Read on Twitter
New from me: Working parents have all been STRUGGLING, but for those working essential jobs, many of which paid less than unemployment, balancing the needs of your children with the need to earn a living reached an impasse in the pandemic https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/venessawong/essential-worker-parents via @BuzzFeedNews
I spoke with parents around the country who took the risk and sent their kids to daycare so they could work, as the rest of the US took shelter. As many parents debated sending in their children to school this fall, others frankly didn't have a choice https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/venessawong/essential-worker-parents
"I kind of lie to myself and pretend that I am okay with it and feel she is safe," said a mother who has been sending her daughter to daycare through COVID after her employer asked her work her essential job in-person. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/venessawong/essential-worker-parents
Those who could not afford childcare tag-teamed impossible schedules with spouses and relatives, cobbled together help from family and friends, asked older children to watch over younger siblings, or even sent kids to live safely with grandparents https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/venessawong/essential-worker-parents
Some are prepared for what they see as the inevitability of contracting COVID from work, but employers may not offer paid leave to these essential workers if they (or their kids) get the coronavirus https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/venessawong/essential-worker-parents
Some have unsuccessfully asked for flexible schedules so they can supervise their kids' remote learning and still come earn a living. As one mother said, "I have to take care of my daughter and you're making me choose between doing this job and my child." https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/venessawong/essential-worker-parents
"My 16-year-old daughter has been taking care of her four siblings ... because we cannot afford a day off. I feel proud of her, and upset at the whole situation, because she shouldn’t have to do this. To compensate her...we take her to Dollar Tree." https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/venessawong/essential-worker-parents
"I’m thinking, I have to take her to work with me, because we don’t want to pay any more childcare costs. But I can’t," said one essential worker who can't afford childchare for all three of his kids https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/venessawong/essential-worker-parents
"There is no winning right now. If you need to work, you're a bad parent, and if you need to stay home with your kid, you're a bad employee." https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/venessawong/essential-worker-parents
"It is so stressful right now, and I feel that there should be some help for parents who are essential workers." https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/venessawong/essential-worker-parents
"With the cost of living out here, you have to have two parents working full-time in order to just survive. I've got coworkers at work too that have the same fear: What do you do: send your child to school or lose your house?" https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/venessawong/essential-worker-parents
