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The coronavirus is turning the lives of many families upside down, who, almost overnight, have been forced to break their routines and combine work and family obligations.
Is it easy to reconcile work and personal life in this health emergency situation by Covid-19?
At the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT), teleworking is allowing the activity of the educational institution to continue.
The challenge for university students to continue training involves the effort of many teachers and Administration and Services Staff who, together with their families, combine their activity during confinement.
One of these families is that of Yolanda Méndez (Cartagena, 1978), who works in Research Management at the UPCT and lives in Cartagena.
She is the mother of a large family: three children aged 2, 6 and 15.
His day to day, without coronavirus crisis, is measured to the millimeter to combine his family, work and leisure time obligations.
She is from the women of the club at 6 in the morning.
When he starts his working day at the Rectorate at 7:55 am, he has already left his children at school and in daycare.
At 13:20 he picks up the youngest from the nursery, then the boy from school and, to compensate for his flexible day, he works two afternoons a week.
In the afternoons it is organized to take the children to activities, homework, dinners, bathing and still takes time to do yoga.
The scenario is different this week.
The five family members at home: telecommute, study, play, cook, shop, clean, tidy ... And all of that without trauma.
The first day was a bit chaotic.
I get up very early, I connect the computer in the kitchen, breakfast and as the children get up, I take care of them, "he says.
She shares the housework with her husband: «I am on telework all the time;
I get up attending to the little ones, I continue with the work.
And then, another phase, around 10:00 am, with the second: I put him next to me so that he can do his homework.
The oldest, 15 years old, organizes himself.
The little one is with everyone, we take turns because it requires a lot of attention.
We draw, we play ... And so we go », he relates.
But, overall, he claims he's getting organized.
The situation is bearable.
At the moment good.
In addition, the size of the house allows us each to have our own space â€, he concludes.
Another of the large families, also in the early morning sector, is that of the professor of the Chemical Engineering area, José Luis Serrano (Valencia, 1970) and father of three children who are 10, 12 and 15 years old.
His routine has been greatly altered.
“Now we all get up almost all at once.
Me at 7:00 and they a little later.
But at 8:45 they are all running ready, "he says.
All five have busy mornings.
This family requires technological resources to carry out work and telematic study.
«Rosa, my wife, who is a high school teacher, and I teach in the morning through virtual platforms.
Me with Teams and she with Meet ».
Children are sent a lot of work and “we lack devices at home.
The desktop webcam is very old.
There are times when we are all connected and we are pulling computers, mobiles and we even use a tablet that had become more outdated, "he adds.
They try to get everyone to continue with their usual schedule.
But confinement allows them a new activity: "The five of us get together at 10:50 and make a tribute lunch."
Boredom has no place in this family, either.
In my case, adds Serrano, "it is getting complicated because two of my children go to the conservatory and have to send recorded videos and works around the classroom."
All students now use virtual devices.
The feeling now is that they have a lot of pressure with all the work they have to present to institute and conservatory schools, but it is a few days and we will adapt, â€says the professor.
In the afternoons, the two teachers prepare teaching materials and correct assignments.
The children: more consoles, home gymnastics, chess tournaments, at night they try to watch movies as a family.
Different times to resist these different days.
A Father's Day, 2020, in confinement.
And, what is certain: an opportunity to telework and reconcile.
Source: UPCT
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