hi
i don't return to work till end of september then i gradually build up my hours so i am back properly end of november. i am sad to think of leaving ds but my wage is the regular income as well as the biggest so i have to work. i am worried how i will feel that i will only see ds for a few hours before bedtime and on weekends. i just wondered how you working mommies cope and how you make sure all your time is special considering all the chores to do as well? i guess i will never get chance to read a book again.
You had/have a chance to read a book???
You will do just fine. I am in the US and we don't get a very long maternity leave. I still took 3 months off and came back about the same time you did, only a year ago...
Anyway - you learn to appreciate the time a whole lot more now that it is less and you end up making your DS or DD number one. Chores - reading? Well you do those while they nap over the weekends or when they go to bed. That is what I do. Some times we trade off (DH and I) and he will do things and then I will watch her and then it's my turn and and we work that way. You will find what works for you - and it will work. Good luck and let us know how you are doing when you get back to work.
I've been thinking about the same thing alot Weepyone. I'm from Canada so we get a year maternity leave. Mine is supposed to be up at the end of July. I can't believe how fast it's gone. I am going to miss Ds so much when I go back. I've even considered quitting my job and babysitting from home so I don't have to put him in daycare. I doubt I'll go that route but I know I'm going to be one of the crying moms. lol Dh actually makes enough I could almost stay home but we would like to buy a bigger house, and they are really expensive where we're from so it looks like I have to do some sort of work at least for a while. Does leaving them somewhere ever get less stressful? DS is my first so we don't even know any babysitters. Very hard to choose one that you think is good enough for your child.
Weepy I had a really hard time going back to work part time with my first one, but it got better. It helped to know that his daycare provider loved him and he got to play with other kids and it got to the point where he'd cry when I dropped him off, but then he'd cry when I came to get him because he was having so much fun! I can't honestly say that my house was the cleanest on the block though!! You will be surprised how much you'll be able to do - you'll feel like super-mom!
DS loves his daycare and he's learning a lot, making friends. Sometimes he tells his dad to "go" when he drops him off. He's fairly happy. If I stayed home with him, I probably wouldn't be doing arts and crafts, taking him on walks or to the playground twice a day -- I'd do that to some extent, but when he's home he likes to play with his toys while watching cartoons or dvds. At "school" they limit the amount of tv watching.
I clean my house once a week when DS naps on the weekend. I do dishes that can't go in the dishwasher, pay bills and other little tasks over my noon hour. I used to be an avid reader. Now days I read for about half an hour before bed, a little on the weekend or on trips. If there's a major house project -- cleaning closets, painting, major shopping -- I take a few hours off from work and do that. I can get a substantial amount of uninterrupted work done during that short period of time.
Weepy, I know what you mean. I go back to work on May 22...only a week away! I am going to be so sad leaving DD at daycare, but until I get my student loan paid off or win the lotto (whichever should come first), I have to go back to work.
I am going to alott myself an extra 15 minutes that first morning for crying time. I hope it gets easier as the days, weeks, months progress. I can only hope that DD is going to be happy there.
By the way; I have no idea, but how much maternity leave do you get there in England? I seen the post that Canadians get 1 year...that would be incredible. I took my full 13 weeks...and I don't think it is anywhere near enough.
I think I will be ok, as long as she is happy. I will only have the few hours in the morning before I drop her off at 10:30, and possibly no time in the evenings since I won't get home until 8:00 ish and she should be in bed by then. I hope she doesn't forget me...
rochelle
we get 6 months paid and can take another 6 months unpaid maternity leave i am going for the 6 month option although with my leave entitlements i am off for 7 months and i will build my hours up gradually using more leave so i am not back properly till the end of november. mat leave in the u.s sucks from what i here. in the uk they are increasing paid mat leave to 9 months next year then 12 ,omths the following year. fathers also get 2 weeks paternity leave paid.
i am going to miss baby massage classes and mother and baby group with sam.
Weepy, that is incredible. I only got 8 weeks paid for the C-section...the other 5 weeks were unpaid. I can't imagine getting 6 MONTHS paid and then having the option of taking another 6 months unpaid...My husband took 2 weeks unpaid. His boss wouldn't even give him unemployment even though they were really slow at his shop and he may have had to been layed off anyways. His boss is really cheap.
I guess I had the option of eazing back into work...they asked me if I was coming back f/t and I said yes...I didn't realize I had the option of eazing back in to my job.
I had a hard time with my first, but like another poster said, his daycare was great and they did so much with him. Infact I still send him there 2 days a week even though I don't need to, just because they have so much fun. With my 2nd I was actually happy to go back to work because I needed a "baby break"
Everyone else has said it...you do the housework when they are asleep or when your DH is home so that you can trade off. I can only give my house a good (that's stretching the word) clean once a week. Your house will be messy for a while. Make friends with other new moms because they will never give you a hard time about the condition of your house As your child gets older they willentertain themselves better and you will get more done.
Read a book? The only books I've read in the past 3 years since my two were born are baby care books and bedtime stories Goodluck going back to work. It will be nice to have adult conversations again.
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"Go slowly, breathe and smile" Thich Nhat Hanh
I'm from Canada and we do get a full paid year off. I don't think if I ever had another baby I would take the whole thing though. A year is great for the mom but I do worry that when he does go to daycare, the transition could be really tough on him at 10 months because he's going to be alot more aware of the changes. Hopefully he won't be too much in the throes of separation anxiety. Unfortunately where I live it is not easy to find childcare so if he does get in before I'm supposed to go back to work it will probably be at the last minute. There might not be much time to ease him into it. We might be forced to make a really quick transition. I hope it's not too bad. I'd feel terrible if he cried all day.
Yes going back to work is hard. I work nights, 5 pm until 11 pm and then I'm up bright and earlywith DD, that is hard sometimes. I had to pick up more hours after returning to work also. Sometimes I wish I could be with DD all day and night but we can't really afford for me not to work. Besides if I didn't work I couldn't buy my DD all those cute little outfits, lol. Saturday is family day for us...me, DH, and DD get to spend the whole day together, I look forward to that every week. Don't worry you will have you're weekends, like you said and just remember there are alot of moms working just like you! You will be fine.
You will be surprised how much you'll be able to do - you'll feel like super-mom!
As your child gets older they willentertain themselves better and you will get more done.
