Going back to work

Nicole - posted on 04/28/2011

It's probably going to be a lil hard for like the first month. I just get things done when I can. It was hard when I went back to work but I did something everyday when I got home to clean up. I would wash cloths when I make dinner. I clean up the dishes right after dinner or after I put my kids to bed. Everything else I just do when I get the chance. When my kids were smaller I would make sure they were doing something that they would be doing long enough for me to clean the bathroom or mop the floors or something of that sort.

Meghan - posted on 04/12/2011

The only thing I can suggest is to talk about it all the time. maybe it's my own guilt, but I tell J all the time we are a team, I want to be home with him-but I need to do this for US. The time we do spend together is as productive as I can make it (lots of one on one time, taking him to special places like the park or letting him help me bake treats) we do date nites where we have popcorn and watch a movie...
She is a bit younger than J was when I started working full time then started going to school but I think the key for us was my mom and the daycare provider sticking to a relatively normal routine. Right now it probably seems overwhelming to you, but eventually it will fall into place and everyone will fit into the schedule. ♥

Jess - posted on 04/11/2011

Organisation is key ! I do my shopping on a Tuesday so I have fresh healthy food ready heading into my working week. I make sure that I plan our meals ahead of time and get all the ingredients on the tuesday. And I make sure they are fast and easy to prepare. On a Tuesday I usually cook something really big so I can use the left overs for Wednesday nights dinner which is such a life saver.

Ava's day care provide all her meals so I just have to send fruit and breakfast in her bag so I try to keep that ready with sheets and clothes at all times. And I set 2 alarms, 1 to wake me up 30 minutes in advance and then the 2nd to tell me I have to get up. I get myself fully ready and then I get Ava up. She won't eat breakfast at home for me, so I just need to change her, dress her, give her milk and get her out the door !

Daniela - posted on 04/10/2011

Nope, I'm in a heap most of the time. Only tip I can give you is: try not to care too much about it. I do laundry at the weekends, so try to have enough clothes for her to get her through the week. Same with sippy cups. I give her ready-made meals for the creche because preparing food for that regularly would just wreck my head. Also, think already about how you can get a bit of time-out for yourself. I didn't get any in a really long time and it really started to show the last few days. Anyway, congrats on the job and good luck!