Being a working parent

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• What do I need to know as a working parent?
  
  
• New challenges
  
• The importance of good childcare
  
• The benefits of being a working parent
  
• How we can help
  

What do I need to know as a working parent?

All parents work, of course, and staying at home with a demanding baby or toddler is equally, if not more, taxing than going back to your old job. There are new skills to be learned, but no one around to train you. Added to that, there is no recognition of the hard work being done, and not a salary cheque in sight. It's not all about money, of course, but in today's world, dropping one person's income is often more than a couple embarking on a life together can absorb. And while full-time parenting is doubtless the most satisfying job in the world at times, it is one that fewer and fewer women are doing, as the opportunities that are open to working parents increase. There has never been a better time to consider being a working parent.

New challenges

Deciding to return to work means balancing your time between work and family and you will need to develop new skills that will be essential to you. One of the most valuable is the ability to plan and juggle your time so that you meet different demands: those of your job and those of your family. You will also need to develop strong organisational skills, not only to structure your daily life, but also to keep backup childcare plans in place.

The importance of good childcare

Solid and dependable childcare arrangements are a must if you want to enjoy each aspect of your new life to the full, so be prepared to devote plenty of time to organising this. Don't stint on the effort involved in setting this up and it will repay you with peace of mind when you are back at work. It is a huge responsibility for someone to care for your children and you will need to be 100 per cent happy that you are leaving them in the hands of a skilled and caring person. For this reason it is so important that you find a carer that you can trust.

The benefits of being a working parent

But if you have a job that you find satisfying and your child is entrusted to capable hands you can have a very rewarding life as a working parent. Work can give you a challenge, an income and the pleasure of adult company during part of the day. Then, you can return home and spend time with your child, who has been in capable hands since your departure.

How we can help

BabyCentre will give you all the information and support that you need from the moment in your pregnancy when you start deciding whether to return to work , or finding out about your rights and benefits during pregnancy and early motherhood. We can guide you through the maze of childcare choices, keep you informed about news for working parents, answer your questions with expert advice, and offer you a forum to talk about your experiences, hopes and fears with other working parents.

Reviewed October 2007.