Whether you’ve been out of the workforce for ten years or ten months, returning to work after being a stay-at-home parent is challenging in many ways. Your days of changing dirty nappies and fixing scraped knees are being substituted with workplace logistics and sitting at a desk all day.

While it may be difficult deciding to return to work, there are plenty of ways to prepare yourself. Here are our top tips for stay-at-home parents who are making the return to work.

1.      Consider your priorities

Before you even decide to go back to work, consider your priorities and if this is something you want. Are you going back to work because you want to or feel like you should? If you’re able to live off one income, would you? Getting your priorities in order is essential if you’re re-entering the workplace after an extended period. List out your needs and wishes when looking for a new role. If you’re the only one who can do the school or day-care drop-off/pick-up, your priority for a new position would be something with flexible hours. If you can’t find care on certain days, your preferences may need to be working from home until you can make other arrangements. Part time options or job sharing is something else you could consider.

2.      Be kind to yourself

Becoming a parent is one of the most significant life changes you can go through. Going back to work after a considerable period and doing a different type of job (we understand parenting is a full-on job and not just sipping lattes in the park!) can be tough to navigate. Throughout this transition phase, it’s important to be kind to yourself. Your mind and body are adjusting to a role you haven’t held for a while, so don’t beat yourself up if you’re not fully updated on new workplace policies or make small mistakes you never made before your leave. This is a learning experience for both you and your employer.

3.      Connect with those around you

As a parent – especially a new parent – it’s crucial to have a support network around you. Relying on friends, family, and parent groups to help you through this new chapter in your life will help you to feel less isolated. Having a support person outside of work will allow you to confide in someone else about any work-related stressors. They may also be able to assist with babysitting,

When returning to work, check and see whether your employer has any resources for returning parents you can look at, and speak to other parents in the office about their experience and advice they may have to offer.

4.      Ease back into it if you need

There’s no hard and fast rule about how your return to work needs to be. After having time off, it may be harder to adjust than you think. As per our first point – be kind to yourself! If you need to work flexible hours, talk with your manager to see whether this is possible. Staggering your days may be an option so you’re not jumping straight back into full or part time work. It’s also vital to discuss backup plans if, for example, your child is sick, and you need to stay home. Is working from home a possibility? Do you have the equipment you need if you were required to work from home? These are all large points of discussion to have.

5.      Know your rights

For parents taking leave, make sure you know what your entitlements are. FairWork Australia documents the rights workers are eligible for when taking time off and requesting flexible working arrangements.

For breastfeeding mothers returning to work, familiarise yourself with your rights around this. Employers should provide you with a safe, private space for breastfeeding and pumping and have somewhere suitable to store your breast pump and milk.

The Australian Breastfeeding Association is a great educational tool for employers who are unsure what they require.

6.      Communicate openly with your employer

Keeping all channels of communication open and transparent with your employer will help you ease back into work or start fresh in a new role. Nobody understands your situation and how you’re feeling as well as you do, so talking openly with your employer about where you’re at will allow you both to come up with a solution or flexible arrangements when required.

Throughout your time back at work (not just beforehand), make sure you keep your manager updated with how you’re coping. They should be able to provide you with support such as people you can talk to or resources you can use.

7.      Have a practice run

If you’re putting your child in childcare or dropping them with a babysitter and are the one responsible for dropping them off in the mornings, do a practice run or two before your first day back. You don’t want your first day back at work to be the first time you’re dropping your children off! How long dropping them off takes may be a lot different to how long you envision it taking. Having a few practice runs in the days leading up to your return to work will help you figure out realistically how long you need to allow for in the mornings. It’ll also give you an idea around traffic conditions, how drop-off goes with your little one, and any speedbumps that need ironing out.

8.      Get organised

Having kids and juggling mealtimes and bedtimes is exhausting. Once you’ve finally got some time to yourself before bed, planning for the next day will help keep you organised and avoid running around madly in the morning. Choose your outfit for work the night before, as well as clothes for your kids. Next, pack any lunches and snacks you’ll both need for the day ahead, along with a nappy bag or backpack full of things your child needs. Lastly, put your keys in the same spot every night and check right before you go to bed that they’re still there. Running around searching for your keys is the last thing you want to be doing!

Returning to work after being a stay-at-home parent is tough. Regardless of how long you’ve been out of the workplace, there will always be substantial differences between your role as a parent and your role in the company. However, you’re not alone, and there’s always support available if you need it.

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