How working mothers are dealing with schools closing
COVID-19 brought about several regulations to be implemented in order to keep the population safe, and these included schools closing and moving online if possible. Before schools closing, mothers already shouldered the planning and organization of their kids’ needs. Child related tasks were more manageable because they were outsourced to schools. But now, they disproportionately fall on mothers. These working mothers, whether working from home or not, have had to either creatively create a space for their children, so they study while their mothers work, or leave their children home alone.
Some kids are fortunate to have access to online classes and consequently, their moms are less worried about them. A working mother, who works as a school principal, shared that for the few hours, while her children have online schoolwork, she is able to focus on work as well. Additionally, she hired a tutor to help her children with class related work, she said “I thought a tutor was necessary, and it really helps that tutors are affordable. The tutor helps them with homework, and is with them during class time to help them understand better the class material they are given. So, from 7:30am to 3:30pm, for five days a week, my kids are working on their coursework with the help from their tutor. When classes end in the afternoon, I have already finished majority of my work so I am able to give them my time.”
But some working mothers, unfortunately, do not have a choice but to leave their kids on their own. While some schools in Rwanda were able to move to online, others had to completely close due to the lack of means to switch to the online system. And working mothers whose children attend such schools, and whose work obliges them to be on sight, have had to leave their children to fend for themselves for a few hours while they work.
Florence Wejana, a housekeeper, shared her own experience as a working mom in this pandemic. She leaves for work around 6 am, after preparing breakfast for her two children. Her 14-year-old is in charge of preparing lunch and making sure the 5-year-old eats as well, and dinner is later prepared by the mom when she returns from work around 5 pm. While Florence is at work, she makes sure she calls from time to time to check in.
Although it is great for mothers who are now able to grow closer to their children, and spend more time with them, Florence admits that she personally did not want it to happen this way. “Usually I would leave for work knowing that my 14-year-old is at school and my 5-year-old is at the neighbor’s, and even though I would miss them, it was a comfortable distance,” she says. “But now I sometimes find myself anxious, wondering how they are doing, what they are doing, and where they are. Additionally, I feel less comfortable leaving them at the neighbor’s in this pandemic.”
She added that her other issue with schools closing is that her children are now constantly on the streets. “For a lot of hours throughout the day, they are socializing with other kids in the neighborhood. And I fear that this might be an issue next year as well,” she shares. Since cases in Rwanda do not seem to decrease, she fears her children will idle away. “My 14-year-old might forget anything school related and my 5-year-old might not attend school until late.” She added that she does fear for other children as well because she has noticed that these children are growing without guidelines or structure due to schools closing. Her concerns do extend to how these issues might impact her working life in the future in case this issue is not quickly resolved.
Nonetheless, these issues have not discouraged her from making sure her children do some chores around the house. “Yes, sadly they enjoy more free time than I would have wanted, but I am still a mother, and I still have a role to play.” Her children can leave the house once they have completed a few chores around the house. And these are things that she would usually take care of herself, and now has less chores to worry about when she gets home from work. Florence is an example of how working moms are progressively adjusting to having their children at home while they work regardless of how challenging it seems to be.
It is important to highlight that mothers can influence how their children spend their time at home in a positive way. For those who cannot afford being with their children throughout the day are encouraged by these two working mothers who have hired a tutor to assist them, and found ways their children could spend their time productively, respectively. Amidst their concerns for their children’s education, their demanding work, and other various responsibilities, moms seem to maintain their ability to shoulder all that is asked of them.
Samantha K