For many working parents the ancient puzzle of how one person can transport a fox, a chicken and grain across a river with one boat - keeping all intact - will feel like a metaphor for their daily lives.
One feature of the Covid lockdowns was the huge effect on domestic logistics, but we are now seeing a return to pre-pandemic norms, and it’s recreating a familiar headache.
For millions of us, the pandemic rewrote the rules of work, forcing the country into a huge working-from-home experiment. Many people experienced an abrupt transition from office desks to kitchen tables. It was daunting or liberating, sometimes both.
Amid the chaos and uncertainty, this shift opened our eyes to the benefits of adaptability, the power of technology and the largely latent potential of working remotely.
Parents’ childcare conundrum
However, with life now having almost completely returned to the “normal” we once knew, anecdotal evidence suggests an increasing number of companies are mandating a return to the office.
Amazon has warned its staff they may not be promoted if they fail to comply with its updated policy.
Many CEOs reportedly expect a five-day office week will happen again within the next few years, and even Zoom wants its employees in the office at least twice a week.
Whether working parents found being based at home comfortable or disconcerting, many of them now face a childcare conundrum. The convenience that remote working offered is now being replaced by a looming logistical puzzle of drop-offs, pick-ups and the perpetual race against the clock.
The transition back to the office is not just about refamiliarising oneself with the traditional work environment, for all its pros and cons. It also entails delicately balancing professional responsibilities with the intricate web of childcare.
At our preparatory school, we are seeing how important this is to a large number of the families whose children don’t board with us and are only here for the day.
During the peak working-from-home period, the wraparound care - encompassing extended hours, after-school programmes and additional support services - was perhaps seen as an extra benefit.
Now, though, parents can’t just nip away from their desk to do a shuttle run or let their child amuse themselves in the home while they complete their working day - at least not if they’re required to be in a physical space that makes these options impossible.
As well as that, there’s the extra cost of wraparound care to consider, although here at Fettes we include that as part of the package. So the majority of our day pupils make the most of the service, and can take part in a wide range of diverse activities. Regular sport, music and drama are a given, but they can also do activities as varied as coding, dress making and frisbee golf.
These activities are often optional and give parents the flexibility to pick up as late as 7pm - a significant benefit to many hard-working parents, who also do not have to stand over their children while they complete homework because it is all finished in school.
Helping families to adjust
We recognise the part we need to play, and our wraparound services support the academic, emotional and family needs of our children. But it’s a challenge to us all. Recent media reports have highlighted the soaring costs and inflexibility of childcare options.
And we know these services are appreciated. One parent said our school’s approach to wraparound care had “removed significant stress for us as working parents”; they knew their children were “learning and having fun with their friends” and being part of the school community, and that if they were held up by work or stuck in traffic, their children were “safe and cared for”.
The same parent said: “It also means that we can collect them knowing that they have done their homework, have had a good meal and are ready to come home and spend some quality time with us a family for the last part of the day.”
So, while the post-pandemic working-from-home debate rages on, with many working parents grappling with the complexities of this new chapter, the old adage about it taking a village to raise a child still holds true.
Whatever your school setting, and whatever the future holds, those of us involved in supporting families need to anticipate their needs and show compassion and kindness if we are to ensure the smoothest possible return to a pre-pandemic norm.
Charlie Minogue is head of Fettes College’s preparatory school, in Edinburgh
