Share your top tips for parental leave and getting back into the workplace with Pearson

[EllieMumsnet]

This activity is now closed

Parental leave is a time that can be filled with so many different emotions from excited, happy, anxious to a little overwhelmed. There is also a lot of information out there about how to return to the workplace and for many the difficulty is finding a job that allows them to either be part time or allows flexible working. But most importantly it is a life changing period of time for both fathers and mothers alike. With that in mind Pearson would like to know all your best parental leave tips and how you got back into the workplace.

Here is what Pearson has to say: “Examiner and Standards Verifier, Heidi McEntee who is mum to three (6,3,1), explains the benefits of her role within Pearson and how it fits around her role as a mum. “You can pick how much or how little work you take on. I can reduce my workload to suit what kind of life I want to have with my children, even now as a Senior Standards Verifier.” When asked if she’d recommend the role to other mums she said, “Yes, I would definitely recommend to other mums. Due to the flexibility of the role it means I can attend all of the events at my son's school, which is something I couldn't do before. I can drop my kids off and pick them up from school which I am incredibly thankful for.”

Pearson has maintained a friendly attitude to parental leave throughout, Kevin Lyons, Senior HR at Pearson says, “We actively promote flexible and agile working and also have many remote workers, and have seen excellent take up of shared parental leave. We see work as an activity and not a place, and are committed to a culture of effective working in a flexible and agile way”

What helped you return to the workplace after being on parental leave? Do you have any tips for getting back into the swing of your new life? How did you make sure you were still able to have time with family as well as working again? Do you have any tips or great pieces of advice for how to get prepared on parental leave?

Whatever your tips are for maternity leave and returning back to the workplace, let us know on the thread below and everyone who does will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

Plan out everything beforehand. Make sure clothes are out, child care bags are ready etc. Remember that older children will also feel fragile with the change in their routine and might need some extra tlc. The anticipation can be horrible, but once you are back into it, everything is just a new normal. Especially if you are returning to the same job as before.

The best tip from me would be to try if possible to have some spare time between dropping the kids off and catching your train in. One of the worst things is rushing your goodbye and your little one crying and you just have to leave else you'll be late.

Non-iron shirts :) You're welcome.

Avoid moving during Mat leave if you can (if work is important after) - I found it so hard to find something new after this but probably would have been easier to return to my secure old job and then move after that.

Be confident and go for it. Fake confidence if you need to.
If you’re going back to an old role things won’t have changed as much as you think.
If you’re going to a new role don’t spend time worrying about hating it. You might but then you can move on. It’s can be temporary.

Best tip is get out and about even if it's only for a stroll. It will break the day up and lighten your mood to do the mild exercise. Wish I did that a bit more. Sometimes being stuck inside can seem a bit monotonous.

What helped you return to the workplace after being on parental leave?

After having 8 months off, I felt I needed some adult interaction, the cut and thrust of the office, and some structure to my days.

Do you have any tips for getting back into the swing of your new life?

To learn that every day will be different, you will feel exhausted some days, guilty others and fulfilled on the other days.

How did you make sure you were still able to have time with family as well as working again?

Going out for tea together, and in the summer going to the park with a picnic - so there are no external distractions, you can concentrate on each other

Do you have any tips or great pieces of advice for how to get prepared on parental leave?

Use you calendar - be organised - write dates down, who is picking up and who is dropping off - communicate - and don't feel to embarrassed to ask for help from family.

If you can stagger your return - 2 days then three days etc, take your baby to the childminder/nursery/grandparent for a day a week before you finally go back to work, so that the transition to the new routine is not too distressing and the surroundings are familiar.
Budget for your childcare costs, and see what benefits you are entitled to (tax credits, nursery vouchers from work) - your finances will be squeezed, but you need to be prepared to budget.

I liaised with my boss for flexible hours, so I knew I would be able to spend time with my baby and work, they helped me with nursery vouchers for the childcare, I would also recommend that you sit down with your partner and look at your incomings and outgoings and cut down in some luxuries - we lost sky sports, a phone contact which we did not use, and I cancelled my gym membership. We had more ££££'s which helped towards the nursery fees.

What helped you return to the workplace after being on parental leave?

The reduced hours, and financial incentive.

Do you have any tips for getting back into the swing of your new life?

do a 'dry run' of a work day the week before so you know what can happen, be prepared, and you won't have a sleepless night the day before as you and your baby know what to expect.

How did you make sure you were still able to have time with family as well as working again?

