*This is a guest post
“Aren’t you so sad to be going back to work?”
“Are you going back to work part-time?”
These are the most popular and frequent questions I get asked as I end my 12 month maternity leave. I looked to blogs for support and inspiration regarding this topic and to my disappointment, I couldn’t find any. I wanted to hear about other mums experiences in my situation, was I the only one who was looking forward to going back to my full-time career? Should I feel guilty for saying that?
I love my daughter beyond words, that intensity of love will never change because of my location, at work or at home. I love our special time together, watching her grow and cuddles more than anything but being at home all the time made me (at times) take these special moments for granted. I certainly can say that I appreciate, value and cherish the moments more after stepping out of the mum role for a few hours.
Maybe it’s the pressure of social media or the affluent area I live by but I also found maternity leave world to be often too competitive, fierce and faux….Everyone’s child is never cranky, everyone’s child sleeps through the night, no one gives medication to teething babies anymore (god forbid and shame on you for not using an amber necklace) and life at home is always perfect.
Right.
I must be a poor time manager because I barely have time in the day to go to the washroom, cook and do a load of laundry yet mums are in full makeup posting Instagram stories and pictures up the ying-yang all day long.
Did anyone else take forever to heal postpartum or am I the only one not on a beach with my newborn? This is 2018, can’t we all be real and open?
I worked my butt off in school to get the career I’m in. I live in a city where good jobs are hard to come by so I would never give mine up. I enjoy my job, getting dressed up out of pukey sweats makes me feel good and I get to help others in my job which provides so much self gratification. I value education and want to be an example to inspire others. I’ve been in my career for 7 years, I’m always learning (I like using and challenging my brain) but I’m comfortable and in control of my work role, it is self rewarding. Being a parent is so rewarding too but I’m always learning and will never be a master at parenting, no one will ever.
My daughters only at home for a short time and then she’ll be in school. Taking extended leaves will only prolong my career and I want to retire at an early age (god willing) so that I can enjoy my daughter then (and hopefully her kids) at an age where we can both create lasting memories. I think it’s healthy for her to be around different people throughout the days she’s a toddler and preschooler. It can’t always be Mum, I don’t she she’ll know how to detach.
Growing up, my mother worked full time and held up a household, making it all look so easy (what an art that I appreciate now). I never felt like I was neglected or abandoned when I was little, in fact, I branches out to love other caregivers (not as much as my mum of course) grew to admire her multitasking and she grew to be a supermum in my eyes. I want my daughter feel that same pride, to be so proud that her mum is a hard working full time career women and mamma, doing it all. I want to exemplify that strong full-time working woman and mamma persona so that she can strive to one day be a strong career women and hopefully Mum too, giving back to both her kids and society.
To all those other mums out there looking forward to going back to work (afraid to say it to a judging society) but still loving your child as much as any other Mum, you’re not alone.
Signed,
A fellow career-mum
Are you a career mum who is looking forward to going back to work? Do leave a comment and share we’d love to hear from you…..
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