Tons of parents out there are struggling to balance watching their children and doing their job amid the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Clare Wenham perfectly highlighted the challenges of working parents during a live interview with BBC News on Wednesday.
In the clip, Clare’s daughter, Scarlett, is first seen trying to sit in her lap while her mom video chats with the network from her home in South London. When Clare places Scarlett on the ground, the little girl then proceeds to walk behind her mother and find the right spot for her unicorn artwork in various places on the bookshelf.
“Scarlett, I think it looks better on the lower shelf!” the interviewer teases Scarlett as her mom grins.
Then, as the male interviewer tries to continue the conversation, the young girl approaches the camera, loudly shouting, “Wait, what’s his name?”
After he reveals his name is Christian, Scarlett lets him know that she was “just deciding where Mummy wants it to go.”
“Mummy what’s his name?”
Dr Clare Wenham, we understand your struggles of working from home and looking after children ?https://t.co/vXb15EQatLpic.twitter.com/4f3PODtJWA
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) July 1, 2020
The embarrassed mom tells her daughter, “I think just on that shelf is great, thank you,” before turning to the camera and saying, “I’m so sorry!”
On Thursday, Clare took to Twitter to share a sweet photo of herself and Scarlett with the drawing.
“We’ve decided on a shelf for the unicorn. Thanks to all for kind words normalising the work-parent balance that so many are juggling amid #covid19 chaos @BBCNews @haynesdeborah Today Scarlett wants to be #superheroelsa,” she wrote.
We’ve decided on a shelf for the unicorn.
Thanks to all for kind words normalising the work-parent balance that so many are juggling amid #covid19 chaos
@BBCNews @haynesdeborah
Today Scarlett wants to be #superheroelsapic.twitter.com/byMbCPrZQD
— Clare Wenham (@clarewenham) July 2, 2020
The moment was endearing and reminiscent of the viral 2017 BBC interview with Robert E. Kelly in which the professor of political science’s wife and two kids hilariously interrupted his interview by running into the room.
Back in March of this year, Kelly was joined by his family — properly this time — to talk about working from home with kids in quarantine.
