LETTERS: Many of us have a negative outlook at the Movement Control Order (MCO) that was implemented to stop Covid-19 infection. Let us instead look at it in a different way.
Due to the MCO, almost everything is now done from home, whether working, schooling and even shopping. For many of our families, our work is a mystery.
Of course, they know that we are working with a particular organisation holding whatever post. But, do they actually know what we do, and how we are doing it?
Therefore, with the work from home approach, our families can appreciate the efforts we take and the pressures we face in trying to put food on the table.
For many families, these are taken for granted. Parents or family members leave for work in the morning and return in the evening. And for some, there will always be food on the table.
But, they never know what it takes to earn it. Now many of them do. The same goes with schooling. With online studies, we know how the children are doing in school and what homework is due.
And because we are all communicating and linked online, there's better interaction with the school administration and teachers through online messaging.
We too can appreciate the challenges these teachers face in educating our children.
In another respect, being at home allows us to appreciate the effort taken by our spouse to run a household.
While fathers are fairly detached from the family as they are in the office or travelling, we now know that our spouse not only monitors our children's schooling, but also prepares food, keeps the house in order, does the laundry, and the list goes on.
While some of us may share the tasks, we are never truly involved in the day-to-day activities. And if our spouse is working or running a business, it makes the tasks a lot harder. And what if they too are working from home?
Doing all that and managing the needs of demanding children? Is it proper for us to be equally demanding?
We should truly appreciate the work and effort taken by our spouses to run our household. For some, we may not be living in a comfortable environment. Therefore, staying indoors in close proximity for months may be very trying.
While I am looking at it positively, I do want this to be over very soon. Especially for the many families out there who are facing challenges on a daily basis, that is trying to survive and to carry out all the responsibilities to provide for the family.
MEGAT SHAH RIZAL NOOR IKHSAN
Hulu Kelang, Selangor
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times