Intro: After 8 weeks leave, I go back Monday
It's bittersweet. I'm glad I'll be getting out and back to my "normal" life, but I'm so sad to leave my baby with someone other than me. He's going to be going to a home daycare. I'm trying to look at the positives and this is what is keeping me strong:
- I need to work to support him and give him everything he wants and needs. My health insurance is also great so he'll always be taken care of.
- Daycare will (hopefully) build his immune system and (hopefully) make him a social little butterfly... in the most manly way a butterfly can be lol
- There will be a couple of other kids around so he won't have to stare at his boring ole' momma all day long. He'll learn lots of new things and have different faces to learn from.
- He'll (hopefully) give me big smiles when I go to pick him up every evening
Another good thing is that the day care is 3 minutes from my apartment and my work is 10-15 minutes from my apartment as well so I can always leave to visit him if I want during the day. I hope I don't cry.
What keeps you ladies strong? I need some tips and inspiration!
Re: Intro: After 8 weeks leave, I go back Monday
It sounds like you've already got a great handle on things. Trust me - the anticipation/dread of thinking about going back to work will be much worse than actually being at work on Monday will be.
Bring pictures of your son to have with you at work. Allow yourself to cry on Monday if you feel like it. But also remember to allow yourself to find the joy in everything that you can on Monday. When you realize that you can go pee whenever you want and take as long as you want, don't feel guilty for smiling about it. When you realize that you get to eat your lunch while it's still hot and completely uninterrupted, don't feel guilty about feeling happy about it. When you realize how much you missed talking about intellectual things with your peers, don't feel guilty about it.
And always remember this post - you are doing what's best for your and your family.
here's one of my favorite posts from this site. I kept it for inspiration for myself sometimes
https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/13898403.aspx