‘Because of corona I am now the breadwinner instead of a housemother’

“Before I had a child, I never really appreciated parents who kept working after the birth of their children,” says Christine. ‘When I was pregnant, my husband and I agreed that I would take a year off when the baby arrived. That way I could take care of him in peace and get used to motherhood. Financially that was possible. But then corona arrived and our plan was turned upside down. ‘

Two jobs

Around her, Christine saw job after job disappear due to the pandemic. ‘I realized I should be grateful that I had a good job in communications. I didn’t want to risk losing it, while my husband, as a commercial pilot, was forced to take unpaid leave – his industry was hit hard. ‘

Christine therefore decided to go back to work shortly after the birth of their son. ‘And not only with my current employer, but also with a new job,’ she explains. During my leave my former manager asked me to join her new company. That seemed like a great opportunity, so I said yes. So I suddenly had two jobs. ‘

Breath in breath out

At a time when many people have lost their jobs, Christine knows she shouldn’t grumble. But it is not easy. ‘My husband is now a family man, but he does suffer from chronic pain. That means that sometimes he can’t take care of our son for half the day. So I’m Zooming with colleagues, while feeding my son off screen and I also have to do the housework. ‘

She knows that she is not alone and that this time of working from home is tough for many parents. ‘My advice? Just keep breathing, ”she says. You can’t do ‘everything’. Getting up and keeping everyone going is enough. And row with the oars you have. ‘

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