Does anyone else get this weird feeling when they're at work and haven't thought about their kids for ages ?

[ldnbrdg]

I've recently started a new job. My kids are 4 and 2.

Since I've become a mum, I've never worked in an office much.

First it was because of Covid and then I had jobs that were 100 percent home based.

Since starting this new job, I'm busy and learning a lot.

I pick my kids up from nursery and school at the end of the day and I work around an hour away from where they are.

I find myself feeling strangely anxious all of a sudden during the day because I'm really occupied and working lots and then suddenly I'll think of them and get anxious, reminding myself where they are and that I need to pick them up.

It's really strange. It's like, I freak out because I hadn't thought of them in a few hours. I went on a work trip recently where I was also flat out busy and I didn't have the feeling as much, but still a little bit- if I would suddenly think of them, I would feel anxious and need to remind myself where they were in that moment. Who'd driven them to school or picked them up or whatever. I had those feelings while I was away, but now it's a panicky feeling.

As if I just forgot about them or something. It feels a bit like when you forget your wallet or something.

Can anyone relate ?

Yes I get this

I feel guilty for forgetting about them for three seconds!

I think I get what you mean.

I used to have recurring nightmares where I'd be at work or on a night out and I'd suddenly realise I'd left toddler aged DS home alone without a babysitter and the rest of the dream would be me trying to get home to him with all sorts of obstacles in the way and worrying about what he might have got up to on his own.

I get that lurching anxious I've-forgotten-something feeling a lot, mainly about non-DC related things and it has not infrequently turned out to be correct I do have ADHD though (now much better managed!) so I put it down to that.

Actually I do still get it about the DC - usually when I know I have to pick them up at a certain time and especially if there's nothing "concrete" to mark when I pick them up e.g. the end of a workday, but I am responsible for noticing the time myself and leaving in time.