Lynette Patterson already had her hands full, before the pandemic. The 42-year-old is a working mother of four — 14-year-old twin boys, a nine-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter. Now, with the mandated e-learning, this IT audit director has had to add another unpaid job to her already busy schedule: educator.


While her older children are fairly self-reliant in completing their schoolwork, her nine-year-old son keeps Patterson on her toes. E-learning has proven to be a formidable foe.

“My nine-year-old has the attention span of a gnat,” she said. “Teachers have a great way of connecting with kids and explaining things. I am not meant to be a teacher.”

Patterson, who works full time, also has the main responsibility for her kids’ day-to-day activities within her household. “My husband is a truck driver and home [only] one day a week,” she explained.

“Putting a screen in front of a little boy with more ants in his pants than patience [disrupts] my ability to work. I constantly have to look over [his] shoulder and pull him away from even educational apps, because those videos are more fun and distracting from the work he’s supposed to be doing.”

Parenting in the age of coronavirus means, largely, that screens in general are more prevalent than ever. As a matter of practicality, increased screen time for kids is a reluctant reality. Parents today are experiencing considerable anxiety about their children’s online activities now that they’re home all day with nowhere to go — except online.

Patterson is not alone in her frustration. With mandatory physical distancing the norm and classrooms around the world closed indefinitely, working parents are coming to terms with their new roles as educators, with many learning that teaching is not an easy endeavour.

A recent survey found that five million more Canadians are working from home than prior to the pandemic, and many are enjoying this new normal. Previously, almost half of Canadian employees were working remotely for half the week or more through telecommuting options supported by their employers.



Lynette Patterson already had her hands full, before the pandemic. The 42-year-old is a working mother of four — 14-year-old twin boys, a nine-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter. Now, with the mandated e-learning, this IT audit director has had to add another unpaid job to her already busy schedule: educator.


While her older children are fairly self-reliant in completing their schoolwork, her nine-year-old son keeps Patterson on her toes. E-learning has proven to be a formidable foe.

“My nine-year-old has the attention span of a gnat,” she said. “Teachers have a great way of connecting with kids and explaining things. I am not meant to be a teacher.”

Patterson, who works full time, also has the main responsibility for her kids’ day-to-day activities within her household. “My husband is a truck driver and home [only] one day a week,” she explained.

“Putting a screen in front of a little boy with more ants in his pants than patience [disrupts] my ability to work. I constantly have to look over [his] shoulder and pull him away from even educational apps, because those videos are more fun and distracting from the work he’s supposed to be doing.”

Parenting in the age of coronavirus means, largely, that screens in general are more prevalent than ever. As a matter of practicality, increased screen time for kids is a reluctant reality. Parents today are experiencing considerable anxiety about their children’s online activities now that they’re home all day with nowhere to go — except online.

Patterson is not alone in her frustration. With mandatory physical distancing the norm and classrooms around the world closed indefinitely, working parents are coming to terms with their new roles as educators, with many learning that teaching is not an easy endeavour.

A recent survey found that five million more Canadians are working from home than prior to the pandemic, and many are enjoying this new normal. Previously, almost half of Canadian employees were working remotely for half the week or more through telecommuting options supported by their employers.