Some days are so long, so hard, and so draining that you've just got to laugh at the new reality of life in the time of COVID-19—and the absolute insanity of juggling work, child care, keeping up the house, and managing a weird 2020-2021 school year—or you might go crazy. All parents currently dealing with all of this, plus hybrid or distance learning, are true heroes because none of this is easy. None of it.
For Adrienne Hedger, a mom of two girls—a 17-year-old high school senior and a 14-year-old high school freshman who are both doing remote learning—and a cartoonist and writer in San Clemente, California, finding laughter in everyday moments is a way to cope.
"Humor is one way to deal with all the stress we’re feeling right now," she says. "Laughing gives you a momentary release, and it can shift your perspective. We’re all struggling, and no one is doing things perfectly. By sharing our stories and laughing, we feel like we’re all in this together."
Through a mixture of real-life experiences and comments from her followers (which, Hedger admits, can sometimes be funnier than the cartoon itself) she cleverly creates pieces that perfectly speak to the reality of distance learning at home.
"I feel like remote learning has opened a whole new portal of cartoon ideas," says Hedger. "I’m discovering more absurd situations every day, and I’m taking lots of notes. My hope is that I can help bring some laughter to people during this stressful time."
Here, just a handful of Hedger's hilarious cartoons on distance learning that'll have you saying, "OMG, this is so my life."
1. The Distance Learning Supplies You Really Need
2. When Working at Home Just Does Not Work
3. Participation Is … an Issue
4. Kids Are Distraction Champs
5. \”Mom, I Need You—Again\”
6. Distance Learning and Zoom Meetings 101
7. Please. Send. Help.
8. Mom Needs a Minute—and a Bottle of Wine
