Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

The hell that is remote learning, explained in a comic

Here’s what one week of online school is like for my 7- and 5-year-old kids.

A cartoon of a woman wearing a shirt that reads “super mom” sitting at a desk looking at an open laptop and a tablet on a stand.
A cartoon of a woman wearing a shirt that reads “super mom” sitting at a desk looking at an open laptop and a tablet on a stand.

I’m a freelance writer and illustrator living in the Bay Area with my 7-year-old and 5-year-old. On August 17, the kids started school, which is 100 percent remote, at least until January but likely longer depending on how the pandemic develops this winter. Here’s what one week of attempting online school in a nation without a child care solution looks like.

Aubrey Hirsch is a writer and illustrator in Berkeley, California. Her work has appeared in the Nib, the New York Times, the Rumpus, and elsewhere.

See More:

More in Covid-19

Health
What do I do about my family’s vaccinations now?What do I do about my family’s vaccinations now?
Health

Vaccine guidance has never been more confusing. Here’s how to navigate it.

By Dylan Scott
Future Perfect
Will we know if the next plague is human-made?Will we know if the next plague is human-made?
Future Perfect

AI could make bioweapons more dangerous. It could also be the key to stopping them.

By Joshua Keating
Health
Can you still trust the US government’s vaccine recommendations?Can you still trust the US government’s vaccine recommendations?
Health

How to navigate a world where MAHA is setting vaccine policy.

By Dylan Scott
The Logoff
RFK Jr.’s strike against Covid vaccinesRFK Jr.’s strike against Covid vaccines
The Logoff

The HHS secretary is tampering with vaccine recommendations.

By Cameron Peters
Good News
Something remarkable is happening with violent crime rates in the USSomething remarkable is happening with violent crime rates in the US
Good News

Americans remained scared of violent crime. The numbers tell a different story.

By Bryan Walsh
Future Perfect
Smallpox used to kill millions of people every year. Here’s how humans beat it.Smallpox used to kill millions of people every year. Here’s how humans beat it.
Future Perfect

More contagious than Covid-19 and with a 30 percent mortality rate, smallpox was one of history’s biggest killers. Now, it’s gone.

By Kelsey Piper