Parent Life Today
Coronavirus has affected the whole of mankind, and the affect has been quite heavy on freelancers and creatives, leaving a lot of us without jobs and our normal daily work routines, which sometimes can’t even be called routines at their best due to the nature of freelance work. Families and parents have also been greatly affected, people having to care for their children 24/7, not being able to have help from anyone, not even their families as well as families and single parents alike having to homeschool their children while also (if their lucky enough to still have some) doing work.
“Fjóla looks at the next door neighbour’s cat on the roof of our shed whilst Freddie is simultaneously looking out from the bathroom window.”
It was through this and social media me and Emilie started talking. Emilie is a professional portrait photographer, who studied Graphic Design at Central Saint Martins University and her practice encompasses environmental portraiture as well as exploring subjects through a participatory social documentary approach. She also teaches photography within Higher Education and lives in the small town of Stroud; renowned as the creative hub of the South Cotswolds. UK. Emilie is a mother of two, to Freddie who is 7 and Fjóla, aged 4, she lives with her husband Karl and fifteen year old cat Gracie.
“I made my own sourdough starter during the lockdown and baked a few times a week when the family was at home so much. Now after going back to work I start preparing bread for the weekend on wednesday evenings and bake it on fridays.”
To remain creative during our lockdown, Emilie has created two new projects that highlight the pandemic through visual storytelling “one being the participatory project called ‘Parent Life Today’ which is about documenting your daily life with your children - hence this collaboration with Tides Magazine - this instigating a conversation between myself and Lilja, the editor in chief of Tides Magazine. The aim is to share people’s everyday lives on one platform with the hope for the body of work to become a historic document reflecting our time during the pandemic. The second titled ‘2 metres apart’; capturing portraits of people whilst out on our ‘daily allowance’ of exercise.”
social distancing still heavily in place, even though it’s the new normal, it doesn’t make it easier.
“We are living through very strange and unique times; the restrictions of Covid-19 in the UK has definitely impacted us in both a positive and negative way. We are still in lockdown and have only recently been allowed to go out more than once a day. Social distancing is still heavily in place - this is now the current ‘norm’ but that doesn’t make it any easier. This new way of living is starting to hit me, and I am getting more concerned on how social distancing will impact on our children’s interactions with their friends and family, as well as how I will conduct myself at work.”
Emilie and I were curious to see how other family lives were doing during these strange and turmoil times, so we teamed up with Elín Bríta is a 32 year old woman, living in Reykjavík, Iceland with her husband and their Boys. Nóel who is 6, and Leon, 3. Elín er a product designer and runs her own business, a store called Lauuf, as well as working as a freelance writes and interior designer. Together, both Elín and Emilie captured images of their everyday life, and fed back to me with a caption explaining each photo.
“ Under the new government guidelines, we took advantage of venturing out in the car for the first time. We went to Selsley Common to throw some paper aeroplanes that the boys made. We were aware that some dinosaur stone formations were up here and went up and down the hills in search of them. Just as we were going to give up Freddie shouted ‘I found the dinosaurs!’”
temporarily having to close down her brIck and mortar store.
We talk about how Covid-19 has affect their daily lives and routines, but also personally and Elín says “During the lockdown here in Iceland the kindergartens were still running, but our boys only went in every other day, so 2-3 times a week. We temporarily closed the doors to my brick and mortar store and focused on online shopping and offered free home delivery. I was able to stay at home with the kids and work from there, while driving out shipments in the evenings. Everyone in my husbands office was working from home, but he was able to go into the office to work every day since no one was there! On the days our boys were home we went outside at least once a day, to the playground or to the beach to mess around and throw rocks. They probably watched to much TV during this time as well, but thankfully now our routines are back to normal. I also cooked a lot more and I started baking my own sourdough bread!”
“This is my mums Maine Coon cat, his name is "Stóri Baron" or "Big Baron".”
The immaculately designed timetable soon went out of the window.
