Tammy's Ten: Tips for Returning to Work After Maternity Leave
1. Find a childcare provider you can trust. How can a mom function at work if she is not fully convinced her children are in good hands? Relinquishing the care of your children is a scary experience for most moms. Make sure to research all your options and find a solution that works for your family.
2. Put your children in childcare early. Start your children in childcare the week before you return to work. This will help your children adjust to their caregiver and give yourself time to prepare for the change.
3. Have a practice drill. Before beginning work, set your alarm to the time you would need to get up. Get yourself and your children ready to leave the house on time. I actually dropped my children off at the daycare and did a practice drive to work. With the summertime road construction in my city, I'm glad I did!
4. Go shopping for clothes. Let's face it; being a stay-at-home mom does not require the same wardrobe as a career woman. Your old clothes may not fit and your maternity clothes have been joyfully packed away.
5. Prepare everything possible in advance. For at least your first week of work, try to plan as much as you can at night. Pack your children's bags, make your lunch and pick out everyone's clothes for the next day. Being prepared will make things run smoothly in the morning and make you feel more relaxed during this stressful time.
6. Pamper yourself. Get a new hairstyle, have a manicure on your nails or book yourself a relaxing massage. Do what you need to do to feel good about yourself so you will not feel self-conscious returning to work.
7. Get your house in order. Once you and your husband are both working full-time, it will be harder to keep your house organized, clean and in good repair. If you have the time to tackle your to-do-list now, it will be well worth your effort.
8. Stock your kitchen or pantry with easy meals. If you get a chance to do a big grocery purchase, stock your freezer and pantry with easy meal ideas. Cooking a few trays of lasagna in advance can be a lifesaver when you have had a bad day. Sometimes you just need to come home and cuddle with your kids!
9. Bring pictures or mementos of your children to work. If your have your own space to decorate at work, use family photos or your child's special artwork. It can brighten your day when you are missing your kids or be a conversation piece with your colleagues.
10. Socialize with your coworkers. The worst thing you can do when you return to work is hang out at your desk and focus solely on your job. In order to enjoy your re-entry to the workforce, you need to feel connected to your fellow colleagues.
Remember that this is a big change in your life and your whole family will take some time to adjust. I've found six weeks after returning to work, it will feel like you never left. Being a stay-at-home mom is very rewarding, but it is definitely a lot of work. You may be surprised that your previous challenging career now seems easy in comparison. Good luck!
Published by Tammy White
Tammy is a freelance writer from Canada with a degree from U.W.O. She has achieved level eight writing status with AC and three writing stars with Helium. A mom of two, welfare caseworker and house flipper... View profile
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4 Comments
Post a CommentI totally agree with all of these. It is so important that you ar ehappy with your kids' caregivers. Excellent, excellent article!!!
Wonderful article! Excellent points! I attempted to work on my grad degree a few years back. I put my child in day care and she got so, so sick, (so sick that she was admitted to the hospital for a week) so I thought I'd add recommending getting the child around tons of kids (like at gymboree, church, etc) prior to even trying. At the time, mine had only been around a few friends at playdates. Great job!
These are great tips. I just interviewed and got a job at the mothers day out at my church, its only two days a week, but I wanted something where I could ease my way back into the workforce. Its a paying job, and the best part is that my 19 month old will be in the day care where I work, not in my class, but essentially right next door. The funny thing is I am still scared that my little one will be sad and scared. I need some tips on how to get over the fear of leaving my children... ;o)
Great job. I'm not looking forward to going back to work! Good luck!