I had my first son in April of 2021 – he is now a wild, almost 11-month-old, crawling, and constantly climbing on everything! But, surprise, this week I will be having my second son – yes, you read that right! This means that I have become quite the expert on where to get the best maternity jeans (Target!) and great at ignoring the shocking comments people make when they realize I’m going to have two children under one! Growing my family has been the best blessing I could have ever asked for – but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that working full-time on top of being pregnant again, didn’t make being a first-time mom easy! I’ve learned a lot of things along the way, for instance, you don’t need 30 bibs – while cute, you will most likely use your own t-shirt to wipe off your little one’s face. Speaking of wipe – baby wipes are one of the best inventions of all times – make up remover? Baby wipe! Table need cleaning? Baby wipe!  Out of toilet paper? You got it, grab a wipe.

One thing no one told me before having a baby was how challenging preparing for maternity leave can be. Whether you’re in the classroom or an administrator, one or maybe more than one person will be filling in for you during your absence. This leaves the preparation in your hands – as if you aren’t busy enough preparing to be a parent! Since this will my second one in the same calendar year, you could say I’m becoming a maternity leave pro. With my first maternity leave, I thought I had left everyone prepared to cover my administrative duties. My team did an amazing job (seriously, if you’re reading this, thank you!) but I was also able to see how many things I forgot to prepare to make their jobs easier. This time around, I tried to use what I learned to prepare my colleagues and myself for a smoother leave – below are my top 3 tips!

Leave Binder

Create a binder or shared document that can serve as a guide for everything! While your team may not read every page of it, it will at least serve as a reference for when they are in a pinch, and you aren’t available! This can be a great place to outline your daily tasks, important dates, reminders, and duties that your team will need to be aware of. Make sure your classroom or office space has information clearly organized and labeled so that staff can find exactly what they need during your absence. Do you homeschool? What schedules and checklists can you set up at home to make this new chapter easy for you and your family? Click here for more information on creating a Leave Binder!

Prepare Ahead of Time

The weeks leading up to your maternity leave, make time available for meeting with your teammates to go over any questions or concerns they may have. This will provide you time to discuss upcoming events, due dates, and expectations while you are out; it’s also a great time to hear from your team about anything they need from you before you go. Remember – these meetings might be happening with your staff, friends, family, and/or homeschooling community. Whoever your “team” is, work together to make sure you all feel prepared for this next chapter!