Quick Change Artist

Submitted by "Human Rights Mama"

"I put the baby down for a nap, pulled a blazer on over a nursing shirt ..."

Remember the video of the man who was being interviewed by the BBC live when his toddler walked into the room? That is probably every work-from-home parent's nightmare, and I was thinking about it recently when I was asked to create a "welcome video" to introduce myself as a tutor for an online course on refugee protection.

Online learning and virtual workplaces are magical inventions for working parents with small children. No one needs to know that you are in your pajamas, or haven’t showered for a couple of days, as long as your brain is clear and your fingers type swiftly. Unless, of course, you need to be on video.

As the mother of a 10-week-old, I don't currently go into an office during the day, and I don’t have the luxury of time. While my baby isn’t mobile, her little voice travels in my small apartment, so I'm pretty proud of the fact that I was able to create and post a video recently. And it was done on time, and I looked (at least theoretically) polished. The technique? I put on some makeup very early in the morning. Later that day, I put the baby down for a nap, pulled a blazer on over a nursing shirt, clipped my hair back, found a good backdrop (a bookshelf), and filmed the whole thing before she even woke up.

As Leonard Bernstein once said, "To achieve success, two things are needed; a plan and not enough time." I concur.

"Human Rights Mama" is a mother, wife and lawyer specializing in refugee rights policy advocacy. At work she leads a team that leverages volunteer lawyers to help meet the legal needs of Californians.

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