For many of us, our homeschooling efforts during Covid have involved plonking the kids in front of a laptop or tablet, so that the digital school teacher can guide them through their phonics.
But who does the calm but engaging voice belong to? She's Claire Wyatt, and in the years leading up to the pandemic, that anonymous lady in the computer - who taught everyone else's child with friendliness and affection - was actually struggling to have a child of her own.
She speaks to Elinor Hamilton about the challenges of having a much-wanted baby at the start of the pandemic, and how even the Jolly Phonics lady herself struggled to find anything remotely jolly about home schooling.
Produced by Karl Svenson at Tadah Media, with music from Beats Bakery.
Recorded in June 2021.
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