10 Tips for mums returning to work after maternity leave or career break.

For a smooth transition into work-life-parent balance, practical planning and mental preparation are at the heart of a successful return to work.

Although returning after maternity or a career break are different contextually, there are many similarities in how to manage these return-to-work transitions.

Here are 10 tips for a successful return after leave:

1. Start in the middle of the week.
2. Make sure your childcare provider/school has your partner’s number too and ask for them to be contacted if there is a childcare concern in your first week back.
3. Meal preparation – batch cook. You will thank yourself for the forward planning.
4. Sit down with your partner and discuss and allocate household roles and responsibilities.
5. If on maternity leave, use your KIT days wisely; this will make the transition smoother.
6. Decide on your work-life-parent boundaries and stick to them to protect your precious family time.
7. If commuting to work, do a dry-run to test out nursery or school drop-off timings.
8. Be prepared for things to go wrong and try to stay light-hearted.
9. Mentally prepare for the impending change by visualising a ‘day in the life of’ your new routine.
10. If you are working from home, get out to work somewhere different and take a walk on your lunch break.

“Return to work is a process, not a one-off event”.

There are 13 million working parents in the UK who juggle family at the same time as meeting the demands of their job. Remember, they didn’t achieve this overnight. Generally, it takes around 3 months to get into the swing of things. There are lots of simultaneous changes happening in your family, but they will soon become the new normal.

As a mum of three myself (1+twins) I empathise with the additional considerations we need to take into account when returning to work. Don’t let any financial implications sway your decisions. It’s not forever, just for now. And, the long-term benefits to you and your family will outweigh any immediate disadvantages.

For further tips on the realities of re-entering the workplace after mat leav, take a look at this blog post.