So I took 8 weeks off when my second was born and honestly it was amazing. Now I'm back in the office 3 days a week and I feel like I'm missing everything. My wife is handling most of it but I can't help feeling guilty when I'm in meetings and my phone buzzes with a photo of the baby smiling. Anyone else struggle with this? How do you make peace with not being there for all the milestones?
I've been there and honestly what helped was setting hard boundaries on my calendar. Like, I block off lunch to FaceTime with the kids even if just for 5 minutes. Keeps me sane and reminds me what I'm working for.
Going back after paternity leave is brutal. I struggled hard with the guilt even though logically I knew I had to work. How often are you able to see the kids during the day now?
Man I felt this in my soul. Those 8 weeks go by in a flash and then suddenly you're back in meetings pretending to care about spreadsheets while your brain is still at home. It gets easier but yeah, that first month back is rough.
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The transition back is the hardest part but it does get easier. Try to focus on the fact that you're still being an amazing dad, you're just doing it differently now. Quality over quantity, right?