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Tips on living a calmer life as a working parent sent to your inbox every weekend
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3 Things that Improve Parental Leave |
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Dear Working Parents,
I believe in continuous improvement. Even things that are going well can be tweaked and improved over time, as we learn, grow, and get new tools and skills.
Let's not pretend that the parental leave experience in the US is generally "going well," though! There are probably about 5,427 things I'd like to improve about how parental leave goes for new moms and new dads in this country. (The obvious one, of course, is that we desperately need a national paid family leave policy so your leave isn't left to the whims of your employer...did you see that Deloitte and Zoom just cut their paid parental leave benefits?!) But let's start small.
Today, I'd like to offer 3 things a team can do to make the whole leave and return thing less stressful for everyone involved:
(1) Have LOTS of Conversations...and Make No Assumptions. I think manager-employee dyads tends to have way fewer conversations that they need to be having about parental leave. I'd encourage new parent employees not to assume that everyone on your team knows what your plan is, or who will cover what when you go out. And I'd encourage managers not to assume you know what your colleague needs or wants with respect to their leave and return. Maybe, for example, she's actually interested in continuing work travel as soon as she comes back, but you've just counted her out of an upcoming trip...it pays to ask.
(Need help figuring out what should be in a parental leave planning document? Mindful Return's got you covered with some templates - here for maternity leave, and here for paternity leave.)
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(2) Expect the Unexpected. Babies come early. Medical challenges arise. Perinatal mental health disorders creep up on many of us (1 in 5 for new moms, and 1 in 10 for dads). As one Mindful Return alum put it, "major life events are not neat packages." Whether someone on your team goes on leave to care for an elderly loved one or a new baby, we never know exactly how things are going to go. Expect messiness. Expect to have to pivot. Expect the return from leave to be a months-long process and not a single event. (More advice here on post-leave reintegration strategies.)
(3) Get Parental Leave Fill-In Talent On Board for the Period That Your New Parent Colleague is Out. That's the subject of this week's most recent episode on the Parents at Work Podcast: Rethinking Parental Leave: The Rise of Fill-In Talent. Jason and I interviewed Beth Wanner of Mother Cover and Kyle Robisch of Latitude Legal about what exactly fill-in talent is, and how it can change the whole parental leave dynamic for a team.
In my personal opinion, this idea of fill-in talent is well-timed to be on the rise in an era of incredibly lean staffing. I just had lunch with someone who is pregnant and going on leave in a few months. She's in the process of planning her transition away from the office, and in a recent meeting her manager said, "there's nobody to take over your work when you go; what are you going to do about it?" Besides the fact that this should be an opportunity for collaborative problem-solving (and not the sole problem of the person on leave to figure out), having fill-in talent as an option would likely make the manager less stressed about this upcoming period of being down a team member. And more likely to get that team member back after leave is over.
What parental leave challenges are you facing? Have you experimented with anything that's helped? Hit reply and let me know - I'd love to hear from you!
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#AmplifyVoices
My dear friend Priya Bathija - women's health expert extraordinaire - is launching a podcast on May 1 called The Women's Health Playbook, and I can't wait! You can listen to the trailer here...and subscribe so you get the first episode when it drops! We need trusted voices on women's health, and Priya is wise, funny, and tells it like it is.
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Looking for Support with the Work-Life Juggle? The Mindful Return 201 Course Starts on Monday, May 4! |
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For 4 weeks, your 4 fearless working parent guides will support you in learning practical skills around: (1) self-care and guilt; (2) time management; (3) building relationships; and (4) your career path. E-mail me at lori@mindfulreturn.com with any questions you might have about whether this cohort might be a good fit for you! Learn more and register here. |
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Lori's Working Parent Pick of the Month
If you've ever hung out with me in person (well, not at a conference, but pretty much anywhere else), you'd know that FUN leggings are my jam. One of my favorite places to aquire these delights is Loony Legs - a female-founded company that makes "sustainable, funky leggings" that are soft and colorful. When I wear them, I feel like I'm wearing a piece of art. Also love that their founder, Velantina Mengoni, founded the company while she was pregnant. She has graciously gifted the Mindful Return community a coupon code for 15% off their products! Use code MINDFUL15 through midnight on Sunday, May 3, to get your discount. #momsrock
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Mindful Return Book Talks
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May 7, 12–1pm Eastern: The Mother Code — Join me in conversation with author Ruthie Ackerman for a powerful discussion on rethinking motherhood, identity, and the stories we inherit — and the ones we choose to write for ourselves. What would the world look like if there were as many stories about motherhood as there are people? In The Mother Code, Ruthie blends reporting and memoir to explore how traditional expectations of motherhood have shaped — and often limited — women’s lives. Together, we’ll unpack what it means to embrace mothering as a radical, expansive act, and how we can begin to disentangle ourselves from inherited narratives that no longer serve us. Register here. |
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June 4, 12–1pm Eastern: Fair Share - Join me in conversation with Brad Johnson and David Smith. In this important and timely conversation, we’ll explore how outdated workplace norms continue to hold both women and men back — and what it takes to build a more gender-fair, caregiving-supportive workplace. We’ll talk about the hidden ways traditional expectations around work and caregiving still show up, what gender-inclusive leaders actually do to create meaningful change, why supporting caregiving is a business advantage — not a barrier, and the critical role managers play in shaping a more equitable and sustainable workplace. Fair Share offers a clear roadmap for leaders ready to rethink how work works — for everyone. Register here. |
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Bring Lori and the Mindful Return team to speak at your organization
Discover Mindful Return's engaging webinars and workshops designed to support employees in balancing work and life. With a focus on working parents and caregivers, our customizable sessions range from quick 30-minute wellness talks to in-depth 2-hour workshops. Topics include navigating parental leave, managing time and energy, and maintaining career ambitions as a caregiver. As one employer recently shared, "Not all speakers can deliver quality content while still having a warm, inviting demeanor and vulnerability, and Lori does a tremendous job blending the two." For more information please see Mindful Return's speaking page or reach out to Lori directly at lori@mindfulreturn.com.
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