Parents take stock after a year of juggling responsibilities during lockdown
During the first lockdown in spring 2020, parents' tales about balancing work and children at home went viral on social media. A year later, the situation is still tense. Especially for women.
When journalist and mother Mareice Kaiser wondered on Twitter about a year ago what "parents do who are at their wits' end," she struck a nerve. Under the hashtag #Coronaeltern (corona parents), parents across Germany took the opportunity to let off steam about the challenges of juggling working from home and dealing with their kids at the same time. At that point, Germany had been in lockdown mode for several weeks, with daycare centers and schools already closed. Playgrounds and sports fields were also off-limits, and children were for the most part not allowed to meet up with friends.