The guilty mums working club

FINALLY!!!!! A bit of support for us poor "old" working mums!

I went back to work when Caitlin was 4 months old. Totally NOT by choice, was way too early in my opinion and I beat myself up over it every single morning I leave her. But in saying that, I've read about people leaving their 1 year olds for the first time and it's so much harder on the child as they are so much more aware.

I started doing 3 days a week, went to 4 days last January and have been doing the same ever since. Definitely will not be going back to full-time! I know I couldn't handle being away from her that much I really enjoy our Friday's together.

I am incredibly lucky to have my Mum looking after her whilst I am at work so I know she is being looked after just as good as I would look after her (if not better).

It does eventually get better but I don't think the broken-heart feeling will ever go away. Every day when I leave her she always gives me a big kiss and a cuddle and waves to me from the front door.

**sits here in tears**


BUT... When I do get the chance to spend time with her I make sure I give her 100%! Like someone said earlier, quality is better than quantity.

And then there's the days when she's an absolute Demon Baby and I can't wait to go to work to get a break

I think we have an ok-ish balance. We get to do all the good stuff with her at the weekends so I think we appreciate our time together as a family more.

Ok, I don't feel that guilty and now feel bad for not feeling guilty. I cried and cried the night before I left him there the first time, but the next day, dropped him off and kept myself distracted at work. I think about him all the time though, and once 3.30 rolls around I am usually counting down till 4.30 when I leave to get him, and I can't sit still in the car on the drive there.

I am lucky as we have Jack in a great place, and they love to have him. He had some issues at the begining, mainly getting angry, not upset but now he has settled and loves being with all the other babies and he is learning so much from them

I work fulltime - 37.5 hours a week and if you include my travel time each week, thats an extra 7.5 hours too. Sigh.

Don't feel guilty at all, Charlotte loves day care and is itching to get back after the weekend. Plus, it was a choice for me to come back to work and I love it too. And we also have an awesome time at the weekends - we reserve them for the three of us and tend to do heaps of exciting things.

Being away from Char makes me value my time with her even more.

My baby took his first steps today while I was sitting at my desk at work Missed out. Feeling sad and sorry for myself.

Told DH to strap him to the floor and not to let him do any more of that rubbish till I get home

I no longer feel guility either...I beat myself up because I thought I had to be the perfect stay at home mum and now I know I function much better as a working mum and Maddie gets so much out of Daycare...far more than I could give her at home.

SB - I occassionally feel bad for not feeling guitly too but then in todays society, as parents we're made to feel bad for almost every choice we make so we can't sodding well win. I figure I may as well stop feeling guilty!

None here either...I'm on a day off so I couldn't wait to come home and go back to bed until midday! hehehehe. (darn lazy shift workers!!!!)

I remember when I dropped Harry off for his first day at creche....I got upset because I didn't feel guilty.

What I do find hard, especially with two of them at creche, is what there routine is, what they get fed and like (and don't like), what they are like interacting with other kids etc. Sure you can see what the menu was but its not the same as seeing it first hand.

Alex turns two this week so yeah, his cost will go down $15.00 per week. Roll on when he is three and it gets even cheaper