Moms and Dads

Hello to the Hybrid Life: Adjusting to a Hybrid Work Setup

by Gretchen Gatan Fragada
May 23, 2023

With companies shifting to a hybrid work setup, how can new moms manage their separation anxieties after spending three years cooped up with their children?

This story about adjusting to a hybrid work setup first came out in Modern Parenting’s special Mother’s Day-Father’s Day 2023 Print Edition available on sarisari.shopping.

Now that the world has opened up again and things are slowly returning to how they were before the disruption of a pandemic, companies have also begun adjusting to a hybrid work setup. This allows employees to work both in a physical office and at home — depending on their schedules and preferences. In most cases, this model is ideal. It offers flexibility, a better work-life balance, as well as fewer transportation costs.

But for those of us who became first-time moms during the pandemic, where routines were built around our babies and toddlers, the thought of reporting back to the office and leaving our children in the care of others can cause unease.

It’s a difficult transition where everything is changing drastically or happening so fast. And this intense physical and psychological adjustment of becoming a parent, getting to know ourselves again, and taking care of our child doesn’t always get processed properly. Add to that having to be away from them for two or three days a week. We’re bound to panic and even think about resigning.

To read the full article, grab a copy of Modern Parenting’s special Mother’s Day-Father’s Day 2023 Print Edition. It’s available on sarisari.shopping. Or you can download the e-Magazine from Readly or Press Reader.

Being Gentle on Ourselves

Those were my first thoughts when our company announced that we would have to report to the office twice a week. I was filled with dread as I wondered how I could make it work. Especially since I have no helper or nanny and am still breastfeeding my one-year-old daughter Cambria. At the same time, the thought of quitting my job, where I get to do what I love every day, made me anxious, too.

Controlling the Parameters

The fear of the unknown is often what leads us to freeze or freak out. Fortunately, communicating my concerns with my very understanding boss made it easier to control the parameters in terms of the days and hours I’d be reporting.

Knowing that I had a set schedule every week gave me a lot of peace, too. I would coordinate with my parents and sister—who live about ten minutes away from our house—so that they could pick up Cambria and take turns babysitting her while I was in the office. It involves executing a new set of logistics but I’m so lucky to have their support. They’ve been incredibly crucial in allowing me to make the hybrid setup work.

Seeking Support

Not everyone has the same privilege. And sometimes, I imagine what I would be doing if I didn’t have the support of my family. Perhaps I’d be forced to hire a nanny who can watch over Cambria. Or look for a daycare center near my office where I can leave her for a few hours. There’s no doubt that would take a different toll both emotionally and financially.

Learning to Let Go

The night before I reported to the office for the first time since I became a mother, the nerves kicked in really hard that I almost cried. I packed and prepared everything that I felt Cambria would need while she stayed with my parents. But the next day, as I was on my way to the office, I suddenly felt excited. I could take a break from being Full “Mom Mode” and just be a “Working Girl” — an identity I knew all too well after being a go-getter career woman for more than a decade.