Primary 3 student Huey Cheng attends an online class from her Shau Kei Wan residence. (RAYMOND / CHINA DAILY)
Mothers of young children across Hong Kong must have felt a sense of relief when the Education Bureau announced its plan to reopen the city’s schools from Sept 23. Although how the phased reopening will play out is not clear yet, parents forced to spend time in the company of growing children 24/7, even as they have to juggle professional tasks and household chores, are probably eagerly looking forward to the day.
Hong Kong schools have remained off-limits to students for the better part of the year — practically since the time they closed for the Chinese New Year holidays at the end of January. A phased reopening was tried out in May but the shutters came down soon after the third rather severe wave of coronavirus cases emerged in early July.
Gabrielle, 8, and Michael, 5, with their mother Wendy Lai in their North Point home. (RAYMOND / CHINA DAILY)
In the initial stage of COVID-19-induced citywide closures, getting to share lunch and playtime with children must have felt rather idyllic. This must be especially true for parents in demanding jobs who work long hours and were rarely at home during the pre-COVID-19 days. However, after the first few weeks, the flip side of having young people with surplus energy pottering around the house — or a tiny flat, as is the case with a vast number of Hong Kong families — round the clock must have been readily apparent. It’s particularly tricky for working mothers with very small kids, and maybe even those on the cusp of adolescence. For instance, a friend of mine had a hard time keeping her adorable tiny tykes from Zoombombing her business meetings.
Now that the kids are ready to go back to school, one wonders how the parents who have been cooking, painting and gardening with their children in these past eight months might be feeling. Could they be missing the days of being holed up at home in the company of scampering, vivacious, often exasperating children in need of constant attention already?
Dewey, who is in Kindergarten 2, romps around the house while her sister Huey tries to focus. (RAYMOND / CHINA DAILY)
Stuck at home, Dewey tries injecting some variety into her daily life. (RAYMOND / CHINA DAILY)
Michael and his sister Gabrielle bring lunch to their pet tortoise. (RAYMOND / CHINA DAILY)
After online classes, Michael and Gabrielle cool off in an inflatable pool on the terrace. (RAYMOND / CHINA DAILY)
Huey tries to pay attention to her online class despite the distractions of Dewey. (RAYMOND / CHINA DAILY)
Gabrielle drowns kid brother Michael in a pool of soft toys. (RAYMOND / CHINA DAILY)
Dewey tries to leave her mark in a dish her mother Kris Kwan is trying to rustle up. (RAYMOND / CHINA DAILY)
