New parenthood brings the start of a new chapter and we begin to adapt to a different normal.

Does parenthood shift our perspective on if, when and how we decide to go back to work after parental leave?

As we start to find our feet in this parallel world, what happens when work re-enters the picture?

Is our outlook the same?

Do the decisions we made before look the same, ...or different now?

THEMES:

• Adapting to new parenthood
• Two worlds side by side
• Perspectives and priorities: how do we re-shape them?

This is episode 3. New listeners can find episode 1 here.

Add your story: www.myjourneybacktowork.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Introducing MJBTW

My Journey Back to Work is a listening project and podcast inviting parents to share their experiences.

Picking up where we left off in episode one - work is in full swing and it’s hard to see how life could ever be any different. But is something about to change?

Starting a family is no longer a future possibility. It becomes our current reality.

From working life to birth, how do we navigate the questions we meet along the way?

As we approach making plans for parental leave, what do we expect our future to look like?

And how comfortable are we to speak openly about this at work?

When do we tell our colleagues and employers? What or how much do we say? And what ripple effects might start to move when we do?

• "I knew I wanted to take a year off. But with that comes, will they remember who I am? What's going to happen in the business while I'm away...?"
• "There are so many expectations we have about being mothers..."
• "It made it very clear to both of us, actually we really do want to do this..."

THEMES:

• Decisions and expectations: future working and family life
• Do we talk about family plans in the workplace?
• Is working life about to change?

This is episode 2. New listeners can find episode 1 here.

Add your story: www.myjourneybacktowork.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Introducing MJBTW

My Journey Back to Work is a listening project and podcast inviting parents to share their experiences.

What happens when we go back to work after parental leave?

At least 100,000s UK parents return to work after parental leave each year. That’s a lot of first days back isn’t it?

How was yours?

• "Before I had my daughter, work was everything..."
• "I knew I wanted to take a year off… but with that comes… ?"
• "There was a real tidal wave of excitement about the industry..."
• "Where you still have to adapt in your work even 12 years on"
• "I’d be interested to listen to your podcast and hear what other women have to say…"

What's it like on the inside? And how do our experiences along this path shape what comes next?

When we care deeply about our working lives, what happens when something comes along to change it?

When does starting a family come to be part of the conversation? And what do we notice about ourselves when it does?

As we take our first steps towards parenthood, the layers of invisible experiences that might be bubbling away inside our heads could shed some light. But first we need a way in.

Can a picture of an everyday family breakfast open up what this path might really be like on the inside?

• "There was a real tidal wave about the industry and I just got swept along with it..."
• "Working hard and working long hours..."
• "I knew who I was and I was happy with where I was at..."
• "I hadn't even thought about children and families at that point..."
• "It made it very, very clear to both of us, actually we really do want to do this..."

THEMES:

• Building early careers
• When do we start a family?
• How many hidden layers are there to this conversation?

Add your story: www.myjourneybacktowork.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Introducing MJBTW

My Journey Back to Work is a listening project and podcast inviting parents to share their experiences.