Working moms- you should always remember, there is no such thing as a perfect mother. Going to work doesn’t make you a bad mother. A child treated with love, care and attention will flourish whether or not their mother works.1

It is important that you let go of your guilt. Here are some tips for a guilt-lowering return to the workplace.

Learn to let go of the Superwoman label2

While you may be spectacular at performing certain tasks, you need to accept that you cannot be super amazing at everything. It is completely okay to not serve a three-course meal for dinner.  Stop judging your life based on what others do, and focus on doing what’s right for you and your family, which could also mean serving something simple for dinner.

It’s okay to have a messy house2

Don’t let social media pressurize you to have a perfect house.  Sometimes you need to accept that the dishes can, in fact, be done the next day.

Learn to delegate responsibilities1,2

Re-evaluate your responsibilities and become okay about letting a few things go. There will be days where you are busy in the office, or perhaps you decide to take on more responsibility at work — then intentionally let go of something else. Ask for help from your partner, loved ones, friends, co-workers. You can even consider hiring a maid to help you with the house tasks

It's okay to enjoy being a working woman and look forward to all the challenges social aspects of your job.1

Preparing your child3

When you return to work, you still need to take care of a few things. Your child needs to:

  • Feel safe and secure in their day-to-day routine
  • Learn and play in a motivating environment
  • Have warm and caring interactions with all the important people in their life

There are things that you can do to help you and your child adjust:

  • Practising short separations will tell your child that when you go away, you always come back.
  • Starting child care- You and your child may have big feelings about starting child care. Your child may also have separation anxiety, and it might take some time for this to settle. Alternatively, your child might seem settled at first but get upset after a few days or weeks when the novelty wears off.
  • Working part-time for the first few weeks may help you adjust into this new arrangement.

Reference:

  1. Mayo Clinic. Maternity leave: Tips for returning to work [Internet]. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/labor-and-delivery/in-depth.... Accessed on Feb 26, 2020.
  2. Cleveland Clinic. Ladies: Got Work Burnout? Take a Closer Look at What You Do Outside the Office [Internet]. Available at: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/ladies-got-work-burnout-take-a-closer.... Accessed on Feb 26, 2020.
  3. Returning to work: preparing your family [Internet]. Available at: https://raisingchildren.net.au/grown-ups/work-child-care/going-back-to-w.... Accessed on Feb 26, 2020.