Like millions of others I'm working from home and trying to home school two primary aged children. My eldest, in year 4, is generally ok and can work pretty much independently. She is also motivated. My youngest is in year 2 and obviously needs a lot more help to do her tasks. The school are really good and have a mainly full timetable of Teams learning - they are taught the lesson online e.g. English and then come off to do their tasks.
My work is quite full on and 90 percent of the time requires a lot of concentration. Obviously this isn't happening at the moment and my employers are understanding but I have to adhere to deadlines, so the work has to be done and I'm currently working on my days off and at weekends. I'm also on calls and have frequent meetings lasting a couple of hours.
This morning my youngest said to me that other kids in her class have their mums sitting next to them assisting with the work and going through everything and, to be honest, it's just made me feel like utter crap. I just can't do this - I haven't got the time. DC are set up with a laptop each (we're very fortunate - I know) and listen on their headphones, so I'm not following the lesson. Obviously I'll help her out when she needs to but I feel like I'm failing her by not sitting along side her and going through everything. I know that there are parents doing this as DD can see them on Teams and I know that these parents are SAHM.
I feel like DD is drowning sometimes with the complexity of the work. She's only 7 and missed most of year 1 (which I consider to be an incredibly important foundation year) because of the first lockdown (there was no online teaching provision then and everything was a few worksheets a day). I'm worried for her as she just doesn't seem to have the learning skills that my older DD had at the same age. I feel so incredibly guilty all the time.
Also just to say DH helps out where he can too but his job is also incredibly busy. He has also just been diagnosed with a life-changing illness.