Share out your annual leave so you can regularly take a day off every so often.

Do you have any tips or great pieces of advice for how to get prepared on parental leave?

take each day at a time, every day is different, you will feel more stressed / hormonal / tired some days rather than others. Embrace the good days, and get through the bad days, budget and stick to it.

I think the right option is so different for each family, depending on financial situation, nature of both parents' jobs in terms of salary, hours, flexibility, seniority etc. Also the childcare options eg four local grandparents who are keen to help vs rural area with limited options. I have done some examining (not for Pearson) which is great as a bit of extra cash ready for the summer. It's very seasonal though for obvious reasons. I do enjoy it in a funny sort of way!

Go back part time if you can! I arranged a job share for my return to work and it really helped that I was only working half the week.

Try and be organised so that you aren't picking up hungry dc from day care and then rushing home to an empty fridge! Or having to shop on the way home

Meal plan and try to have easy dinners stashed in the freezer

I have found it can help to run a home based business as it keeps me plugged into a working mindset and working activities. For me it isn't about earning big money as I mostly sell to family, friends and at school fates but the simple act of running a small (very small in my case) home business keeps my confidence up and means I have something to put on my CV when I am ready to return to work. It also keeps me thinking, planning and talking over new ideas. Plus I have something other then motherhood to experience. The other bonus is that I am learning all about social media as a result of setting up my own pages. 😁. I would definitely recommend giving it a go.

Have lists and reminders for everything at home and everything at work. Your brain has to hold so much more information than before on less sleep so give it a helping hand.

I kept in touch with work during my maternity leave. If there are staff newsletters, ask them to email them to your personal address. It helps just to know what is going on.

I was lucky it was straight forward enough going back to work with dc1 but harder after dc2. I've had to compromise on the home cooked/from scratch everything as just dont have time. Also would reccomend getting a cleaner. Be kind to yourself, you are doing your best, it is not forever and it does get easier and better

I had a short holiday booked for 6weeks after I started back at work. It meant I had something lovely to look forward to.

I went back to work full time after I had ds and wasn’t ready at all so it was a massive shock to the system.

Ds did start nursery 2 weeks before I went back though (nursery’s insistence) so this did make it easier.

I’m pregnant again now and will be off work July - January. And returning 4 days a week.

I’m more prepared this time for the return to work and am trying to get a routine in place now so it’s easy(er) to implement

My tips are - have a childcare backup plan (thanks mum), do your shopping on-line, book your annual leave for the year, so that you have regular breaks throughout the year, and also something to keep you motivated throughout the first few months of your return to work, and don't just 'cope' when on the inside you are exhausted, overwhelmed, and unsure, don't be afraid to ask for help from your partner friends and family it's a hard time and you are not superhuman ! - helping with the school run if you have an older child, or there is a training day at school. Finally have a family planner on your wall to organise you annual leave, training days, family birthdays (so you don't forget in your mind-fog) when dental/post natal/immunisations are due.

My tips:
🔺have update meetings with colleagues to find out their perspective on what's happened since you were last there
🔺fake the confidence until it feels real.
🔺have a good network of people you can confide in and who can be your cheerleaders
🔺get a few bits of new workwear and a couple of nice accessories if appropriate - new things can perk you up and provide a helpful demarcation between your work and home lives.
🔺new stationery - see above.
🔺get a mentor if you don't have one, and make time to see your existing mentor if you do.
🔺ask your boss what their 3 key concerns / priorities are right now.
🔺accept it will feel weird for a while, possibly a long while, and that's okay.
🔺if you have a lunch break, use it to have lunch with a friend / friendly colleague, instead of chaining yourself to your desk to show commitment.
🔺cut yourself some freaking slack!

Have practice sessions before you are due back, plan everything and be kind to yourself. Accept help, you can't do everything.

I think most importantly to be kind to yourself, it's a big transition and you may feel wobbly for a while. Ask for help if you can.

Then practically a shared family calendar and regular check ins about logistics!

I found starting little one at nursery a couple of weeks before returning to work meant that it gave us both time to get used to the new routine. I didn't have to rush drop off for those weeks so could make sure they were settled. Got a few days to myself before going back and because they'd be going for a couple of weeks on my first day back at work I wasn't worrying so much about how they were and could focus on getting back into the swing of work.

Remember that a lot has happened whilst you were away, and much of it wouldn't have been the choice you would have made in the same situation. The first few weeks your also not at full productivity so don't expect to fix everything right away