My Wife Is Home All Day Now and It’s Weird

Summary

The author discusses the adjustments and dynamics of his household as his wife, a director at her agency, begins working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while he continues his long-standing freelance work.

Abstract

The article titled "My Wife Is Home All Day Now and It’s Weird" reflects on the new reality of both the author and his wife working from home amidst the COVID-19 situation. The author, an experienced freelancer, is accustomed to managing work and home responsibilities, including childcare and chores. However, his wife's transition to remote work as the director of her agency, overseeing a large staff and handling critical operations from home, has introduced a new set of challenges and adjustments for the family. They have established routines to accommodate her work schedule, such as creating a dedicated workspace for her and timing noisy activities around her meetings. The author expresses initial concerns about distractions but acknowledges his wife's professional dedication and their successful adaptation to the situation. He appreciates the increased time with his wife, contrary to common sitcom tropes, and finds the experience surprisingly positive yet undeniably strange.

Opinions

The author finds the situation of his wife working from home to be unusual but manageable.
He believes that the Great Work-From-Home Motivator is the understanding that if you don't work, you don't get paid, which drives his wife's productivity.
The author and his wife have successfully adapted to their new roles and responsibilities, proving that it is possible to manage both work and family life in a small house.
He challenges the stereotypical sitcom portrayal of married life, suggesting that popular culture may have misrepresented the dynamics of spending more time with one's spouse.
The author appreciates the support and balance in their relationship, as they each take turns caring for their son and managing the household to allow the other to focus on work.

Welcome to the new normal?

I don’t think any of us know exactly how long the current situation with COVID-19 is going to last. We knew there would be some changes to daily life, but it is still a little jarring. Like… she’s home all day now.

Take my wife, please.

Seriously, folks, having my wife work from home is weird. That said, we are adjusting well. It’s me, my wife, our three-year-old son, a dog, and a cat all cooped up in a smallish house. Chores get done. Playtime and teaching time happens. We both manage to do our jobs.

And they said it couldn’t be done.

Who’s the boss?

I’ve been a full-time freelancer for nearly eighteen years — most of the time as a book and magazine layout artist and, more recently, as a writer. I’m an old hand at working from home. So much so that I manage most of the chores, handle a good chunk of child care, and still scratch out a living writing words people read. When we were encouraged to practice self-isolation, I yawned and said, “No prob.”

My wife, on the other hand, was a little more concerned.

She’s the boss

I mean that literally. She’s the director at the agency she works for. She oversees a large staff in a field that requires a fair amount of travel and one-on-one contact with clients. Since her office shut down, she’s had to coordinate with her IT department to get everyone set up for remote work. She’s had to work with HR to make sure everyone gets paid. She’s had to reassure her own bosses to let them know everyone was working, being productive, and being safe.

And now she’s working from home herself — running meetings, overseeing her staff, and performing her own brand of magic.

At first, I was worried she’d be too distracted at home, but she understands the Great Work-From-Home Motivator: If you don’t do the work, you don’t get paid.

She now has her own dedicated workspace. The boy and I do quiet activities when she is video conferencing. I wait for her to take a break before I do any vacuuming. I make lunch for three now instead of two. It works.

We’re the boss

I handle the house during her traditional work hours and do what I can to support her. At the end of her day, she supports me so I can get my work done. I can write 1,000 words on green architecture at night as easily as I can during the day. Our son and dog get the attention and exercise they need. The cat… well the cat does her own thing.

I find I even like having my wife around more often. Doesn’t that go against all of the tired sitcom stereotypes? Has popular culture been lying to me all this time?

Like I said… weird.