In this episode of KIDS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, voiceover artist, Rachael MacFarlane and host Donna Tetreault compare notes on their “mom worries.” Donna is in LA with her family, but Rachael has left LA behind along with her kids, husband, her father and his wife. They’re staying on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai, zooming, working, going to school and feeling grateful everyday. Not many people can escape to such an idealic place, but Rachael says all the concerns they had in LA came with them. Are the kids happy? Are they doing okay with zooming school? Are they too lonely? Donna says that she has those second thoughts, too. “Are we doing the right thing?” is on her mind as much as on Rachael’s. The women agree that the constant worry goes with you wherever you are.
Mom of two girls, Rachael says if her kids were given the choice they’d rather be in school with friends and teachers. While the beach is lovely and they have more freedom to run around, their masks are always on and they are aware the future is uncertain. Even though they were originally scared about work drying up, both Rachael and her animation director husband, Spencer Laudiero, discovered they could work anywhere. Animation is portable – no sets, no big casts. Now the couple is making the most of a challenging situation and developing their own animated show based on the main character in Eleanor Wyatt, Princess and Pirate, the second children’s book they wrote and illustrated.
Both Rachael and Donna have tips for getting your kids through the pandemic. Find something new: Donna’s son can no longer play team sports, but he’s learned to play golf. Rachael and her husband have taken on a new project.