For the last 6 weeks or so, I have mentally prepared myself for my return to work. I was not worried about my return to work mainly for 2 reasons; I have great child care for both kids and I love my job. I am very lucky in both respects. So, my mental preparation went something like this:
Jr. Puff has been going to this private daycare for 2 years and loves it there, he loves the providers and he has plenty of fun.
When he 1st started going there he would cry in the morning when dropped off, but within 5 minutes he would be fine and having the time of his life. Eventually it got to the point where Dad would drop him off and Jr. Puff would turn around and say good bye. Off he went to do his daycare thing.
The providers are fantastic and truly love the kids, she cooks healthy home made meals each and everyday and they eat a very well balanced diet. Her discipline tactics work and she truly tries to engage the kids.
Jr. Princess should fit right in no problem.
I have a great job, I love it. So, it’s not like I am dreading going back to that environment. I have a great career in front of me with plenty of room for personal and professional growth.
My Hubs is pretty hands on with the kids, he will get them ready in the morning and drive them to daycare and I will pick them up in the afternoons.
What more could I ask for?
But I was worried about one thing:
Jr. Princess is a very different baby then Jr. Puff was. She is a lot more sensitive. She cries if she doesn’t know you, a goodness forbid if a stranger tries to get close. Forget strangers, sometimes she treats her grandpa and her godfather this way. Sometimes they cannot even look at her without the poor thing bursting in tears.
I talked my self into believing that we were old pros at this game. We have done this before. It’s not my first child, piece of cake. You see the last time I finished maternity leave, I didn’t have child care lined up until the 11th hour, I was petrified of leaving Jr. Puff with anyone else and was coming into a new job. It was extremely overwhelming. I cried for 2 weeks straight beforehand and then a couple of days after. BUT – we quickly settled into a routine and we are just fine. I didn’t need to plan so much this time.
Over all, I thought it this should be pretty easy.
Here is really what happened:
There were plenty of water works on Monday morning. Even Jr. Puff cried, while he loves the place and the providers, he still much rather be home with Mom then go anywhere else.
Jr. Princess as I already mention is a very sensitive baby, from that perspective she has done well and adapted relatively well in her first week and has not done much crying.
We all got sick.
Jr. Princess started teething again.
Jr. Princess threw up.
Jr. Puff started to potty train.
I felt overwhelmed the 1st few evenings. I had become so used the daily routine that we developed over the year I was off, I totally didn’t anticipate the chaos that evenings would turn into. You see, the chores still had to be done, there were mouths to feed, baths to take, etc, etc, etc… the list goes on. Instead of having the course of a whole day to do these things, I know had a mere couple of hours. The worst part, I couldn’t find a moment in those 1st couple of days to spend any quality time with them. I wanted to cry.
I quickly had to remind myself that it had only been a couple of days, it was okay to feel this way and that we were adjusting and finding our way. We still are and probably would be for a few weeks and slowly I started to feel better about things.
Once I recognized and accepted things for what they were, things started to get easier. I realized that I couldn’t do all the chores that I used to do and that it is okay not to get everything done all at once. I am not super mom and I am certainly not perfect. Once I accepted this, I did find some time to spend with my children and play and engage with them.
We survived.
I just needed to be okay with the unknown, change, acceptance, patience and prioritization and organization.
This is just my story, for more tips on surviving your 1st week after Maternity leave ends:
There are many , many more resources, not just on the Internet, but just through talking to other Mom and Dad’s that have gone through out. You will quickly learn that we have all felt the same and lived through many of the same challenges.
Will keep you posted on our progress in the next few weeks.
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