Just finished my 8 weeks and went back last Monday. I had this weird guilt the entire time even though logically I knew I should be there. Like I'd be playing with my son and thinking about emails piling up. My wife finally told me to snap out of it because I was driving her crazy. Did anyone else feel like this? How long before that anxiety went away?
I'm about to go through this in a few weeks and honestly this helps a lot to hear. The guilt is real even when you know logically that taking care of yourself makes you a better dad. It's just wired into us I think. Glad you made it through okay.
This is so important to talk about. Society tells us we should feel guilty for taking time off but you deserve to be present for those moments. Eight weeks is precious and you were supposed to be there. The fact that you felt guilty actually shows you're a great dad who cares. Give yourself some grace.
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I had the exact same experience after my paternity leave. Even though my wife was amazing and the baby was fine I just felt weird the whole time like I was doing something wrong. Went back to work and it took me a couple weeks to realize I'd been overthinking it. You're not alone in this.
Dude that guilt is no joke. I'm only 6 weeks in so I haven't hit the return yet but I'm already dreading it. Did it get easier after a few weeks back or does that guilt stick around?