Just went back to work after 4 weeks of paternity leave and man this sucks. I got to drop my daughter off at school, pick her up, do the afternoon stuff with the kids. Now I'm back to leaving before they wake up and getting home after dinner. The 4 weeks felt like they flew by but showed me what I'm actually missing. Anyone regret going back? How do you deal with this?
Four weeks is amazing though. I only got two and I still struggle with it. The key is finding small moments that matter - maybe you can do something consistent like a special breakfast on weekends or a quick FaceTime during lunch. Helps fill that gap.
The afternoon routine hits different when you're working all day. For me, even small stuff like a napkin drawing in the lunchbox helps bridge that gap - gives them something from you in the middle of the day.
Those four weeks were special but you're still her dad and you still get the pickups and afternoons. It changes, yeah, but the connection doesn't disappear just because you're back at work.
The adjustment back is no joke. I was a mess when I returned after my second kid. What helped me was setting up a real routine for after work instead of just crashing. Even 30 minutes of focused dad time before dinner makes a difference in how you feel about the whole situation.
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Man I feel this so hard. That first week back was brutal for me too. I went from being fully present with my daughter to barely seeing her before bedtime. The guilt is real but it does get easier. Try to make those morning drop-offs and evening time count even if it's shorter.