Need the thoughts of working mothers of infants/toddlers

ellie23

Tue, Jun 12 2012, 8:35 am

I laid in my bed this morning and worried (as we women often do). the subject of my worries on this particular morning was of next year. as I contemplated my school/internship schedule, I realized with horror that I would be gone monday-thursday the entire day and wed and thurs I would not even be putting my toddler twins to bed- I would come home after they were asleep! while I will be home the entire day friday-sunday I am concerned about this and I thought why dont I tap into imamother- a resource loaded with working mothers who miraculously do it all and know how to keep it all together!

basically, I have been home with my twins (now 1) for the first year of their lives. never had a baby nurse, babysitters only at night. I have been their only caregiver from a-z while dh was working (he often comes home after they are sleeping so im on the whole time. starting in september, I will have the schedule I mentioned above, as I complete my last year of school and my last internship simultaneously. I will be missing all that time during their 14 month- 23 month period...

so what would I like you all to tell me?
1. do you feel that your child is very close to you?d
2. does a child that young express sadness that you arent spending all that time with them anymore?
3. does anyone have their toddler in daycare for 32 hours a week? what is your experience with that?
4. do you miss milestones? how does that work?
5. is it possible to give chinuch to a child who is in playgroup that much? how does it work when they are with their morah for so long and she is giving chinuch and then they come home to you and you do things differently?

I just spent this year forming this amazing bond with them and I dont want to lose that. I know that by finishing school and having my career it will ultimately benefit them tremendously in a monetary way but I dont want the price of that to be their closeness and happiness with me....are there any tips and tricks that you have on keeping the bond strong?

noone in this world is more important to me than my twinnies and I would be devastated if they felt sad or angry that I was away so much. I know that this is an age where they are testing their limits and learning about what they can and cannot do and I want to be able to guide them toward being good decent human beings..is that possible if I am away all that time?

looking forward to your responses....