The Big Return to Work
Today, I have mostly been thinking about my good friend Lucy Henman-Hill.
Her maternity leave has finished and tomorrow is her first day back at work after spending (more or less) 24 hours a day with her baby for the last 9 months.
Some women really struggle with the return to work, while others relish going back a matter of weeks after their babies are born.
I can appreciate both views; I was initially heartbroken at the thought of going back. How could I ever find anything else but my baby important? But when the time came after half an hour of sitting in my old chair it was like I'd never been away. The Kid was fine, and I was back doing the job I love.
From my experience, and from talking to other moms, once the first day is out of the way things start to fall into place. For some of us it's a heart wrenching experience, but it does get easier. I Promise.
Whether you've found life with a new baby challenging or you've loved every minute, returning to work is the end of an era. But this is your time now - it's time for something new.
For me, that precious time I spent with The Kid, just me and him, might be just memories now, but they're my memories and I'll have them forever. And, (God willing) I'll have many more in years to come.
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Laura Yates - Brummie mum Laura Yates is a 27 year old mother of two from Kings Heath. She gives her take on family life in the city.
It is interesting to read about the dilemas facing mothers about whether to return to work or not.
But sorry I got to ask, is your friend's surname really "Henman-Hill"? And if so, how many tennis/Wimbledon related puns does she suffer on a daily basis??
It's an awesome name isn't it! Her surname was Hill, then she married someone with a similar name to Henman... hence Henman-Hill!
Ive got 2 weeks of my maternity leave left :( unfortunatly i cant go back to my old job as they have ceased trading whilst I have been on maternity leave :( So om now faced with job hunting whilst trying to look after a 8 month old baby :( Also the prospect of leaving him to go to work and starting a a new job is also stresing me out a bit ! So I can definetly relate to your friend - unfortunatly I have no choice but to go to work and pay ridculous sums of money for childcare - I really think its time the goverment gave us moms more help it really annoys me that If I work full time I hav to pay £800 childcare , but i cant not work because the small amount I have left over after childcare is the difference to us been on the breadline or not ! I think its time that the goverment concentrated on middle england for a change normal folk instead of the lazy people who just sit on benifits all day that we pay for !! grrrrrrrrrrrrr rant over !
Mums are stuck between a rock and a hard place aren't they? The rock being the burden of childcare, the hardplace being all the other bills that pile up at home just from living day to day.
I think there should be more help for working parents (I would say that though, wouldn't I!)Why should a mother who wants to work not be entitled to similar monies paid to a non working equivalent?
There are plenty of people who think otherwise though - I've got to admit, if I'd chosen NOT to have children, I'd be a bit miffed, watching my taxes being spent on helping parents to work - non breeding people must think that we all know how much having children costs, if we can't afford it, don't do it!
£800 is an incredible amount to pay; perhaps a way forward for the government is to look at creating more affordable childcare, rather than handing over cash to parents? What do you think?