Here’s the downside of having worked from home for 14 years. Many of the questions and concerns that are top of mind for those new to remote work, especially in a dual-income-with-kids scenario is something my wife and I worked out years ago. And that is hard to remember when offering workflow tips, etc.
We get it. We homeschool. We have household duties. We have tasks and ministries and jobs to do. So here is the ultimate killer app mindset shift that has to happen:
You are a team.
You are not a collection of autonomous individuals trying to live your coincidental lives.
You have to be on the same page with your family goals. And your individual goals are subordinate to the family goals.
Career, education, hobbies, dreams, financial, interests, all these goals have to be synced with the entire family in mind.
Your spouse/partner/children/whatever are not in the way of your goals, they are a key factor in understanding what your goals ought to be.
This sometimes (and has for my wife and I) requires external counsel and mediation. It requires extended thought and prayer and conversation. It requires weekly check-ups. Frank and honest conversations. It requires tears and laughter and disappointment and humility and all the hard things.
We are all suddenly thrown into a situation where these things have to be worked through and worked out in a very short period of time under extremely stressful situations.
And I’m not even getting into dysfunctional family dynamics… even the functional ones are going to have a hard time here.
So here’s the killer app: love.
Be patient with one another during these times. Lower your expectations for productivity. Show each other some grace. Acknowledge that the other is struggling as much as you are.
Take time and realize that you need to get on the same page. Your family will be stronger for it. And this could be the most beneficial outcome of this whole time, even if no other work or education gets done in the meantime.
I’m praying for you.