Do you become more focussed on completing your work after going back from maternity?

[darkmode1]

I WFH about half of the week and I have always been the type to procrastinate on getting started with things. I can easily do literally nothing all day but then work like a demon all evening later that week to get the work done. I’ve always been the same, even at school/uni (and yes I realised in 2018 it’s probably ADHD but haven’t done anything about it!).

My friend recently went back to work after maternity and said she’s much more focused on getting her work completed because she has a hard deadline of having to pick her DC up from nursery and can’t work in the evenings any more.

It got me thinking and I wonder (hope, and pray) if I’ll be the same. Is that what tends to happen once you have a child to pick up, if, like me, you’re usually a terrible procrastinator / have task paralysis during the hours of 9-5?!

Dear God I posted this in Chat! My apologies all. I’ll report it and ask MN to move it.

Don't worry - we've moved this thread over for you, OP.

I always had strict start/finish times so there is absolutely no way I can do work late. Also we communicate during the day via teams and you would be noticed if you aren't available.

But yes, it is even more important to finish in order to be at the nursery/after school in time as being late means fines.

Yes, I think I’m more efficient. I procrastinate less as I don’t want to work over the weekend for deadlines. I sometimes work in the evening when they are asleep. I do drop offs so it’s less important when I finish, but I work from home mostly so can work right up until they get home.

My husband has also become more efficient. He was not a procrastinator, more would do over and above what was required and had trouble delegating. He does pick ups, so goes into work very early so he can get everything done before he leaves. He’s become much more efficient and delegates appropriately.

We got a cleaner when we both returned to work and it’s been a godsend. All we do at the weekend is have fun, no work, no chores, it’s great!

Absolutely not 🫠 Im the same as you, peak procrastinator. I've been back for 10 months and still don't feel on top of things. Sometimes I plough through, sometimes I honestly might as well have stayed in bed and caught up on sleep because I've done so little work. Constant Teams messages and calls feel derail my productivity. And I'm useless if there's an email emergency or something drops in my lap last minute, anxiety hits the roof

I find WFH to be both a blessing and a curse, honestly don't know how I would manage childcare, pickups, sickness without it. But also my attention is so divided sat at home; there's always washing to be done, wtf are we having for tea that DC will eat, when will I prep it, putting away a food delivery, checking the nursery app to see if DC is having a good day. It's relentless.

I am the same (also believe I have undiagnosed ADHD) and unfortunately not. If anything, it has made me think of work as more unimportant compared to my children.

Same, I value where I work and am so grateful for the flexibility it allows me, but ultimately it's just a job and things can wait. If they had to make redundancies tomorrow I'd be as dispensable as any others so I feel it's sort of fair. I am trying my best but it's just a struggle for me atm. I keep telling myself it's a season.

I was much more focused when I returned to work after maternity leave. I commuted by train so drop offs and pick ups were timed to the second. I completed my work efficiently and anyone who wanted to speak to me after 4.30 had to give me a lift to the station and talk in the car. There was no messing around once I had kids!

I became a lean mean doing machine post kids. You have to leave at a set time if you're doing pick up and then you need to start your second job when you get home. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, school admin, bathtime. No time for late work, when they were small I was lucky if I go an hour to watch TV on a week night.

Sadly not. I was like you before kids and I'm still the same.

A mixed bag! Thank you all