Just as the pandemic hit I gave birth, ive been on maternity leave pretty much the entire time and was due back to work in January. Due to the schools shutting down my oldest child was at home with me, I was put on unpaid leave until they went back. Now I’m a newly single parent, I wasn’t even sure I was returning to work. Now I have to return to a full time position. I feel so so guilty, I know a lot of people are in the same position but I feel like I never got to enjoy anything with my baby.
Where I work has refused my request to be part time, my oldest child(11) will actually have to be alone coming home from school. The only local childcare available has been shut since the start of all this. I’m sat here crying, I feel like my baby will spend all his time without me, and my oldest will feel like I’ve just abandoned her. How can I not worry?