Ice Age ecologist in a warming world. Associate Professor at @UMaine’s Climate Change Institute. Host of @ourwarmregards. #TeamMuskOx She/her 
You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more
It’s completely possible to talk about how stressful it is to work at home with kids without dumping on people without kids. Firstly, we’re not that productive, either, and secondly, many of us don’t want to be childless and COVID-19 is causing delays in fertility treatments.
So not only ami constantly beating myself up for not being able to focus on work as much as my friends with kids assume I am, I’m reminded all the time of how lucky I should be feeling to be able to work all day in a house full of ghosts.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t talk about how hard it is, or that you shouldn’t complain about how hard it is because at least you have kids and should feel grateful for that. I’m just asking that you not frame your struggle as a direct competition with childless people.
And even though lots of folks are child-free by choice, very few people are treating this as a super fun extended vacation or work retreat. By all means, push back against folks actively guilting you about not getting enough done at home. But don’t do it at my expense. Thanks.
I’m so, so sorry. That’s so hard. <3
Yes, there certainly is a difference between childless and childfree, and it’d be lovely if people cared enough to find out the difference.
And this is hard on everyone, regardless.
Yes. I’m sorry. My best friend doesn’t have kids, & she’s only getting slightly more work done than I am. We’re all experiencing trauma, stress, uncertainty, anxiety. That makes everything hard for everyone, with or without kids.
And some of us are picking up a lot of student need & extra work - of course I understand when colleagues with small ones at home forward complex queries to me, but I would like to be treated as if I am also doing all the work I can, not as if I’m idling in luxury
And I should add most of my immediate colleagues are being lovely or effectively invisible presumably because they’re so busy...
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.
