How to scatter my parental leave

[Anonymous]

I saw a similar post on the Infant/Preschool forum, and thought I would ask my question here. My husband and I recently welcomed our baby. I have 12 weeks of leave in addition to one month of sick leave and one of annual leave. We have two other children so I don't want to use all of my leave. My husband already took the first two weeks off, and has the ability to take off when needed but he doesn't have the ability to take weeks off at a time only a couple days per month.

My plan was to take four months off, go back to work in the summer, and then take the month of September or October off. I can also use additional leave if needed (roughly six months total (this includes the four months I mentioned earlier), but wanted to save it in case I need it later. What would you do? Take additional leave off? Go back into the office earlier? Do a little part time and then work full time in the winter? Any advice would be appreciated. I went back to work after 12 weeks with my first two children, and wished I had taken off more time, so this time around I am trying to strategically plan my leave.

[Anonymous]

OP here again. I understand that the leave is a luxury, and I don't want to come across selfish. My first child was born premature and was in the NICU, and I really wished I had more time.

[Anonymous]

I would take my 12 weeks leave + 4 vacation weeks all up front and leave the sick leave for anything that comes up between now and whenever your leave refreshes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would take my 12 weeks leave + 4 vacation weeks all up front and leave the sick leave for anything that comes up between now and whenever your leave refreshes.

OP here. Thank you for the advice. So basically take four months off, and then go back to the office full time?

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why you'd go back to work, and then take two months off in the fall. I'd take 4-5 months, then go back to work. Don't use all your sick and annual leave; save some for sick days and doctors appointments and days off school, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why you'd go back to work, and then take two months off in the fall. I'd take 4-5 months, then go back to work. Don't use all your sick and annual leave; save some for sick days and doctors appointments and days off school, etc.

OP here. I wanted to take off in September when the kids start school. It's a busy time, but I do see your point, why not take all of it at once. We also have some trips planned in September so wanted to save leave for that.

[Anonymous]

Don't use your sick leave. You will need it when your baby is in daycare or your older kid(s) are in school bringing stuff home. That is not a knock on daycare, btw, I use it.

[Anonymous]

You need to see what your handbook says. My last company mandated that I take the parental leave all at once. YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why you'd go back to work, and then take two months off in the fall. I'd take 4-5 months, then go back to work. Don't use all your sick and annual leave; save some for sick days and doctors appointments and days off school, etc.

Same - you will wind up paying for daycare you aren’t using that way.

Just take all six months now. I took maternity leaves of that long and it’s a great amount of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to see what your handbook says. My last company mandated that I take the parental leave all at once. YMMV.

OP here. I am allowed to. We can scatter it.

[Anonymous]

I would take 12 weeks and then save the rest to use as needed.

[Anonymous]

Completely depends on how flexible your company is, I did 7 months off, and can’t imagine going back earlier but I had sick time and accrue at a decent pace

[Anonymous]

Go back at 4 months but use some leave to go back on a part time basis for the first month you’re back.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I am back in the office and have no telework flexibility. Do you think it is worth it to go back after 12 weeks given my position?

[Anonymous]

I also had the option to break up my 16 weeks, but thought it would be disruptive for me and my work/colleagues if I returned and then went out again for several weeks. I realize that the leave is an entitlement, but I still wanted to be courteous in the way I used it. Your job may be very different than mine and maybe that isn’t an issue. But, I also had to mentally shift went I went back to work and let everyone m know that I’d returned. Once my head was “back in the game,” I think it would have been disruptive to my own return if I’d take another chunk of time off. Again, your job may be different!