As the return to the office looms, parents, and particularly mothers, are concerned about how they can be expected to keep up a job and continue wearing so many hats while schools remain shut.

With the recent lifting of a partial lockdown, the government has ushered in a COVID-19 transition period. But exasperated mothers feel one important detail has been overlooked as the economy opens up: who is going to take care of – and teach – the children when they return to their nine-to-five-and-more jobs, without grandparents to take over, or a partner to fill in?

Mother of three lawyer Anjelica Camilleri de Marco feels the discussion around children’s safe return to school has not been given the importance it deserves.

“I understand that COVID-19 is uncharted territory and extremely challenging to manage. However, I have yet to hear an in-depth debate on what options for opening might be available to schools,” she says.

“Having our children physically attend school must be regarded as a priority for children and mothers alike, especially for those who wish to retain their jobs,” Camilleri de Marco insists.

Having had her third child in January, she is on maternity leave. But rather than fully enjoy the new addition to the family, she has found herself focusing on homeschooling her other two children, aged six and four, who need to “master the foundations correctly” and still require a parent’s input.

“My mornings are a blur of signing them in and out of their Microsoft Teams account, dialling them in for their frequent Zoom calls and being on standby for any technical issues. In between and after, I am busy dishing out the assigned tasks, explaining and assisting them.”

But Camilleri de Marco’s major concern is how to put her job into the equation when she resumes work within the coming weeks.

“Right now, the thought of also squeezing in conference calls, replies to e-mails and researching advice is just too daunting. I envisage this would have to happen in my already limited hours allotted for sleep!”

Parents need a plan, so they can get back to work with peace of mind

The challenge of working with the children at home also raises many questions for mother of five Daniela Allen, who wants to know whether schools will open next term and asks how parents are going to cope if they do not.

“How are the children going to catch up with the work they missed out on? Who will they stay with if the parents need to go out to work?”

Allen is a senior executive at the Research Innovation and Development Trust at the University of Malta, as well as a freelance journalist and PR consultant. Although she is only working a few hours a week, since schools shut in mid-March, things have been particularly hard.

The initial strength and stamina to handle the crisis and homeschooling is wearing off, she says, admitting that stress and exhaustion are setting in and that the family’s current lifestyle is unsustainable.

Daniela Allen’s children, aged between 10 and four, need their constant injection of fresh air and trips to the sea.Daniela Allen’s children, aged between 10 and four, need their constant injection of fresh air and trips to the sea.

“Parents need a plan, so they can get back to work with peace of mind. We need tangible solutions so we can decide how we want our children to live. We need different and more creative channels of education.

“Since we are now beyond crisis management stage, we need to understand how to build on what we have and bridge the gap between now and when the children actually go back to school.”

Children are becoming more attached to their carers, while the number of hours they spend at a screen is also a concern for Allen.

“Online schooling, although the best option in the circumstances, is far from what they were used to. And if this is the new normal, we need to look deeper and build on the guidelines already in place.”

Notary public Naomi Mugliette’s new reality that sees her wearing not only her professional and mother’s hat, but also a housewife’s and a teacher’s, is set to persist without the opening of schools.

“I really wanted to enjoy this time but things are more complicated than I thought... Days are as busy as when the children had school, extracurricular activities, homework and I had to cope with the office.

“I have felt guilty because I wanted to do crafts and bake with the children, but with home schooling, homework and working from home, I do not have much time left.”

Things came to a head when Mugliette’s 69-year-old aunt could no longer take care of her two young children. And when homeschooling started, the notary admits she had never heard of Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

“My children did not have their own iPads and computers... I was so worried they would not be able to join their lessons and manage from home.”

Since then, their dining room has become a study and a maze of wires and chargers. And while she has been keen to give her children full individual teaching attention, her clients call and message during these sessions and she is trying not to fall behind with her work.

“Even if the government opens the courts, our children could be the last to return to school,” she acknowledges, accepting that having them at home is “our new reality”.

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