When work-from-home life began in March, the first thing my new 3- and 1-year-old co-workers were trained on was Zoom.
With everyone now working remotely — but everyone needing to see each other (partly because we crave social interaction, but mostly for accountability) — Zoom and other video conference calling have become THE primary means of communication for my job and for seemingly everyone else in the country.
My tiny co-workers got the basics down quick — I mean, they are digital natives, right? However, the art of Zoom etiquette is lost on them. In the last month, my sons have done the following while I have been on Zoom:
- Jumped up on my lap and waved to everyone.
- Decided to show off their hockey stick to the call, waving it in the background and nearly hitting me in the head.
- Poured honey on the chair that I sit in for my Zoom meetings without my knowledge, causing me to settle in for a Zoom staff meeting I was already late for and realize that my pants were now covered in stickiness. And of course I wasn’t able to get up to take care of it until the meeting was over.
- Broke a snow globe while I was on a call, causing glitter and water to cover the entire room.
- Started singing, “Poop, poop, poop, poop, POOP,” while I was unmuted.
- Tapped me on the shoulder and asked me where Blippi lives.
- Yelled, “This is BORING,” while I was leading a call.
I love my children and cherish this extra time with them… but once I am able to return to work, I may never take a plain old meeting in a conference room for granted ever again.
