Baby's first birthday

[Disgruntledpelicanlady]

Its my babies first birthday later in the year and I'm finding myself with a bit of a dilemma.
My maternity leave is due to end on her birthday so I'm due back in that day. Not in a job where I can take holidays/annual leave.
Would I be unreasonable to take the day off unpaid and cite lack of childcare for that day? I can do this within my contract fine but it would be pretty obvious what I'd done.

So as not to drip feed she is my pfb!

You earn holiday during your maternity leave. If you've been off for a year you'll have it all left to use after maternity leave. Some companies ask you to use it all as a block before you return.

You can totally ask for that as a day leave.

Just ask to start the following day?

It depends how much it matters to you, I suppose - your baby will have no idea if you celebrate on her actual birthday or tbh whether you do anything in particular at all.

Guessing your role is in education or simillar where holidays are set?

I wouldn't so it personally, you are likely to need some good will in the near fututre when dc are ill/childcare is genuinely unavailable, so i'd suck it up and celebrate the previous day. Baby will have no idea.

maybe the OP is a teacher where they dont get annual leave

@chipsandpeas In Scotland teachers on maternity leave still accrue annual leave so I'd imagine it's the same in other uk countries it's just that not all the school holidays are classed as annual leave.

I work in a school so have no accrued leave either

Of course her first birthday is a very important day for you, but it should be easy enough to arrange the day off work, and bear in mind that your baby will have no clue it’s her birthday and no memory of it 2 days later.

Ah, sorry, posted before I saw you work in a school.

Celebrate the day before, the baby won't have a clue

Oh no that is unfortunate time but if you’re a teacher and her birthday is typically the start of term then this won’t be the last birthday where you have to work. It will however be the only one where baby doesn’t have the first clue about what is going on! And it’ll be quite obvious what you’ve done too which isn’t the best foot to get off on. I’d celebrate properly the day before and do a cake after work/childcare pick up on the day itself.

What is your childcare situation? Will DC be with family or with a CM or in nursery?

If DC is going to childcare will it make you feel better for DC dad take the day off and be with her?

Have a big party for her the weekend before but try not to get too hung up on the day itself. Sounds as though this will be an ongoing issue!

As a parent of a nearly-one year old, I would celebrate it on a different day - perhaps the day before. My son's birthday is a Saturday this year so we'll celebrate on his birthday, but he wouldn't know if we didn't.

Thank you all for the reality check haha.
Think I'll just have to suck it up and go in - as youve all said she won't know.
DH will be able to take the day off so she'll be with him at least.