CHENNAI: So much has happened since last week’s column. Covid-19 is now a pandemic. Schools have shut down and exams have been cancelled or shifted online. Sensible companies have told their teams to work remotely. I was kicked off the school WhatsApp group. Okay, okay, the last one isn’t true but a woman can dream, can’t she?
As we go into lockdown mode, practice social distancing, and in the case of those dropped repeatedly on their heads as babies, carry on as though nothing has changed, many of us are grappling with a new reality. One in which we must now possibly share our homes with our children, ageing parents and spouses. All the livelong day. There is no school, no daycare, no summer camp. No office to escape to. All bhajana ghoshts stand cancelled.Social media has responded to the situation with alacrity and I have been forwarded the momarona virus joke ten times and the ‘a mom will find a cure for coronavirus because we’re faced with our kids at home for the next three months.’
I’ve also noticed a slew of well-meaning, beautifully designed schedules for children doing the rounds on social media. Illustrated and colour coded, they helpfully divide the day into wonderfully themed slots — family time, play time, dog walking time, reading time, learning time, etc. Anything, the forward tells us, no doubt with the best of intentions, to cut down dreaded screen time. These are wonderful, and I understand that for many parents the links to these resource sites, videos, tutorials and ideas are just what you need to keep your children engaged.
But, if you are working for a company, are freelancing or doing both, then I would like to publicly acknowledge what a pain in the ass these forwards are. They do not help those of us who are taking calls, writing reports and logging in to work. These ideas are just one more thing to source for, supervise and potentially clean up after. Mark my words, you will be bathing the dog who ends up the unwitting canvas for ‘Let’s make an underwater collage’ video. Working parents, do you need one more thing to beat yourself over the head with? To feel bad about? To feel guilty over? No. You don’t. You don’t need to make this a Pinterest-worthy pandemic.
Parents, it’s okay if your kids have more screen time. It is. Let us all agree, that many of our kids are going to be watching more TV and playing more Minecraft than they were before. The human brain is a marvellous thing and it will be able to recoup from a ceaseless onslaught of The Flash. I promise. Cut yourself some slack. Watch some TV yourself maybe. Fifty Shades Freed is now on Netflix. Find a quiet room and noise-cancelling headphones and put your phone on silent. Or vibrate mode. Whatever floats your boat. Wouldn’t you rather spend an hour and half with Jamie Dornan than make a diorama of a Viking castle?That is the end of this Public Service Announcement. I have a date with Jamie.
Menaka Raman @menakaraman