Possibly the thing most mothers dread from the moment they enter maternity leave, is it ending. I even remember having dreams in April where I'd gone back to work and woke up feeling so much relief that I was still at home. But you know what? It's not that bad. Honestly. I've been back at work now for 10 weeks and it has gone so incredibly fast. I work 8-6 Monday through till Friday, when I usually work 9-1. It works so well for us because it means I still get to spend an afternoon with Noah, so I don't feel like I'm missing out on so much. It's definitely hard, when I'm getting home at 6:30 and Noah's off to bed in 30 minutes, that's the aspect I find toughest. But it just makes me appreciate our time together so much more. Some people are incredibly fortunate enough not to need to return to work, which is amazing but that's just not where we are at. If I'm honest, I do enjoy my job (I'm a nursery nurse) and it means I get a little bit more adult conversation as well as feeling like I'm actually doing something again. I'm also aware it's incredibly tough for some people to find childcare, as someone who works in that industry, I know how unbelievably expensive it is as well as how hard it can be to leave your children with someone you don't know so personally.
Noah spends his days with my mum, which is great for us as she sends me little snapshots of what he's up to, it means we can have the routine we want for him and it also means he's with someone he's very familiar with. However two mornings a week, I do put Noah into nursery, not only to give my Mum time to do the lists of chores she has to do, but for Noah to experience new things. Something we can't provide at home, is interaction with other children, but nursery can. He plays with new toys, has new activities every day and makes friends. It's nice for him because it's learning him to be a little bit more independent. It also helps for my own comfort, that I'm only a few classrooms down so if there ever was a problem, they know where I am.
All in all, I am very happy back at work, and it really wasn't anything like I expected it to be. I know where Noah is and I know everyone around him has his best interests at heart, I might be more tired than before, or miss spending every waking moment with him. But I feel it's definitely more beneficial to us all, with me back at work.
Any other mummies returning to work soon?
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