Working from home with children? Yes please!

Like the length of our hair, the quarantine triggered by the coronavirus pandemic has also changed the working situation of many employees. Many workers were sent to work from home and, as daycare centers closed their doors, busy parents suddenly found themselves sitting under the same roof as their daycare children. It was now up to them to manage their work on the one hand and childcare on the other. Did they manage it? And what were the consequences for the children?

A look at the details

As part of the "Work and Organizational Psychology" application subject in communication psychology, we researched how parents working from home were able to reconcile childcare with their work. As the coronavirus pandemic forced many employees to work from home, we asked ourselves how this affected the relationship between parents and children. Based on two interviews with affected parents in quarantine and a public survey, we found out what the situation and mood was like in the home office. This revealed thoughts about coronavirus, challenges and positive aspects. From these interviews, we designed an online survey so that several parents could be involved. This allowed us to gain a deeper insight into everyday family life.

"The household is suffering a little, but my God, it's not going anywhere."

We were very surprised by the results of our survey. The majority of parents working from home do not have their own workspace. Due to high demands from employers, some parents are already overwhelmed by everyday tasks and think they have to do everything immediately. As a result, household chores are not done properly and the distance to work is no longer sufficiently guaranteed. To counteract this, many of the parents surveyed have created a daily schedule that combines their own working hours with their children's daycare times as well as possible. They enjoy spending time with their children away from work and get to know completely new sides of each other. Despite the stress and numerous demands, there is harmony in the home office, believe it or not. A good outlook for what lies ahead.