In Southampton, Ruth Billingham is just one of many parents struggling with overload as she navigates keeping her children’s school information straight through a dozen different channels. Married and a mother to two boys aged 15 and 11, Billingham juggles responsibilities as schools increasingly rely on digital platforms for conveying important updates. She’s nine apps deep on her phone right now just for school-related things. Yet even with these tools, she is unable to stay on top of her desk, getting buried by the fire hose of information.
Billingham’s experience is not unique. Another parent, Claire Kirby, details similar struggles in her attempt to remain organized. Kirby chronicles the ups and downs of family life on her family blog, “Life, Love and Dirty Dishes.” To keep everyone’s busy schedules organized, she has a shared family calendar on her phone. She emphasizes the importance of recording information as you receive it. This practice is an invaluable tool for both recording and anticipating important school events and deadlines.
All parents, regardless of education level, reported high levels of frustration with the communication tactics schools are using today. Billingham notes that schools deploy any number of strategies to reach parents. This approach can sometimes backfire, creating confusion and information overload. She thinks that the dependence on several different apps and email chains makes it more difficult to stay in the know. It’s a feeling repeated by Kirby, who says juggling the demands of school is like having a full-time job.
To counter these stressors, Kirby has implemented tactics that allow her to keep her head above water. She creates a folder with all school-related apps on her phone, which keeps the tools to succeed at her fingertips. She is proactive, first putting term dates and inset days onto her family calendar. This ensures her whole family is fully prepared and equipped for everything that lies ahead. Now that she’s set a schedule, it is easier for her to balance homework and chores.
Kirby acknowledges the importance of self-care. When she gets overwhelmed at times with parenting and the weight of school emails, she steps back. She makes time to relax and recharge. By being mindful of her mental wellbeing, she can start each day ready to tackle her work with focus and intention.
Billingham’s reliance on multiple apps contrasts with Kirby’s more streamlined approach. Like so many parents, these two bust they’re tails to impose order on chaotic lives. Their stories illustrate the myriad approaches families and caregivers take to address the overwhelming burden of school communication.
Yet as more and more schools turn to tech solutions for communication needs, the responsibility seems to fall heavier on parents’ shoulders. This combination of being overwhelmed by the need to be aware, coupled with the pressure of just regular family life, can produce a sense of chaos and fear. The different approaches used by Billingham and Kirby show that there isn’t a single answer to these issues.
