Preparing to head back to the real world

I am an academic.  This is a challenging job and to stay alive within the profession we very often allow work to spill into our private time, i.e. we essentially do not have time off.  I won't discuss what I think of this state of affairs in this blog but only brought it up as my work spills in to my maternity leave which is something that may interest the readers here.  It would be good to hear from you if you have anything to say about your work and how it has/hasn't affected your maternity leave.  

I have effectively worked from home, rather than taken time off, in the last six months even though this is not reflected in my pay-check.  I am grateful for the help my mother gave me over the last few months- I would not have been able to do what is required of me at work and look after a new born if she had not been around.  I have stayed fairly relaxed throughout this time and now that Sprog is older and we are more settled I am better able to cope with what work needs to be done and my duties as a stay-at-home mum.  I have been planning my return to work, which will happen in just over a month's time.  We have found a nursery that we think would be suitable for Sprog- the price is high but we needed a place that we were fairly confident would do a good job and so in a sort of emotionally blackmailed/guilt tripped mind-frame we have opted for a more expensive one.  I can't help but think that it would make more sense for me to stay home and look after Sprog after all this.  We would be financially less well off but our quality of life would probably be better.  However, I would have to give up my career- that I am not that comfortable with just yet.  Time will tell if I change my mind.

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