#lockdown #newinterests #lockdownproductivity #lockdownlearning “What do you do to keep yourself interesting and occupied?”, “What are the new skills this lockdown?”, “Lets exchange lockdown ideas” – every minute and hour, there are emails and messages floating around.
“Let’s manage working on alternate timings. Else work wouldn’t move nor managing our little toddler” – we agreed on this as a working couple. I decided to work between 6:30 am to 3:30 pm and he between 2:30 pm to 11 pm. This sounded easy at first unless we saw the practical difficulties.
5 am – splashing some cold water on my face, I get ready for my day ahead. Washing vessels while dhal whistles asking me to pay attention like my toddler, I switch it off and cut the veggies. I hear my toddler cry and pacify him with a warm bottle of milk while I change his diaper. I get back to the kitchen to finish cooking. While the breakfast and lunch are ready and make their way to the table, my kitchen sink is flooded with vessels once again. Not new to me except for cleaning now!
My clock reminds its 6:10 and I rush to the bathroom to take a shower. Finishing my morning prayers and lighting the lamp, the fragrance of agarbhathi not only refreshes our home but also my environment for an energetic day.
Finishing couple of emails, I see that it’s time for the daily standup and check with my team on the activities for the day and impediments. Continuing my regular work, I see the time to be 9:30 am reminding me of the breakfast time for my toddler. Converting my 20 mins coffee break into feeding time, I rush to him playing some rhymes and feed him.
Getting back into my home office, I latch the door and continue work. My earphones cry sometimes for the long calls keeping them busy too. Testing issue, release plans, some queries, calls with stakeholders and there it is 12:30 pm.
My calendar smiles at me as she hasn’t seen me blocking time for lunch which is a new norm now. Not that I’m hungry in time but to check on my toddler. Giving him a short bath and rushing with a bowl of rice, he runs away from me.
Fussy eater who takes 40 mins for lunch and this leads to five mins left over time for my lunch or proceeding with no lunch. I rush back to my room and continue my work again. Not to forget my ten year old daughter who is completely on her own – getting ready, reading, watching TV, playing with her toys, caring for her little brother, eating on time, cleaning her plates – can’t thank her enough.
Sweeping and mopping, pacifying my toddler with his toys and playing not letting him inside my home office – my husband takes care of every little thing so as to keep my work uninterrupted. It’s just not a moms story!
As I went into the room, tears rolled down my cheeks as I saw my daughter changing diaper for her little brother one day. When asked, she said “I saw you and Appa on calls and didn’t want to disturb” – I hugged her!
It’s 3:30 pm already and maybe time to logout – however learning to say No is something yet to learn well. Speaking to project teams on the other side of the world, I overspill my time. My team makes friendly requests to check on some issues and I look into them forgetting time too.
As I logout, I see the dirty vessels welcoming me to the kitchen with virtual hugs. On the other side, the laundry basket is overflowing too. I switch on the washing machine and then start cleaning the vessels one by one. The stove with oil spills is next that awaits his bath. The adamant oil stains sit down like my little toddler and I scrub him too.
Meanwhile the clothes are fresh and wants to get out to dry themselves. With a bucket of them I let them out. The previous set of clothes wave at me to the wind ready to be taken in. Fold them – 1, 2, 3 and so on. “It’s 7 pm and you cheated me on your promise to play pallanguzhi” my angry daughter stares at me.
“Let me take a shower to freshen up Harshu” I plead her and “now you will take a shower, do the Pooja, cut veggies, cook dinner and go to bed” she screams – “I hate you”.
Freshening my toddler and myself, I light the lamp again to pray for the healthy, peaceful world and get back to the kitchen. “Let’s learn some cooking, come on Harshu” I keep her engaged and she giggles. “Amma, I love you. Sorry that I trouble you at times not knowing you’re busy” – “that’s all kids are! They are such darlings who don’t hold their egos” I smile to myself.
“Surprise” I wave at her showing the pallanguzhi (a game from ancient times) and she is super excited.
There are times when I get stressed and annoyed too. “I haven’t written my blogs or read even five pages of five books that I bought recently. What a life!” I sigh!
“Can you all please let me be calm. I’m just tired. I want some time for myself” I’ve screamed losing my temper too!
“Harshu, can you not keep your things tidy. I’m just tired clearing up things” I yell at her too.
“Thambi, don’t test my patience. Don’t climb on the table” I stop him and he still climbs the table for the twentieth time laughing at me wickedly!
The refrigerator cries for rest as he slams its door many times per second keeping an eye on the lights going on and off.
The veggies scream for help as he throws them one by one outside the basket playing fetch with Zooie and Cherry. Naughty Cherry appears calm in front of my energetic toddler.
After all the yells, I become a guilty mom too. “Sorry dear” I hug my little ones and we smile and sing together. “Amma, today he did this and that” my daughter recites all stories of the day as we settle for dinner.
“Please finish dinner soon” I plead my daughter as she smiles. “You said kitchen and table will close at 9:30” she winks pointing the clock striking 10:30.
Finally there we settle to bed at 11. A bottle of milk is a reflex action for my toddler to switch off the lights and he shows the switches. He signals to change his diaper too and brings a new one. Changing it he lifts the used one and throws it to the bin. I put him to bed and creep like a silent cat back to the kitchen.
Finishing the last dishes, I splash water on my face to get fresh and get back to my bed. “Amma, I’m not getting sleep. Can we read your blogs?” my daughter asks. “Why not” I open my site.
“Why aren’t there any new ones?” I smile at her question – “the new normal with no me-me time” I tell myself. I tell her something from my journal as she sleeps.
“Four days since I spoke to my mom or sister; Over a month since I blogged or read actively; Over two weeks since I participated in anti depression communities”
My day dawns and dusks juggling between work and home continuously. “Well, I believe in no pain, no gain; Be it career or home”. My personality as a mom reflects the kind of employee I am too. I don’t like the backlogs – be it vessels in the sink or tasks on my KanBo 😉 I check on my kids discipline – both at home and work. I feel more responsible and accountable – both to my families at home and work – both are my babies 😊
The new normal just gives me happiness that I can handle things under stress too. I laugh at the comments made as “guiltless working mom”. Every moms diary has such stories in their hearts. We move ahead with a smile. We aren’t longing for discounts nor empathy but we also know we are humans.
Dear ladies, you maybe stressed, you may scream, you may yell – do not worry, you are not alone. Pat yourselves that you’re doing a good job and move on!
“How do you use this lockdown? Any creative ideas” – “We are multiplying being a working mom and a lovely home maker as always”! This was always our norm!
Dedicated to all lovely ladies 😊