Hi, Iâm Kate White, one of those millennials trying to retain sanity in the thick of balancing work and life as a working parent. This is the 5th edition of The New Box, a writeup meant to spark ideas surrounding the concept of a better work-life ânormalâ specifically for parents and progressive employers. If youâre enjoying it and know someone whoâd like this sort of thing in their inbox, they can subscribe here. đ
Woof, Buzz.
Every time I sit down to pen my thoughts for this edition, thereâs an eruption of sentiment along the lines of YOU GUYS, HOW ARE WE POSSIBLY GOING TO ENDURE THIS MADNESS that ends up filling the page.
My heart is aching for so many reasons, and I know youâre right here feeling the overwhelm too. From the minorities being hardest hit by the pandemic, to the systemic racism to which white people (including myself) are collectively finally awakening, to the kiddos experiencing the weirdest back-to-school EVER, to the working parents hold life together as best as possible, to the widening political divide in our country...
As people trying to make the world a better place, this is a lot. Itâs hard to know where to start or to feel that any action is helping.
Iâm working hard to stay positive specifically about what the future weâre all co-creating will look like, especially with regard to an inclusive and equitable workplace. Even though it feels like we may be in a slow landslide of undoing decadesâ worth of progress, I am also taking note of how humans are doing what humans do well in times like these: figuring out how to make it work.
Even huge corporations are finding creative new ways to support employees, which Iâve got to believe is due at least in part to the fact that everyone from top-level executives to production workers experienced the realities of working (or âworkingâ đ) from home with kids around this year. Many around the U.S. (and the world) are still navigating this state of affairs. A gigantic spotlight is being directed at the distribution of unpaid labor within the home, especially with regard to caregiving responsibilities.
Not only are workplace systems, benefits, and policies based in âthis is how weâve always done itâ being examined and re-considered, but those of education and childcare are being reviewed under the same âwhy are we doing things this way again?â lens as well.
Iâm choosing to believe that good will come out of this madness yet, perhaps in the form of innovation and more equitable systems across sectors. Below I outline some writings that have been keeping this little flame of hope alive in me. I hope they will do the same for you as well.
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consider this _ thoughts, ideas, resources that should be on your radar
Weâre in a She-cession
The economic recession caused by Covid-19 has disproportionately affected women, especially women of color. Listen in to CNNâs âCoronavirus: Fact or Fictionâ podcast as Nicole Mason, President and CEO of the Institute for Womenâs Policy Research and a single black mother, discusses how this pandemic has exposed the gaps in our childcare and employment systems and offers ideas on how to improve the situation.
What If Working From Home Goes on ⊠Forever?
âThe coronavirus crisis is forcing white-collar America to reconsider nearly every aspect of office life. Some practices now seem to be wastes of time, happily discarded; others seem to be unexpectedly crucial, and impossible to replicate online. For workers wondering right now if theyâre ever going back to the office, the most honest answer is this: Even if they do, the office might never be the same.â
Iâm a Harvard professor and a mom. This is why childcare is essential for working parents
âWork and family are both full-time pursuits. If the problem is framed as a choice between them, the battle is lost, since family will usually win. Telecommuting and âworkplace flexibilityâ are important but do not make up for a lack of time and space to think and work.â
Schooling Was for the Industrial Era, Unschooling Is for the Future
"âŠwe have left the Industrial Era for the Imagination Age, but our mass education system remains fully entrenched in factory-style schooling. By many accounts, mass schooling has become even more restrictive than it was a century ago, consuming more of childhood and adolescence than at any time in our history.âÂ
Big firms offer stressed parents new perks such as subsidized tutoring
â âEmployees had been through two and a half months of Zoom classrooms, and it was a nightmare, even for the most tech-savvy parents,â said Ellyn Shook, who leads human resources at Accenture. âParents said they needed educational support, not just babysitting.â â
PwC Ramps Up Child Care Benefits for Virtual Back-to-School
â âWhat is happening right now is disproportionately affecting our women and people of color,â Jones says. âWe want to help them succeed and make them proud of where they work.â â
ones to watch _Â startups on the rise
TheirSpace: Learning space for school-aged kids, on-site at the office
Has your organization considered creating a âkid zoneâ in the office yet? This concept serving employers in Omaha, Nebraska, is banking on the idea that work-life integration is here to stay, that the future of work and education are more integrated than we have previously experienced.
(And yes, yes, this is 100% self-promotion đ„ł)
loveâ€ïžnote _ to keep your heart warm
Nine-Year-Old Kenyan Boy Builds Hand Sanitizing Station To Help Fight COVID-19
âUsing the few resources at his disposal â wood scraps, nails, and a bucket â Stephen designed and built a simple, but functional, cleansing station. â
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