Hey Moms and Pops, so your Mat or Pat leave is coming up and if you’re like me, you’re freaking out! Literally! I mean, who wants to miss out on all our babies smiles and laughter to a stressful grind. Not me, that’s for sure!
But, the bills won’t pay itself and the food will not magically appear on the table. Before we do return to work, let’s take care of a few things in order to avoid being overwhelm and frustrated whilst at work.
1. Get your baby’s documents in order.
Having an addition to the family means changes. It means introducing an individual to the world and so new documents needs to be drawn up.
With your little one, there are documents such as birth certificate, Social Insurance Number, Passport and Health card that needs to be applied for. And this is in addition to the million other things that you need to do on a daily basis.
The good news is that most of these documents can be applied online. In some cases, you may need to complete need only one application for all the necessary documents that are needed.
So before returning to the grind, head online to apply for these important documents. And word of advice, try your hardest to avoid any errors on the application or the entire application will be either decline .You may even have to pay to get them corrected. (Which is what happened to me)
2.Open a Child’s Education fund
It is no secret that the cost of college and University is increasing every year. Opening your child’s as soon as they’re born is not only a great idea but it will be less of a burden for you when the child is ready for University.
All that is required is your child’s Social Insurance number and from there you can incorporate the monthly premium into your budget.
Because you are starting out so early, there is no pressure to contribute a huge on the monthly payment since you have 18 or 19 years to contribute.
In addition to this, when you contribute to your child’s education fund, the government also contributes a certain percentage of the amount in which you contribute.
So hurry up and get this going!
3. Take Professional Baby Pics for Framing
One thing that is an absolute must do before heading back to work is to document your little one milestone, smiles and precious moments.
If you do not want to, you do not have to get a professional to get this done. Everyone today has a phone with a good camera with some cool features on it. So work with what your have.
Save yourself some money and go the DIY route. Once you have captured the moment, display them nicely by themselves or in a collage setting. Be sure to get the sturdy frames which will last for years to come.
Whilst you’re at it, capture some videos if you do not have any and save them on a USB stick. Trust me, both you and the kids will love to see these footage in the coming years.
4.Update your Group benefits, Insurances, Wills, Beneficiaries etc.
Once you have gone back to work, time is against you. Between running to catch your train and picking up your baby from daycare or baby sitter on time, I find that there is no time left to do anything.
Now is the best time to update your group benefits, Insurances etc to include your newborn. Most of these, consist of lots of paperwork and appointments which you will not get a chance to do. when at work.
Some can be done online, others may require a visit but get it done and out of the way. Take the baby with you if you have to.
5.Arrange back up child care
Believe it or nor, this one is super important. I cannot stress enough on how important having a back up child care program is especially if you are working in the office.
There will be days when you train will be delayed due to a snow storm or your babysitter calls in on the eleventh hour to cancel.
Depending on the area in which you live in, daycare cost are extra per minute after the pickup time. No one wants to pay extra!
I had to learn the hard way! My suggestion to you is to have a list of trusted friends, family and even neighbors who who would be willing to pick up your child at daycare when you’re running late.
6.Get your baby used to their new schedule
If you have already gotten accepted in a day care, chances are your child may need to adjust to a new routine. And we both know what this means!
We do not want to receive daily calls from your day care about your child.
To help curb on the situation and to make the adjustment for your child a little easier, ask the child care facility for the daily schedule. Most of the time, it is already included in the acceptance package which you were given,
Try to follow the schedule as much as possible and chances are in a few weeks, your precious one will have adjusted to the schedule even before daycare begins.
If you do have a babysitter, ensure that you have planned out your baby’s daily schedule planner and have the sitter follows the same schedule .
7.Get your baby’s first year book done
Most of us parent want to keep every bit of our baby. From the first hospital wristband to his or her first tooth. And I don’t blame you. These moments are meant to be cherished.
Chances are when your child gets to be a certain age, you will be bombarded with questions. So go ahead and prepare your baby’s book.
To get started, you can either buy one or start from scratch. Whichever way you choose, your baby’s first book will come in handy later on.
8.Ensure that your baby is up to date with their vaccines.
One task which shouldn’t and cannot be forgotten is your little ones vaccinations. Daycares facilities and schools may not accept your child if this is not done.
In addition, it may be difficult to get time away from home to book a doctors appointment. More so, since this is a stressful experience for your baby, you may want to do a bit of preparation to comfort and calm him down after the shot.
I normally breastfeed my son after his shot, some people provide Tylenol. My suggestion is to speak to your doctor to find out what will work best for your child.
9.Ensure that your house is fully baby proof
You may have already so, if not now is the time to ensure that your home is fully baby proof. Babies curiosity increases as they grow older and their favorite pastime includes grabbing, climbing, putting everything into their mouths etc.
You may need items like gates, outlet plugs covers, guards, corner guard protector, cabinet locks, door knob safety covers, magnetic lock system, stove covers, etc.
10.Enjoy lots of time with your baby
Spending as much time with your baby is crucial. It helps with their development, it helps builds trust and you are able to capture every milestone.
Spending time does not mean simply keeping an eye on them but playing with them, reading, laughing, singing, taking them to the babies park, the babies pool etc.
There are lots of outdoor activities that you can do with your baby such as taking a walk through the trails or just through the neighborhood to look at the flowers, the squirrels, the birds. Trust me, babies enjoy the simplest things in life.
If you rather remain indoor, you may want to look into getting babies books, get some flashcards, coloring activities and get their little minds working.
So this is it folks. Hopefully, this articles helps you get everything done before returning to work. If you do think of something else, feel free to share in the comment.
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Our job is first and foremost to make sure that our family is whole
Michelle Obama
