Early Days
Familiarise yourself with the options available to you locally in good time before having to go back to work. This way you can enjoy your time with your baby without having big decisions hanging over you.
Going over and over issues in your mind can eat away at you, start thinking in terms of solutions by following up these thoughts with actions and begin to tick off your problems one by one.
Enjoy your own unique journey into parenthood
Whatever our situation, we all react differently to becoming a parent. Just as our babies are unique, it’s ok for our individual journeys to be unique. Just because someone we know rushed straight back to work following the birth of their baby, it doesn’t mean that we have to. Some parents dread having to take their children to childcare, others might look forward to it.
As we pass many of the early milestones in parenthood, new challenges present themselves. It’s important to remember that we have a choice, even if our desired route feels impossible to achieve. Be true to yourself and your values as you make decisions whether they relate to parenting, your career or both.
Adjusting to parenthood takes time so don’t be too hard on yourself. Avoid competitive situations and surround yourself with the people that you trust to support you when you’re feeling low, not those who make you feel pressure to keep up.
Recognise when it’s time to stop worrying and focus on finding a solution
As you start to settle into your parental leave, it can be easy to fall into the trap of worrying about work, the person who is covering you, or even that your position has been compromised by taking a break.
If you’re worrying about heading back to work, ask for a KIT (Keeping in Touch) day when you’re ready. It can feel so much better to see your colleagues again and bridge the gap in your mind between your old and new worlds. If you work for yourself, drop a note to your network to check in with them, your return can feel less daunting if you’ve kept a level of dialogue going.
Similarly, worrying about which childcare route to take before your return to work is not going to help you to find a solution.
Goodbye office, hello home cont.