Like most people today, the Coronavirus pandemic has resulted in me working from home. The first few days of my new work environment were overwhelming. I had to figure out a work schedule that allowed me to take care of my kids full-time while my husband was at his job. His lucky ass gets to leave the house for his work! The kids’ Nintendos and Netflix programs have proven to be very good babysitters. I just need to remember to feed the kids – which is a burden. I’m kidding. They are seven – they feed themselves. Somewhat. During a virtual work meeting, a mom co-worker said this life changing sentence: “Noise cancelling headphones have been great for working from home, especially since I have kids.” This. This was life changing.
Okay. It might be a bit dramatic, but it did help me manage my life as a mom of twins who has to work from home. I used Target drive up that day to pick up my ten-dollar noise cancelling headphones. I charged the suckers and excitedly put them on to ignore all my non-work responsibilities. I could not hear a whine! The constant shout of “mom!” was no longer a part of my life, no longer a jolting distraction from every moment of adult thought – well, as long as the headphones were on. I have been able to get a lot more work done with this holy grail of deaf ignorance.
I soon decided the headphones should be used not just during my work hours, but all day. This decision came as the kids’ constant descriptions of Minecraft adventures were making me want to shout obscenities. No, kids, I do not care about what Creeper does or what an Alex is in Minecraft. It was a few days of bliss until the mom guilt of not paying full attention to my kids sunk in. So, I buffy the vampired that mom guilt by having one ear free from the headphones. It works. Go ahead and judge me. I’m only half listening anyway.
- Ignorance and Noise Cancelling Headphones - July 7, 2020