Your top tips for a smooth return to work please :)

[MrsMorgan]

I haven't worked for a few years, and i'm a single mum of 3. In the next few weeks I will be starting a new job .

I will be doing 30 hours a week (not including travel) and would love some stress/life saving tips from people so that I remain sane.

My dc are 12,10&7. The two youngest will be dropped at their dads at just before 7am and will have breakfast there and he will take them to school. He is a tosser though and so I do have emergency back up childcare incase he drops me in it.
I will make sure that dd1 is awake before I leave, and she will get her own breakfast and leave the house around 8am.

I will be back to fetch them from school.

I am thinking mega organisation is the key, but I am sometimes lacking in this area. I am lucky in that my mum is going to come in a couple of times a week and do my ironing and have a wipe round so that bit should be fine

So, any tips ??

sandwiches made night before and in fridge; just sling in lunchboxes on the morning

big wall planner for school dates/mufti days etc - write it up on the day you get the letter. Send in any money the next day so it is done. Ditto bithdays etc - or use the calender on your phone. But I glance at wall planner several times a day so works best for me.

Get bulk cooking now and freeze - lasagnes/stews etc. Lots of meals that just require rice/jacket pot on the evening.

Pack bags (inc your own) and lay out uniform the night before. Your kids are big enough to help - make sure they do.

Avoid mumsnet!! It wastes hours of my time.

Thank's gherkin, those are all fab tips, especially the mn one lol.

You've just reminded me to look for a wallplanner thingy. I'm sure I bookmarked one the other week.

Dry run beforehand, so that the kids know what time they need to be out the door, and won't moan and groan on your first day back.

And they're old enough to be really excited for you too, so big up with them beforehand that you're thrilled to be going back to work, and that life will be a lot more interesting, and that you need them to cooperate in the mornings etc. Then plan a special family meal with treats for your first friday evening.

Good luck with the job.

Well Done on the job.

I'm not sure how helpful your DCs are, but it may be an idea just to introduce a couple of small chores that they could do around the house eg remembering to put the bins out on a Tuesday, feeding the cats or pets, bring the dirty laundry downstairs, stripping their beds once a week.

They might moan a bit to begin with but it will soon become part of the routine and one less thing for you to think about:)

Thank you both.

I will be introducing a small chore for them yes, as I will also be introducing pocket money

They are really pleased for me, and looking forward to the extra cash meaning that we can do more, but I think they are also feeling a bit aprehensive too. So I lol.

Will make sure I keep refering back to this thread

Good Luck!! It sounds like you are excited about it. Yes, you will have to be organised but I'm sure you can do it.

Online shopping.

Keep lists: Keep a list of things to do so you don't end up spending half your time thinking things through and the other half trying to remember what that great idea for a birthday present was!! The same thing goes for work related things that you think about when you are not at work.

Work out a washing system that works - eg put in machine in the morning, transfer to dryer / hang out when you come home and fold / put away after bed time.

Read: Time Management for Manic Mothers!

Have a fixed list of meals you can make, stuck on the fridge including quick and slow ones, shop for these every week. Some days, get everything ready for next days meal the night before and just cook / heat when you come home. Focus on one pot wonders!! And treat your and your children to the ocassional pizza out (or in!)

Make time for yourself and don't let others muscle in. Schedule the boring stuff too so you don't spend time thinking / worrying about it.

Focus on the thing you are doing at the time without worrying about the other stuff. When you are doing house jobs / at work / spending time with your children / having me time relegate anything else to the the to do list and forget about it.

At work, there is always more work to be done, it just doesn't have to be done by you!!

And when it all gets stressful, think about what you are going to do with the extra money (photo of your holiday destination, page from a magazine of clothes you'd like to buy or picture of present you are planing for your DC's, or just a picture of a nice bottle of guilt free wine!)

Oh and in the dream world, three washing load size laundry bins with alarms on when they are full / have too many pieces of uniform in!! (Am I washing obsessed!?!)