already going better than week one." And with Michaela Karakelle it has become clear: at the same time, she and her husband cannot work at any time, "we have to take turns". Because otherwise the two-year-old comes up with the idea of cleaning the bathroom with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
You move closer together internally
Otherwise? This bad, difficult time also has little nice effects. Janina blanket says: "Even if you have to keep your distance, you move closer together." Michaela Karakelle has only noticed since they have been eating together that her two-year-old sorts the food - and needs different bowls for different side dishes. Do you have a tip for other parents who are all similar at the moment? Quite. Never leave the penate cream in the nursery. Because children like to lubricate themselves with it. And then tap into the living room and look like a ghost.