Returning From Maternity Leave Prints

'Good to see you back at work.'

"We've decided your suggestion to have a day care center here at work has merit."

'William, I've decided to go back to work so I can get a little rest during the day.'

"Guys, can you use your Mommy-doesn't-want-to-know-I-exist voices?"

"Oh, Mrs. Horris, he just said his first words..!"

Balancing work and family

"I'm learning to live with existence."

"And so another trip comes to an end...with family brought closer together by a shared experience."

'She's determined to combine a family and a career!'

"Since he was born today he won't begin daycare until tomorrow."

It had been a while, but he had finally come home.

Hand sanitizer

'How soon can I return to work? About fifteen minutes ago.'

Well, you and I know it's our home, but our 'smart home' doesn't know it's our home

Limerick Airport

"I take it this is your first interview since the start of lockdown?"

"I'm so happy to be back in the workforce I'll never complain out loud again about Mondays."

The Working Mum

Newborn Chaos

"Now, Mrs. Stevens, go to work, relax, and leave the social engineering to us."

'Welcome back, Mary. How were the vacations?'

'I will never cease to be amazed at how deftly she balances the demands of career and family.'

"I'm back. My family didn't want to spend more time with me."

'Still having problems finding day care?'

"You're on 'Ask Sadie.' What's your problem?!" "I want to go back to work." "But my son is still so young. I'd have to send him to preschool or day care. And then most of my salary would go to pay for that. So what should I do?" "You should do what we did in my day: Have six more kids and then let them all fend for themselves!" "If your eldest isn't a strong leader, it may get a little 'Lord of the Flies'-ish, but that builds character!" "...in the survivors."

'Mat leave's almost up...time for you to hunt.'

Laptops

Mother racing to work for a company with day care and a health club.

"Home is where the WiFi is."

"If someone hugs me my first day back, I'm going to just break into pieces."

"The holidays are finished George, get over it!"

'It's OK to take your work home with you. It's not OK to bring your home to work with you.'

'Of course I put the children first! Look how much I pay their nanny.'

"Here we use the email term 'out of the office', not 'away lazing on a Spanish beach, without a care in the world.'"

"The holiday was a real eye opener...the crowds,the unbearable heat and noise,the chaos...and that was just at Heathrow."