who has returned to work after a long stint at SAHM'hood?!

Hi, I am a SAHM and left to go on maternity leave when 5 months pregnant. My DD is now 13 months old so I have not worked for 18 months. Can't believe how fast that has gone. Financially, we are fine and I don't need to go back for money. But sometimes I wonder what it would be like to go back perhaps 2 days per week. My DP works shift work so I would love to ideally find a position that works in with his days. Hmmm....would be good to have some good old fashioned adult interaction again. I do see friends often and attend Mums Group every week however, just thinking it may be different to work.

I love time with my DD and would probably find it hard to cut the apron strings!

Would love to hear from other Mums who returned to work to use their brain again, not just for financial reasons!

Thanks girls! xx

DD1 turned 4 the week I went back to work. Yes for us it was partly financial reasons but I'd dithered around for a while having a career crisis and I really just needed to get myself back out there!! In the interim, I'd kept myself busy by volunteering for a local support organisation, and by doing some study - both short courses and a parttime TAFE course. Work turned out to be not-that-mentally-stimulating in the end! LOL

So there are other things you can do, besides work, to keep yourself entertained :).

Yes a course would be awesome. Would love to do Cert IV in Massage but it is $4000! ouch...

I am never returning to law, ever. Stressful, yuk...

anyone else returned to work after a while at home?

With DD1 I returned to work for 8 hours a week when she was 4 months. She came to work with me in a sling and then would have her nap in the port-a-cot. This went on until she was around 11 months and wouldn't cooperate very well. I taught Puppy preschools one night a week and worked Saturdays as well as doing 4 hours of administrative work with her there.

I started doing a full day of work when she was 13 months old and she went to Family Day Care... Then I got pregnant again and stayed with that. When DD2 was born, I went back to doing the puppy preschool at night and the admin stuff with the baby in the sling for a 10 months and then she started family day care for 1 day a week while I went up to a full day work.

We did need the extra income, but it was also good for me to have another use of my brain.