Ask Allison
My daughter is 14 months old and I have to return to work. How can I keep a healthy attachment with her while spending so many hours away from her each week?
First, give up any guilt you might feel for going back to work. It will burn up energy that you could be using to optimize the time you have to spend with your daughter.
If your daughter is still nursing make sure that you have a special time for that bonding each day. Wake a little earlier for a quiet morning nursing or spend a little time every afternoon when you get home in a quiet nursing session.
Co-sleeping at night will help to continue your attached relationship.
If you find that you are running to pick her up from her place of child care only to spend the next hour frantically running errands before going home to a chaotic evening, leave her at daycare a bit longer (if possible) and take care of your errands first. You’ll be able to do them faster without a baby in tow affording you more time to bond after you pick her up. If you can’t bear to be away from her any longer than you have to be, utilize your sling for some hip time. She’ll love being close to you after being away from you while you work.
Get a slow cooker if you don’t already have one and you’ll be amazed by how much time you’ll find in the evenings.
Keep her bedtime routine in place. Read to her while she’s playing in the bathtub and you’ll get two things done at once.
Most of all don’t fret that working outside of the home means you can’t practice attachment parenting.
July 12th, 2007 at 4:39 am
Thanx Allison these are all good ideas that my wife and I plan to implement with our 2 year old.