Taking paternity leave in January - nervous about coming back

Dec 23·1 min read

6 weeks approved (using up PTO + some unpaid time). My first real chunk of time at home since my youngest was born. Wife's going back after 12 weeks, so I'll have both kids for a few weeks before oldest starts kindergarten.

Honestly terrified that I'll come back and my team will have moved on without me, or my boss will decide I'm not "committed" anymore. Anyone else deal with this anxiety? How'd you handle the reintegration?

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Comments(5)

AAaron W.RegularDec 24

Coming back after that much time will feel weird. You'll have new patterns with the kids and then suddenly you're back to squeeze time into margins. Just prepare yourself mentally that the adjustment goes both ways.

FFred J.RegularDec 24

6 weeks is real time. You're gonna actually know both your kids in a way that a lot of working dads don't get. Soak that in - the nervousness about coming back is valid but that leave is gonna be wild.

JJoe C.RegularDec 25

The fact that you're nervous means you're already thinking about how to balance it. That's good. A lot of dads just come back without really processing what they're leaving behind every day.

FFrank D.RegularDec 24

I'm guessing the nervous part is about letting them down when you have to go back? That's real but also - you showed up for 6 weeks. That matters. You're not abandoning them, you're working.

TTom E.RegularDec 25

The few weeks with both kids before oldest goes to school is actually a gift wrapped as chaos. You'll be deep in it, sure, but that's prime bonding time even if it doesn't feel like it in the moment.