Digi dads: Work-from-home fathers rock the crib and Zoom

A few years ago, a little girl crashed her father’s live BBC interview and made internet history. Professor Robert E Kelly, a political analyst, was being interviewed via video conference on the impeachment of the South Korean president when his four-year-old daughter waltzed into the room, quickly followed by her eight-month-old brother. A clearly-embarrassed Kelly could only close his eyes and apologise as his wife, Jung-a Kim, got the children out of the room, but not before some books were knocked onto the floor. The interview then continued and, of course, went viral, amassing over six million views on YouTube in one day.

As hilarious as the moment was, who would have thought three years later, kid-crashing would become the norm?

While children may not be a boardroom fixture, many parents are working from home and struggling to balance their work lives in a home environment.

Telecommunications company Digicel understands that even working professionals at the highest level need to be flexible.

Head of public relations Colin Greaves said during the stay-at-home order many of the fathers in the company experienced situations where their children demanded attention, from gatecrashing conference calls to crying babies needing to be rocked back to sleep.

One of their employees went as far as setting up his office space in his newborn's nursery.

“You’ll be on a team call and there is a crib in the back, there’s a rocker and he has to step away to rock her back to sleep,” said Greaves. He said the experience taught the team to be more understanding and flexible for working parents.

As a result, the team decided to keep it fun and encouraged fathers in the company to share these moments. They called the project Digi Dads.

“We normally place focus on mothers and their roles and how hard they have to work, having to prepare meals and so on, but now we have all these fathers working from home and having to chip in, managing their families and work,” said Greaves, adding women are more familiar with juggling work and family. “This is new for some men. Being home for all of this time, they’ve come to know the challenges that exist.”

A few Digi Dads share their experience with WMN.

Joel White is a single father to his seven-year-old daughter and works in the Digicel call centre.

“Working from home has been challenging, especially on everyday family life.” White explained that he starts work at 6 am and his daughter is usually up with him, already trying to get his attention.

He said he has family members step in to assist, but most of the time, it is just the two of them. He said before the lockdown, he had a certain rhythm and routine, but that has since changed. “I’m one of those guys who can’t wait for school to reopen,” he joked.

He said, however, that he enjoys the time they get to spend together, engaging and helping with her schoolwork.

Father of three, Roger Pedros is the project manager of the technical and IT department. He and his wife have three children, ages nine, 16 and 17. Like White, he is grateful for the work his children’s teachers put into continuing their education. “I will personally ensure my children’s teachers get presents for Christmas this year.”

“You have to have empathy,” he said. “Even if you’re doing something for work, you have to understand that child needs attention, patience and understanding.”

Pedros joked that his office set up is very near the bathroom, which causes a lot of foot traffic while he is working. “My kids pass to and from all the time, or they would just burst into the room and call out to me and I have to say, ‘Shh. I’m in a meeting,’” he said with a laugh.

He said despite the challenges the experience has brought his family closer together.

“We were able to create a bond that, pre-covid, we did not have.”

Pedros said being at home opened his eyes to what his children encounter daily.

“We always say children don’t have anything to worry about, because they are small and don’t know what life is yet, but when you have to live that experience with them, you understand.”

He said the things we as adults think of as minor, will be the most important thing to them.

“Understanding that they have their own thoughts, ideas and fears makes you closer.”

Navin Balkissoon, head of home and entertainment, has a son, seven, and a two-year-old daughter. He said he is grateful for the time to see his children in a home environment, but it can get complicated.

“My two-year-old is getting really active and demanding…sometimes she gets curious about what is happening on the screen. I guess she thinks it’s a video or something,” he said. He shared one hilarious experience when he was speaking to a CEO and his son sneaked up behind the laptop camera and motioned to him to watch a YouTube video while he was in his meeting.

“The CEO asked me ‘Navin, who are you looking at?’…They just want to be with their daddy.”

When the lockdown is over, Balkissoon said he is looking forward to taking his family to the beach.

“Something that takes them outdoors,” he said. “The hardest thing for kids right now is being isolated. Kids' development is not limited to what they learn in school. They learn a lot from social interactions as well.”

He said, although it can get crazy, he still enjoys seeing his children during the day.