Our Neighbourhood Volunteering Worker, Jenny has shared her experience of returning to work after having children in this brilliant poem:
Being a working Mum is no easy task
In the air are a million things you juggle
Days where you feel you can take on the world
And others are an uphill struggle
Endless application forms & interviews
Rejection can feel pretty tough
But when somebody calls to offer you a job
You cry, because you finally feel ‘good enough’
My day will start with a large cup of coffee
And regularly, you’ll catch me yawning
I certainly don’t need an alarm clock
As the children wake me in the morning
Lack of sleep can be the hardest
5.30am, when my boys are awake and alert
Morning madness, the rush and school run
By 9am, I feel like I’ve already done a full day’s work
Mum guilt hits me as I wave them off
I cuddle them and give them a kiss
I enter this new world of work
And tell myself ‘you’ve got this’
For me, working is important and healthy
Wanting to learn and use my brain
I am still me, but with different priorities
And parts of life are not quite the same
I have always been a confident person
Returning to work is such a huge thing
The nerves, the anxiety, can I do this?
Hoping they’ll like me for all I hope to bring
Teams meetings and zoom calls
Unfamiliar faces fill my screen
A new project, a laptop and phone
A new role within a brand new team
I’ve adapted to these new ways of working
I miss the office banter but work from home
But I throw myself in where I can
And there’s always someone on the end of the phone
When the day is over, I try to switch off
I look forward to getting the boys in bed
Wondering what new challenges I’ll face
As ‘Volunteers’ and ‘Spreadsheets’ fill my head
As I climb into bed and turn off the light
And try to get some much needed rest
I remember what I tell my children
“You can only try your best”
My advice to any Mum returning to work
Is, it is an emotional rollercoaster ride
Take each day as it comes
And you will fill yourself and family with pride
Be proud that you are a working Mum
Embrace opportunities, the job and all it brings
I promise that you’ll find your feet
I promise you’ll find your wings.