As measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), staggered commuting and the introduction of remote work have been promoted, and our lives have inevitably changed significantly. ..

In addition, not only my home but also many homes panic due to the request to close the school all over the country. This may sound exaggerated, but it's an unprecedented situation.

In fact, SNS was flooded with screams of people in similar circumstances.

When I checked the handouts from the elementary school that night, it was decided that the school would be closed until spring break, as with many elementary schools. As a parent with a child, I myself was not a little shocked.

Three rules decided at a family meeting

As a general premise, it is true that there are many things to say. However, there is no point in complaining that such a large-scale decision is quick, so I decided to concentrate on what to do in the future.

For double-income households, the decision to close school has a tremendous impact.

First of all, since you have to refrain from going out, the special move "Come out with your friends" is sealed. In addition, the large number of prints distributed for home study ruthlessly stated, "Please round at home."

In this way, we had to seriously face the remote work & childcare life.

In remote work, it is most important to identify what you can and cannot do. The same can be said for childcare and housework.

In addition, the family is a team that includes children. Discuss with your family and run it healthy! With the motto, we decided the following.

Share working time at home

Since there are days when I have to go to work, I write down whether I am at home or at work on my family calendar.

Also, when working at home with my husband and wife, I can imagine that physical distance such as telephony will be a problem, so I share in advance the timing when it must be absolutely silent.

All of these were made available to the child, and the child himself had a schedule for studying and playing games.

This is a selfish hope of parents, but I hope it will be an opportunity to learn to control time.

Do housework when you notice

When your lifestyle changes drastically, you tend to be overwhelmed by yourself and neglect household chores such as cleaning and washing (maybe only at home). That's why we decided to share the common understanding that "housework is not a top priority."

If there is a lot of laundry, you can throw it into the washing machine when you notice it, and cleaning does not end the world with dust, so I decided to do it when I could.

This is a re-adoption of the rules I implemented immediately after giving birth.

However, unlike those days, children are getting bigger, and there are many items that children can practice for some household chores, so we will thoroughly enforce the rule that "the whole family will do it when they notice it."

Meals also utilize external services

On weekdays, I think about menus on my way to work, buy them, and cook after returning home. It was a flow, but that also became difficult.

Also, with my husband's declaration that "I am not good at cooking," I decided to make good use of external services such as eating out and eating out. Although there are disadvantages in terms of cost, we recognize that it is a necessary expense in terms of operating the home in a healthy manner as a whole.

Things I have to do someday

This situation can be called "forced work style reform." When children grow up and grow up, it may be a society where staggered commuting and remote work are commonplace.

Children are more likely to have vague anxieties about the future if they see adults going back and forth.

Here is one thing we will change the times. I would like to overcome it with such enthusiasm.

However, there was a difference between ideal and reality as much as heaven and earth ...

Next time: Remote work life for double-income households. Remote operation