Tips to Help Transition to Work After Maternity Leave

When you’re a working mom, you value your maternity leave. So the transition back to work and being away from your child can be a difficult one. From my experience in the preschool’s almost always more difficult for the parent than it is for the child. It’s important to have a transition plan in place to make the change in routine easy on the entire family. Here are a few things you can do to make your work week more bearable.

Ease Your Mind You’ve Decided on your Child’s Child Care Provider-  When you have child care lined up, your mind is put at ease. You have already previewed the facility and reviewed your caregiver’s check in routine for drop off and pick up. By doing this, while it may be difficult at first; you know your child is safe and provided for and you are ready for your child’s first day of school!

Pack Your Pump- Many moms who return to work plan on pumping, so they can keep up their supply and also provide their baby with plenty of milk upon their return home. To do this, you’ll need an electric pump (manual will do, but will be more time consuming), bottles, an insulated bag, and pump cleaning supplies. Nursing pads are also essential to insert into your nursing bra to ensure that you don’t deal with leakage situations.

Start Back Mid-Week- Your first week back at work can be utterly exhausting. Ask your employer if you can start back on a Wednesday or Thursday to test out the water as far as your family routine for a few days. This way you’ll have the weekend to reevaluate how you can make things better or change up your routine if necessary. You will also be excited to have Saturday and Sunday to recharge before a full week of work ahead.

Invest in an Instant Pot (or Crockpot!)– Instant pots are the new rage right now- and for good reason! Think crockpot but WAY faster! It can cook meals up to 70% faster than traditional cooking. You heard that right-and it works for all meats and fish products as well! It also has zero chemical coating on the device. This kitchen gadget is perfect for when you get home and need to make a meal for your family and need it done INSTANTLY (pun intended:) ) Of course if you can’t get an Instant Pot right now it is always a fantastic idea to use your crock pot. What’s most important about this transition period is to put time into planning your meals for your family ahead of time! Because the worst thing is to come home with no dinner plans and a hangry family!

Wake up Earlier- While the days of an undetermined wake up time are soon going to be a thing of the past, it’s important to get back to a more rigid morning schedule. So, a week or so before heading back to work set your alarm to your desired wake up time, so it becomes less of a shock to your body. If you’re going to be dropping your child off at a facility or parent’s house, getting your little one ready can also take some time, and practice. After all, you have a whole other little person to take care of and prep/feed other than yourself.

Pack the Night Before– Always make things easier on yourself by packing for work the night before. This includes prepping your pumping bag, packing your lunch, and preparing your baby’s diaper bags. Even if you run late, you’ll be less stressed knowing all the items you need are packed and ready to go. All you have to do is grab them and be on your way.

Speaking of lunch… seriously…Don’t Forget to Pack Your Own Lunch!   Of course packing lunch for our children is a stable in households. But often times Mom’s forget to pack their own lunches! When you don’t have food on hand you are more likely to grab lunch out which can be costly and inconvenient- especially when you are already hungry! Don’t forget to give yourself a nutritious and delicious lunch time meal to give yourself energy for the rest of your day. Also, if you are breast feeding don’t forget to pack lot’s of extra snacks!

Decorate Your Desk– Ease the transition  of leaving your little one at preschool by filling your office or cubicle with framed pictures. It will help make you happier throughout your day!

Devise a Care Plan– Draft up a care plan for your daycare provider of all of your child’s likes and dislikes and daily routines that he or she is used to. This way, your mind can rest knowing that you put together a comprehensive guide about how to care for your child, the way you would!

When in Doubt, Call Your Child’s Preschool At Bright Beginnings we encourage our parents to call as frequently as they need when their child first starts at our school. We know that the transition can be the hardest for our Mom’s and Dad’s. Our site Directors are always happy to answer any random questions and also give you a quick update on how your child is doing and what fun activities they are working on that day with their teachers. We also offer Tadpoles electronic day notes which is super popular with our parents and their extended families. When your child enrolls at our daycare center each parent and relatives of your choosing will receive updates on what your child is doing throughout his or her school day. This includes really cute photos of your child doing fun curriculum throughout the day, classroom updates, reminders on school or classroom events and  items your child may need.

Leaving your baby and heading back to work can be tough. Try these tips to help ease the transition and  take joy in the fact that you were able to spend as much time with your child as you were and that they will thrive in their preschool!