Balancing Work and Baby

Priya returns to office after maternity leave. She and Rahul work out a schedule to balance their jobs with caring for their baby.

Meanings in Rahul, Priya, Baby-sitter

Key words and phrases

maternity leavetime off work given to a mother after childbirthPriya's maternity leave ends next week.

babysittera person who looks after a child while parents are awayWe hired a babysitter for the mornings.

daycarea place that takes care of young children during the dayThe daycare is close to Priya's office.

work-life balancemanaging time between job and personal lifeBalancing work and a baby needs good planning.

schedulea plan for when things will happenThey made a daily schedule for feeding and naps.

shiftto take turns doing a taskRahul and Priya shift baby duties in the evening.

exhaustedextremely tiredPriya feels exhausted after work and baby care.

support systempeople who help and assistGrandparents are a big support system for them.

work from homedoing office work from one's houseRahul works from home twice a week now.

prioritiseto treat something as more importantThey learned to prioritise the baby's needs.

juggleto try to do several things at the same timePriya has to juggle meetings and feeding times.

multitaskto do more than one task at the same timeHe learned to multitask between emails and rocking the baby.

burnoutextreme tiredness caused by too much stress or workNew parents often face burnout in the first few months.

flexible hourswork timings that can be changed to suit personal needsHer company offers flexible hours for new mothers.

nannya person employed to take care of a child regularly, often at homeThey found a reliable nanny through a friend's reference.

quality timetime spent giving someone your full, undivided attentionRahul makes sure to spend quality time with the baby every evening.

co-parentingsharing the responsibilities of raising a child equally between both parentsThey believe in co-parenting instead of leaving everything to one person.

catch up on sleepto get extra sleep to make up for tirednessPriya tries to catch up on sleep during the baby's naps.

deadlinethe latest time by which work must be finishedHe had to finish a project deadline while the baby was unwell.

mom guiltthe feeling of guilt a mother has about not doing enough for her child or workPriya sometimes feels mom guilt when she has to attend a late meeting.

Useful sentences

Ask How will we manage the baby once you're back at work?
Answer We'll hire a babysitter for the mornings.
Ask Is the daycare close to your office?
Answer Yes, it's just ten minutes away.
Ask Can you work from home some days?
Answer Yes, I've arranged to work from home twice a week.
Ask Who will take the night shift with the baby?
Answer Let's take turns every alternate night.
Ask Do we have any support system nearby?
Answer Yes, my parents can help on weekends.
Ask Are you managing to catch up on sleep at all?
Answer Barely, but the baby's afternoon nap helps a little.
Ask Does your office allow flexible hours for new parents?
Answer Yes, I can start late as long as I finish my work.
Ask How do you avoid feeling burnt out with so much going on?
Answer We share the load and try not to do everything alone.
Ask Have you thought about hiring a nanny instead of daycare?
Answer We're considering it, since the baby is still very small.
Ask Do you ever feel guilty about missing his playtime?
Answer Sometimes, but I make sure we have quality time every night.

Dialogue

PriyaI'm a little worried about going back to work next week.

RahulDon't worry, we'll figure out a schedule together.

PriyaMaybe we should look into a good daycare nearby.

RahulGood idea. I can also work from home twice a week to help.

PriyaThat would really help balance things.

RahulWe're a team — we'll manage it together.

PriyaHonestly, I still worry about missing his little moments.

RahulThat's normal, but we'll make sure we co-parent and cover for each other.

PriyaMaybe we should also hire a nanny for the busy weeks.

RahulGood thought. That will help us avoid burnout too.

Common mistakes

Saying "balance between work and baby" instead of "balance work and the baby" or "balance between work and family."
Saying "take shift" instead of "take turns" or "take a shift."
Saying "I am exhaust" instead of "I am exhausted."
Saying "I feel mom guilty" instead of "I feel mom guilt."
Saying "catch up sleep" instead of "catch up on sleep."
Saying "co-parent with" incorrectly as "co-parenting together with" instead of just "co-parenting."

Quick quiz

1. What is "maternity leave"?

2. A place that cares for young children during the day is called ___.

3. Complete: "They learned to ___ the baby's needs."

4. What does "burnout" mean?

5. Sharing child-raising responsibilities equally between both parents is called ___.

6. Complete: "Priya tries to ___ during the baby's naps."

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