Help for Mums Returning to Work - Leigh's Response

Mum Zone's resident Professional Job Specialist Leigh of Hire My Mum is available to answer some of your questions about returning to work.

Topics include: childcare costs, contributing financially to your household, what to expect when returning to work, if it's been a long time since you worked in an office, keeping up your skills, how your partner feels about you returning to work, suitable child minding or support networks, where to start finding a job, the ideal work from home job, identifying a scam job that could cost you money and more.

Check out our Help for Mums Returning to Work page or read another question now!

Reader's Question

I am a mum of four - (10, 4, 3 and 16 months) and I am looking to return to work. I am experiencing both mother guilt and the need to get out and work again.

My children are adaptable to change but how can I ease them into the fact that mummy is working again.

Leigh's Response

You really seem aware of your situation, because guilt and personal needs always create issues for us mums, but we all know that kids really do cope well with change.

You will find a 4 part series of articles that I have written for Mums Zone addressing the issues faced by mums returning to work.
http://www.mumzone.com.au/business_careers_little_boss_big_boss_1.php

I am a work from home mum so I haven't been through the challenge of after school care, but your oldest one will probably enjoy having some afternoons with their friends after school in an OOSH type program. And the little ones, really do adapt well to child care, mine both did. Even as a work from home mum you need days to be able to make calls, have meetings etc.

You can prepare them by making a game of helping mummy pick a job, and begin to talk more about the idea at home so it isn't a sudden shock. Of course if they are staying with relatives instead of day care, talk about having fun at grandma's house.

My two year treats pre-school day just like his big brother at big school, he has to have his bag on, hat on, and a drink bottle that he fills with water himself. Then he is ready to go. He carries his bag to the car and tosses it (literally) into the car boot and also carries it to 'class'.

The guilt part... can't help you there :) Other than to say, we put the most pressure on ourselves! Let yourself be allowed to go back to work. Everything will work out exactly as it should.

Hope this helps.

Leigh

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The opinions expressed on these pages are of a general nature and are by no means a substitute for professional advice. Therefore neither Mum Zone or Leigh Kostiainen of Hire My Mum are liable for any actions pertaining to the use of the supplied information.