If you have been out of the workforce for quite some time now, going back would feel like a helluva crazy ride. Fear, excitement, joy, sadness, relief, and anxiety will surge through your chest all at once, but whether you’re a stay-at-home mom returning to the workforce or heading back to the office after taking maternity leave, both are serious trials for you and your child. So, we’ve come up with 7 useful tips for moms returning to work.
There’s going to be a huge shift in your responsibility—everyone’s responsibilities in fact. It requires a lot of thought and consideration.
Balancing the needs of your child while fulfilling your duties to your employer can be a delicate juggling act, and most moms would agree that transitioning back to the corporate world can be an anxious move, but it can also be exciting for your career!
7 Useful tips for Moms Returning to Work
Here are things to keep in mind:
This process isn’t done overnight. It will definitely take a lot of time to get back into the groove, so allow yourself to adjust. We don’t automatically make the right decisions the very moment we jump back to work, and preparing for the transition will make it easier for you and your child.
Have a positive mindset
Many women are skeptical about returning to work and leaving their child. This can also be associated with guilt. As a mom, we all want to be there for our child 24/7, but going back to work means spending half of our day in the office—and that’s when we feel bad. You might think this setup won’t work for your child, but you have to trust and believe in yourself. Think of it this way, you are doing all these for your child. You want to secure their future and you want to give them the best life possible.
Discuss changes with your family
Returning to work is a significant change for you, but it’s also a significant change for your family. If you’ve been gone for a while, this new chapter of your life might shock your kids, so it’s really important to discuss the things that will change and also what will remain the same. Open communication helps manage expectations.
Work on work-life balance
Juggling a full-time job while taking care of your family 24/7 is never easy, but you can divide your time accordingly. Figure out the things that can be done the night before so you won’t have to scramble the next morning, identify the tasks that work best in your new routine so you won’t feel overwhelmed, and designate little chores to your kids.
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Prepare and practice
Come up with different routines and do a dry run weeks before you officially return to work, so you can check which setup works for you best. Weigh how your mornings and evenings work. Things will change eventually, but it will make you feel more at ease when you have an initial routine in place that can guide you as you renavigate your way back to the industry.
Refocus on your career
You may be returning just for the paycheck, the stability, or satisfaction, you should also have a clear vision and path for your career, a.k.a. “goals”. This awakens your drive to get back to work, so you feel more hyped and more motivated to be a successful working mom.
Set up a child care
This is the most important factor in a working mom’s life. This is crucial because we’re talking about our child’s safety and welfare here. You need to find a trusted nanny that works toward the same goal; someone who will go above and beyond to keep you in the loop and of course, someone who will love your child almost as much as you do.
Be patient with yourself
It’s really important to be kind to yourself. You are doing the best you can to get by daily, provide for your child, and achieve your goals, all while trying to fight your inner battles. Give yourself time to breathe. Don’t beat yourself up for not being able to accomplish everything. It’s tough to get back on the career track after being a full-time parent, but you can be a good mom and a good employee. Just be patient with yourself and you’ll be able to get back into the swing of things.
Whether you’ve been out of the workforce for a couple of months, for a year, or for more than a decade, congratulations on making the choice to come back.
Navigating those first few weeks or months takes patience, self-care, and boundary setting—both at home and in the office. It might not be exactly how you envisioned it, but you’re a strong and determined mom, I’m sure you’re going to make it work.
Hope these tips for Moms returning to work help you out. Do you have any other tips you can share that worked for you? Type it in the comment section below.
P.S.: Allow yourself to grow into your new role and don’t be discouraged with the ups and downs of your new routine.
Take one step at a time.