Top Tips for making going back to work easier. Please!

[hf128219]

I go back to work full-time next month after 12 months maternity leave. My dd will be going to nursery.

I just want things to run as smoothly as possible and would love to hear of things that have made your life more manageable.

I am lucky that I already have a cleaner and a gardener.

Any tips/suggestions welcome! Thank you

Am going to be doing this myself soon although its my second spell so have been there before - still nervewracking though!! My top tips would be:

Do your supermarket shopping online if you can as this means you don't have to waste time at the weekend doing it.

Get everything you need for your day ready the night before, clothes ironed, bag ready for nursery, breakfast things out on the table etc then the morning shouldn't be as stressful as they can be! Also includes petrol filling.

Meal plan and if you can, do some cooking in the evenings or weekends so that when you've put your dd to bed you know that you haven't then got to spend hours getting yourselves something to eat.

Apart from that I've learnt to accept that sometimes it will be stressful and take a deep breath and attack one thing at a time!!

Good luck and hope all goes well.

I'm going back in Jan after 13 months ML and I'm dreading it. Does anyone actually manage to get any work done for the first few weeks or are they sitting there thinking of their LOs poor face all abandoned. Sorry!

Thanks CountTo10! Like the meal planning. Great tip.

I am being cheeky - going back for 1 week - then taking 2 weeks Annual Leave for Christmas - breaking myself back in gently.

GBITS, Im going back in Feb, after a years Mat leave. So scared that Ive even told DH to not talk about Christmas as it is too close to D day.. I know that im being unreasonable but im terrified. I work in a male dominated job and had very hard time while pregnant so really nervous about starting back part time.. will be called a useless PLONK im sure.. need some encouragement too!

GBITS, Im going back in Feb, after a years Mat leave. So scared that Ive even told DH to not talk about Christmas as it is too close to D day.. I know that im being unreasonable but im terrified. I work in a male dominated job and had very hard time while pregnant so really nervous about starting back part time.. will be called a useless PLONK im sure.. need some encouragement too!

Don't be scared! Don't take any flak! I am not worried about work/leaving my dd (although that could change) - just worried about my organised life collapsing around me.

To make it easier I recommend having some good back up childcare in place. I have been back for over 2 months and at least once a week have had to take some time/a day off due to various bugs.

This happens to most babies in the first few months and having back up childcare (family, friends etc) really takes the pressure off a bit.

Organise one day a week where your DP will do the nursery pick up if possible, means you can put in a bit extra time if you need it.

Organise everything the night before, batch cook, have a routine that you stick to etc... Don't put yourself under too much pressure in the first few weeks if you don't have much motivation in the evenings.

Will try hard not to take any flak but its hard when females are considered secondary.. know what you mean about organised life.. my DH is great but have to keep telling him he will have to help with washing, cooking, cleaning etc etc when im back.. fair enough Ive been doing it all while on Mat leave but when I go back it will have to be shared again.. I do think im just a psycho cleaner..

I wont lie, its not easy and you do find yourself drifting off into worryland!! I have been back 7 weeks since having 13m off n ML. And out of these 7 weeks i have had 2 weeks off with each DS (14M) and DD (5) being ill plus nursery have rung on a further 4 occasions to say DS was sick DURING lunch and he may have a bug so i have had to collect him!! As Ewe says you need an agreement with DP to do a pickup just to ease the pressure, a luxury i dont have due to DPs working hours...and have some backup childcare too otherwise you just feel like you are sinking!!! (if that makes sense!)
That said I suppose it does get easier...I just havent reached that stage yet!

At the end of the day my kids are the most important thing to me and the odd child free idiot that has a bitch when i need to up and leave or take time off last minute is quite frankly not worth losing any sleep over!!

And lastly if they have a problem with it then i may develop a problem with the fact that they changed my job whilst i was off!!

Good advice about the backup.. told my mum who is an hour away that she needs to help in emergency as Im paying nursery while Im at work. She seemed to take to that as the "go to" person.. with the OP that is scary....
Jodyray, you are right to rise about the idiots..will keep that as my mantra..

The back up childcare is a worry for me. My parents are hundreds of miles away - but my MIL is about 75 mins away and has agreed to be a support.

Do people end up using all their Annual Leave when their dc are ill??

hf128219,thats my worry too..

Luckily MIL is having DD on Mondays when I go back and she is 10 mins away from nursery. She has said she will pick up dd if she is ill or having probs. Nursery is also attached to DH's work so he'll be in the next building so can pop in if necessary. I'll be stuck up in London so miles away from the action

Lucky you! My dh will be 15 mins away but I will be stuck in London too.

Thats lucky them being close. We are in London but not too far from nursery, however how lenient work will be if I have to leave at short notice though.. a friend has had her baby in nursery for about 8 weeks now and has had to pick him up at least half a dozen times due to illness..

Depends what the circumstance is at your place of work we have special leave and flexi time so i havent used annual leave so far. Good luck!!

But how much special leave for looking after family are you entitled to per annum?

With regards to Parental leave, I believe you are allowed up to 13 weeks up until their fifth birthday. You are not allowed more than 4 weeks in a year and you have to take the leave in blocks of a week. A week being whatever you work, so if you work only Thursday and Friday, then that will be your week.. So you can't just take a day here and there.. And I think its unpaid..

In addition to the above, you have to have been with your employer for a year. However, if there has been an emergency then you may be entitled to compassionate leave which you could get paid for. There is no set time frame with this but it has to be "reasonable"..

yes parental leave wouldn't really help in case of illness, but presumably you can take unpaid leave if you have no other choice. Am in same position as you rodgershawk, going back to work in feb part time to male dominated work place and am gritting my teeth when I think of the comments I'll get. we don't have any family near and DP is a contractor so can't take days off as won't get paid.

we get emergency/special leave paid at managers discretion for a week at a time. beyond that we use unpaid but yeah are entitled to 13weeks unpaid if need be. Also can work from home the odd day at short notice. Suppose i am lucky!