Life in quarantine is stressful for everyone. For parents who work from home, closed schools and daycare centers add an anxiety-inducing question to the mix: How the heck am I supposed to get a moment’s peace if the kids have to be entertained all day long?
Video conferencing really is for everything these days, and child care is no exception. The Washington Post reports that entrepreneurs are spinning up virtual services to lend struggling moms, dads, and kids a hand:
The new tools aren’t meant to replace in-person sitters of old, who might tag in when the adults needed help for longer periods — like date night, the old-fashioned tradition of 2 months ago.
Even in the Better Times, child care and the chores that make up domestic life (laundry, grocery shopping, etc.) fell more heavily on the shoulders of women. The New York Times wrote about how the pandemic has only made those disparities worse.
Women also work disproportionately in industries that have been decimated by the virus, like health care and hospitality.
Though they may offer temporary relief — or at least enough time to fire off a few emails — virtual-sitter services do come with some unique challenges. Like reeling the kids back in when they stray too far from the camera.