Going back to work tomorrow, feeling sad.. can I have some reassurance & encouragement?

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ds is 9 months old, I go back p/t 3 days a week.
so not bad at all, but I feel awful about leaving him. He is poorly at the moment too, has had a virus and is feeling rubbish, so that makes it harder I guess.
I'd love to hear from you all that it gets easier and easier as the days go by, and that LOs manage beautifully without us [hopeful emoticon]...
.. and any tips to get through the first few days away...

Oh, it does it does. It gets better. It's good for you. It's good for him. And you will both flourish. You will have some mental stimulation and earning power. And he will learn to be happy and bond with more people (in addition to you, not in place of you). This is a useful skill in life.

My top tip:
Take a pic of Ds to workk and put it in your drawer. Do NOT put it on top of your desk. That way you can sneak a peak when you are missing him but her won't be staring you in the face making you feel guilty when you were otherwise busy and thinking about something else.

just imagine having a cup of coffe in peace. lunch without a child pulling at your hem. adult conversation and the excitemnt of seeing them when you get home.

bump

a walk around the shops at lunchtime? A gym class or swim? A quiet corner to read a book or magazine for an hour? Nice clothes without vomit on the shoulder? Shoes, proper shoes.

And coming home to your wee one who will be sooooo pleased to see you. And those four days you are at home you can cherish.

Good luck, it sounds like you've got a good plan there.

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At 9 mths he'll be fine as long as he has a good carer. I think it is harder leaving them when they are a bit older and seem to be more aware of things. This way your LO will get to know his carer(s) at a young age, and hopefully it will become part of his life, which he will accept and enjoy.

At the end of the day, if you don't feel it is working out as you want, you could always reduce your hours or quit at a later date. But it will probably work out just fine.

And if you are considering a number 2, then doing a bit of PT work now will stand you in much better financial stead, even if you decide to take a longer career break next time.

All the best. You'll find that your actual work is a doddle compared to getting out of the house by 7.45!!

It definitely gets better. It can be hard at first but although I was very anxious about it, it was fine. Have you been away from him before, even for a few hours? If so, just think of it as an extension of that, and remember that they have no concept of time. Any nursery or CM won't mind a couple of calls to see how he is getting on.

It will be much harder for you than for him, I promise!!

the anticipation is much worse
and
it is harder for you than your DS

if you need to ring his nursery/childminder every hour, do it!

enjoy all the squishy hugs before you leave - we give DS his milk in our bed so we can have cuddles before we all go out

it will be hard - it is an adjustment for you all but once you get into a routine and you are a few weeks down the line it will all seem like second nature

good luck

I went back three days a week when DD1 was six months. I have to say that she was very happy and so was I. We got to spend some great days off together and I got to do the job I loved.

I am a SAHM with my DD2 (she is too ill to go into full-time childcare) and I can't say that her level of happiness or security differs from that of her big sister at the same age. They are both happy, well-adjusted kids, but the big difference is that I was a much happier mum at this stage with my eldest daughter!

Good luck - I hope it all goes really well.

thank you for all your lovely messages.
Been getting all the cuddles I can today! and actually hoping for a night feed tonight so I can get some more..

..but I'm also getting quite excited at the idea of putting make up and smart clothes on, and getting my teeth into juicy work stuff tomorrow. I hope the work politics is a bit less frustrating than I remember though - when I went back for an 'in-touch' day a few weeks ago, one of the less nice members of my team said "I hope you won't be one of these mums in the toilet wailing over your baby" when I got back. Friendly.

Just remember to check your jacket shoulders for traces of baby drool before you leave the house! Good luck - and enjoy it

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"I hope you won't be one of these mums in the toilet wailing over your baby"

Where do people get off saying these things?

argh, I'm home, the first day is done, we both survived!!

Feel strangely elated that we've got the first day over with. i did feel sad, and I can't say it was great to be back, but it was ok.
There are some lovely new people in my team, which make nasty woman fade into the background a bit.

Most importantly, my lovely baby boy's face lit up when I walked through the door, and he was fine, ....and we will have some money at the end of this month..

I'm at home tomorrow, then back in on Thurs and Fri. I've got a feeling it'll be Christmas before I know it

Glad your first day back wasn't too bad. I have just gone back myself, and 4 weeks in, it is like I never left so it does get easier.

The first two weeks were quite hard, getting used to new staff in the team, catching up with the work, and coping with some sleepless nights as DD cut her first teeth!
I just really cherish the 4 days at home with DD; probably more than when I was with her 24/7.

glad it went well

Hi ya! I'm in the same situation and feeling awful leaving ds at nursery for 8 hours a day!
I go back to work Monday and ds has started nursery this week... fingers crossed!

paow - I hope it goes ok. I've got my second day tomorrow (work on Tues, Thurs and Fri) and I have butterflies already. But I know that ds will be ok, and that the day will be over and I'll be putting him to bed before I know it...

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I go back on Tuesday - DS2 is four months and I know, as the same thing happened with DS1 - that he will be fine. The problem for me is keeping that work life balance. As a teacher I end up stuck at work listening to other people bang on boringly about their kids, when I should be getting home to my own!
DS2 will be home alone with a brilliant nanny, but I am very upset that my mother and baby group have made it clear they won't welcome DS2 with nanny, not me. Is that justified or nasty? Your thoughts, please....