Working full-time and being a parent was never something I had planned on doing. It was my intention when I got pregnant with Harry was to stay home for a year after he was born and then to work part-time while he got some socialisation at a nursery, but plans don’t always work out the way you think they will.

Going back to work full-time is what worked out best for me and my family. This doesn’t mean that all parents should work full-time after having a baby, different things work better for different people. But for my own sanity, full-time work is what worked out best.

Having not planned for me working full-time, Sam and I had no idea how we were going to make it work with the shifts he works. Because I don’t drive we needed to work out how we were going to get Harry to nursery and me to work on time when Sam wasn’t there to do drop offs. We are so incredibly lucky to have the support of family around.

Harry normally wakes up around 5am (not my favourite time for him to wake. I miss the time that he used to get into bed with me and go back to sleep) Sam’s usually still at home at this point so he gets a cuddle for half an hour while I get to wake up slowly, and then Sam gets ready for work and I get up and start getting Harry ready. Once Harry is dressed he goes into his room and plays with his toys (his room is more like a playroom with a bed, to be honest) while I get myself ready. Usually, by this point, Sam has left and we have about an hour before Harry is picked up and I have to leave for work. We are really lucky with Harry’s nursery that he gets all of his meals provided so I don’t give him breakfast during the week because it messes with his routine at nursery so we normally sit either in mine and Sams room or in the living room watching TV(Usually Mr Tumble, even though I really hate it) and I finish getting ready and if I have time do a quick spruce up of the downstairs if its needed. The Harry is picked up, usually by Sam’s dad as he works on the same site as Harry’s nursery and I go to work.

If its a weekend and I need to work its usually the same sort of routine, and Harry will go to either Sam’s parents house or my dad’s until one of us is finished work. He LOVES nursery or going to his grandparents. He gets spoilt ridiculously and it feels like a treat to him.

I wouldn’t be able to work full-time without the support we get from our family. I know I haven’t mentioned my mum in this but she helps as much as she can living over a hundred miles away. Whenever she visits she will wake with Harry, take him if we need it and give us a break even if its so I can have a glass of wine without feeling guilty. We are forever grateful for all the help and support we have from our family, not only with picking Harry up when we have no way to get him to or from his nursery, but giving us a break when things are overwhelming us and being there to talk to when we need it. I don’t think we could have ever done this without them all! So shout out to Harry’s grandparents who are literal god sends!!