When I was looking at getting back to work, I had a zillion questions running through my head. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to strike the work-mommy balance. Could I fully trust the baby with the caregiver? Was this the right time to join back or should I extend my maternity break? More importantly, would I still have the energy to give 100% to both parenting and work?
Towards the fag-end of the maternity break, I found myself constantly debating and weighing one option against the other. There was the job that gave me a sense of achievement and then there was the baby which gave a new meaning to my life. I wasn’t leading anywhere. But somewhere in my head I was clear that I wanted to lead a fulfilling life, where there were no regrets. If I had to quit my job and stay at home it would be by choice and NOT because I HAD no other option. Picking up the threads and getting back to work seemed worth giving a shot.
So I sorted out my priorities.
At first there was the question of identifying the right place to resume work. I was clear that I wanted to be surrounded by supportive people. Getting back to a job profile matching my existing skillsets was important as I needed the first few months to settle into the new routine. Number of working days per week, office timings and employee policies were some of the other things that I looked up.
Next there was the mammoth task of identifying the right caregiver. It was very important for me to employ somebody who could be fully trusted once I stepped out of the house. So I spent a fair bit of time finding one. With supportive grandparents who offered to visit us and stay with us for the initial few months, I could decide to get back to work with confidence.
Everything else like doing the groceries, laundry, cooking were to run as it was running before the baby happened.
3 years on, when I look back today, it seems like the right thing to have done. Every evening when I go back home, I am so thrilled to meet my child. I am more energetic and cheerful as compared to staying at home all day. The diversity and structure at work gives me the much needed mental stimuli to keep my grey cells active. Every morning I feel more confident and accomplished than the day before. The pillar of all this has been my affectionate & trustworthy caregiver and never-ending love showered by the caring grandparents. Not to say the least, the very supportive and women friendly work culture at my workplace.
Image Courtesy : http://our-woman.ru/
This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda
An Urban Nomadic 