Mom life meets nanny life…Read on to hear about my return to work and how I’m juggling all 5 kids!
I took about an extra month off due to some high blood pressure issues at the end of my pregnancy. I had planned to take two months of maternity leave, so I was gone for about 3 months! I returned to work at the beginning of July, and Logan came with me! I am so so blessed to have a job I love that allows me to spend time with my own child as well.
I worked really hard to have Logan on a pretty consistent schedule before I returned to work. I knew that it would be a big change for both of us and I wanted him to have as smooth a transition as possible. So far, he sticks to his routine fairly well (as long as I do too!) even though he is still getting used to his new environment. I think the biggest things that helped us be prepared were having a set wake up time, putting him down for naps and bedtime awake, and making sure we followed the E.A.S.Y. (Eat, Awake, Sleep, You) schedule.
As far as returning to work goes, I was excited (and so were the kids). We have about a month and a half of summer before school starts, so I planned out our calendar accordingly. I try not to plan too many things that cost money during the week, because with 4 kids things add up quickly! On Mondays we go on an adventure somewhere (the zoo, a museum, etc) and on Tuesdays we go to the library. There are several around the Quad Cities, so we are checking out a different one each week. Wednesdays are water days! We may go to their grandpa’s pool or their country club pool other days, but Wednesdays are special – water parks, splash pads, and pools we don’t normally get to visit. Thursdays are craft days, and Fridays are reserved for “fun” – maybe a fun place like a bounce house or a fun activity like getting frozen yogurt and playing water games outside.
The 5 and 2 1/2 year old are still going to day care on Tuesdays and Thursdays to help them transition from when I was gone, so the big kids (14 and 9) have opportunities to do things they might not normally get to do when ALLLLL of us are together. Planning that with them has been fun.
So far, we are doing pretty well! I have been a lot more relaxed with them this summer, but they know what is expected of them. They have chores and are expected to read. I do have journals that I am going to give them as well.
If you want to read about our summer last year, go here. For summer activities for your kids, check out this post as well as this one.
What do your summers with kids look like?
Any tips for taking care of an infant AND 4 other kids!?