Help me manage back to work fears

[KipT77]

Hello lovely people. Help me! I am going back to work mid August after a year off with my lovely DS. I want to go back to work, I enjoy my job and I have found a lovely childminder for DS. We have childminder settling in sessions sorted and I am going into work a few times before my official start back to get up to speed, sort out technology etc. The chap who has been covering my job is being really lovely and I know he'll do what he can to support me getting back up to speed. My work have been great and have agreed to me working 4 days a week rather than full time and I always planned to go back to work. All good. If I listen to my logical head I am set up and well positioned to go back. I know I'll miss DS terribly, it will be hard at first and I expect the apprehension of going back will be worse than the reality.

However, I am now starting to feel AWFUL about it. I had very little sleep last night as my emotions are all over the place and I'm ALREADY feeling like I won't do a very good job of being at work or being a mother. Help me! How did you manage the emotions of it all? Does anyone have any coping strategies for this? It's really a head and heart thing and it's not that I want to change my mind/not go back but I just need to be getting some sleep and manage the worry so that I can get to the point that I'm back at work and adjusted.

I do know it will be fine. DS will be fine, I will be fine. I might even be more focused when I'm at work and AND at home. I'll be able to go to the toilet and shut the door during my working days and can have my three days a week with my wonderful DS to play and have fun.

I know all this but I just want to curl up and cry at the thought of it all. Any tips? Help me please wonderful wise people.

[Jumblebee]

I had a good cry the night before. It was hard going back but I soon got into the swing of it!

Meal planning and batch cooking will make it easier sometimes after work I'm so tired, especially if we're both just getting in at 9 so it's good having something I can just shove in the oven!

And make the most of every day you have left of maternity leave, it goes far too quickly

[KipT77]

Thanks Jumblebee. I expect there will be a big sob and I think I'll do a bit more food planning