Friday 12 June 2015

Returning to Work

It's been longer than I intended since my last post, but I have found it hard to find the time to write recently as I have just returned to work. Luckily, it's only three days a week for the rest of this term, but I am full time from September, which will mean another period of adjustment. We are moving over the summer, so Little Miss will also be starting nursery then, whereas she is staying with my parents for now. I think I've got it easy at the moment and September will be the much harder change for both of us!

For now, at least, we are already settling into a new routine and here are some of the things I have learnt so far. 

1) Saying goodbye in the morning is the hardest part. All I want to do is sit and cuddle Little Miss. Letting her go is incredibly upsetting. We have found settling her down with some toys before we leave is the best tactic, as she's distracted when we say goodbye. 

2) I used to clock-watch a bit at work, but my day is now just one constant countdown until I can go home!

3) My days at home are actually far more exhausting than my days at work! Since returning to work I feel far more rested and refreshed! 

4) I appreciate my time at home with Little Miss so much more now. Towards the end of my maternity leave, I was starting to spend a lot of the day wishing she would have a nap, or waiting for my husband to get home. I now try and make the most of the days we have off together and we are having much more fun (although I still breathe a sigh of relief when she falls asleep!)

5) Miraculously, Little Miss started sleeping through the night the same week I returned to work. I remember reading Bring Up Bebe a few months ago and finding it really bizarre when Druckerman spoke about babies who started to sleep through when their mum's returned to work, but there must be something in it! (Or it could just be because I've stopped breastfeeding...)

Returning to work hasn't been fun, but it has been easier than I expected and has bought a few unexpected benefits with it too! I still much prefer my time at home playing games and going to walks with Little Miss though.