The prospect of returning from weeks, months, or sometimes years of maternity leave can be overwhelming! You might begin wondering about reconnecting with your former coworkers, business contacts, and boss, the company policies related to kids that you didn’t have to worry about before, and how your child will handle the transition.
Finding a good daycare can be harder than finding a good job. Most of the great daycares have waiting lists longer than your arm, so be sure to do your research as early as possible. If you haven’t yet looked up daycares and are facing the prospect of returning to work within a month, start your search now. The transition from full-time parenting to becoming a working parent and dropping your child off in daycare is a huge one for you, and a major stage in the life of your baby, too. Ideally, you want as much time as possible to ease the transition. Your baby’s first day of daycare should be a few weeks before your return to work if possible, or at least one week prior. This will ease your concerns about leaving your child somewhere else, and let your child get used to the routine ahead of time.
Two weeks before your anticipated date of return, get in contact with your office or workplace and let them know when you expect to be returning. If you are trying to catch up on what you missed, a face-to-face meeting is the best way to get all the news in person. Otherwise, make sure they let you know anything important by email or phone call before your first day back.
When the day comes to actually make your grand return to the workplace, be prepared to feel out of touch and perhaps a little abandoned by your former workplace friends. Try not to stress over it, though. It will just take time for them to get used to seeing your face around again, like when you first started working at the company. You may even find it easier to talk to coworkers who have children of their own now. Consider asking them for advice on how to ease the transition from maternity leave to work again, and cultivate friendships if possible.
Working parent’s guilt is also particularly likely to come into play after a long time off, a new baby, and now returning to work. Remind yourself of the reasons you have to go back to work and try not to second-guess those reasons, if they are valid. The delicate balance between work and family takes a while for every new working parent to find, so give yourself time to get used to it.
In short, make it easier on yourself by starting to prepare well in advance by finding and starting to drop your child off at a good daycare, getting in touch with your office and new coworkers, and then giving yourself time to settle in once you have actually returned. The transition from maternity leave to full-time work doesn’t have to be abrupt and dizzying.
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