Emilie how ever says “Routine… what routine? We have no particular routine at present. At the beginning of the lockdown, we had every good intention on planning our home schooling for Freddie and Fjóla, particularly for Freddie as Fjóla hasn’t started school yet. Our immaculately designed timetable soon went out of the window! We have since been ‘schooling’ during the mornings and spending the afternoons outdoors in the fresh air - we have been extremely lucky with the weather. As my husband has recently become freelance, lockdown has put a halt to his work at present. Whereas I am continuing to work two days a week through Zoom - supporting and guiding my photography students.“
Elín talks to me about what her every day routine looked like before Covid-19 and says “our boys went to kindergarten 5 days a week for 8 hours a day while we went to work. I usually pick them up and get them home, as we only have one car and I need it for work. Sometimes we pick my husband up on the way home, other times he has to work a bit longer. We all have dinner together around 6pm and then they have a bath or get to watch a show before bedtime at 7.30pm. “
For Emilie she spoke about there being more routines in place, such as “school runs, going to work, after school swimming, weekend football and ballet lessons etc. I must admit, I do not miss the commute to work and all the rushing around, but do miss the regular routine of the children’s schooling and their engagement with peers and their various activities outside of school, but most importantly having access to their friends and family.”
“ A much needed Gin & Tonic. It’s the day before I am due my period and I can feel the overwhelming energy building up inside….so my husband presented with me with a G&T to chill me out! Ha!”
Would like to think that she could take certain things forward with her.
We also touched upon if there were any new ways of living or thinking which they might take with them into their daily lives post Covid-19, if such a world will every truly exist again. Elín explains to me “I enjoyed spending more time as a family, sometimes we get so caught up in work and our to-do list that we forget to stop and enjoy. I also loved teaching myself to make sourdough bread, and I still bake a couple of breads a week, we haven't bought bread for 2 months!”
Emilie then goes on to say “I’ve always tried to be as present as I could, I am continually working on this, currently through chanting. The pandemic has taught me, and ‘made me’, slow down; I would like to try to take this forward. Once school and the commute begins again who knows if this is possible, I will certainly try. I feel fitter now due to our daily family walks, and regularly run throughout the week. I haven't been running for over 10 years! I’d like to think that I could take this forward.”
“Early morning before kindergarten, trying to get my boys ready to leave the house on time. Also everyone is in desperate need of a haircut.”
It’s not easy being a parent, full stop, but being a parent during social distancing and lock downs has put a strain on all of us as people, parents and friends. Elín says “it was hard taking the boys to the playground and having to leave or walk to another one when there was someone there. Our older boy really missed playing with his friends after school and being able to visit grandma and grandpa. It was hard not being able to ask for help from my parents when we needed.”
“My avocado pit has finally grown into a tiny tree - I waited patiently for weeks for the pit to sprout roots and now it has leaves!”
“We appreciate this rare time we have with our children”
Emilie also talked about her struggles in the UK during lockdown with her family, but noting the silver linings “it’s amazing to see our children every day and spend quality time with them. It has its challenges, oh the challenges sometimes! There is an African proverb that states “it takes a whole village to raise a child”. It would definitely be beneficial for us all to receive support again from those close to us: grandparents, friends, family.”
With all the challenges Covid-19 has brought, most people have tried to take this time to reflect and enjoy this mandatory time at home with our families. Elín says “it has definitely made us closer and we have learned to give each other space within our home. We also feel very grateful for living in Iceland, it's such a great place for kids to grow up, it's felt very safe here during this strange time.”
Emilie talks a lot about “slowing down and reflection, plenty of reflection! Our values; understanding, and appreciating, what’s important and what is/was trivial has been highlighted. Also identifying changes we’d like to implement and what to take forward.
We appreciate this rare time we have with our children, but we also realise that it is important for them - and for us - to be able to socialise and interact with others. I think the whole world has.”
“We took the kids on their bikes to Waitrose as we needed to return a parcel from John Lewis. This is the first time that I have witnessed a big shopping queue during the pandemic - my husband has been doing the big shops since lockdown.”