6 Tips to plan your return to work

shirenavsn2
Sep 15, 2023
4 min read

Congratulations on the new addition to your family! The last few months would have been exciting, joyful and also tiring and challenging. Well done for navigating through the newborn stage and being the wonderful parent that you are.

It’s now time to plan ahead and determine what life will look like when you go back to work. This can be a daunting and emotional time.

You might be wondering what to you need to think about and put in place to make this transition back to work successful. Here are some tips to help you on your way.

1. Plan Ahead

The key to successfully returning to work is planning ahead. Be proactive and communicate with your employer about your return date and any potential changes to your work schedule. This will give you and your employer time to make necessary arrangements and accommodations.

Is there a transition plan? If not, do you think it would be helpful to have one? Have this conversation with your manager or employer before your return date.

What would your transition back to work look like? This could include expectations around what you need to do to prepare for your return, returning on fewer hours initially and increasing over a period of time or work from home options. Each persons needs will vary however it's good to discuss your needs and your and your employers expectations early.

2. Childcare

Have a plan A, B and C for childcare.

If you have family to help look after your child when you are working, that is wonderful and helpful. If you do not, you will need to consider other options such as daycare, nanny, creche, in home care, or kindergarten. It's important to contact care Centres early on as there could be waitlists and you want to be on a waitlist early!

What each Centre offers may differ so look around at available options and chose which is right for you and your family. Some differences includes the costs, opening hours, age of children they care for, if they provide meals, do they do off site visits, and if they have a specific philosophy that resonates with you.

Have a plan B and C. For example, if your child is unwell, if there are teacher only days, or the Centre is only open during school term time. What are your alternative care options? Can you take days off work? Depending on your job, is there an option of working from home? Having these conversations now ensures you know what options are available to you.

3. New Routines

What will drop offs and pickups look like? Does your child need a packed lunch? Will you be taking disposable or reusable nappies? Do you have more than one child to organize? Will you prepare lunches and bags the night before (or will your older children organize their own school bags?).

If you have a spouse, have you had a conversation about how to share this responsibility if you are both working? If not, start now.

Adjusting to new routines takes time, so do not put pressure on yourself to get this right on day 1.

4. Transitioning back to work

Drop offs in the first few days and weeks can be difficult for parents and children. It might be the first time your are apart for more than a couple of hours. There could be feelings of guilt or anxiety around having someone else look after your child. You may also want to check in during the day to see how your child is settling into their childcare, and that is ok.

You may initially find yourself struggling to get back into 'work mode.' Try not to put pressure on yourself to work at 100% straight away. Also take some time to reconnect with colleagues, customers, stakeholders and clients. The longer you have taken off work, the more time you may need to reconnect.

5. Boundaries

Learning what your boundaries are is important as some mums think they can do everything and do not want to disappoint others. But sometimes, it's necessary to say no. If your priority is to be home with your family for dinner each night, then you may need to say no to a late meeting or engagement.

Again, discussing expectations with your manager or employer early can mean your boundaries are set and clear upon your return.

6. Time for yourself

If you have had a hard day, it could be useful to have a few minutes to yourself to transition back to mum mode. An example Jayne Chater gave in Episode 3 of the Parental Well-Being Podcast was to take three deep breaths and then reframe. “Who am I now?" I’m a mum or a partner. You will then have a clear mindset of leaving your work at the door and be a mum and a partner when you get home.

7. Reflection

We can be so busy each day that it can be helpful to pause and reflect for a few minutes each day. This could be writing in a journal or other form that works for you. Asking yourself questions such as, “What am I most grateful for today” “What am I most proud of.”

Another great tip from Jayne is to zoom up and out. Focus on what the next 5-10 years would look like rather than just the now and what you need to achieve each day.

I hope these tips help you to prepare for your return to work.

Good luck and take care.

Listen to Episode 3: Returning to work after parental leave on Spotify, Apple or Google Podcasts or go to www.parentalwbp.com

Follow or subscribe so you know when new episodes are released.