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I feel the same way. I have gotten so used to our new normal - me and my husband working from home and our 2 year old in daycare 3 days a week. I really don't want this to change.

Now that I have gotten used to spending so much time with my daughter throughout the week I'm honestly not willing to give this up and go back to seeing her for just 30 mins before she goes to bed Mon - Fri. I plan to ask for more flexibility at work so I can keep working from home 2 days a week and modify my hours so I get home earlier. If they aren't willing to be flexible I plan to look for a new job.

No real advice as I'm struggling to figure out a way to make this more manageable as well since I've realized I'm not ok with going back to how things were before covid.

@wrkbrk: I totally get this whole feeling. Our entire lives and basically outlook on life was upended and going back to "normal" is so hard. Being home all day every day to being back in the office away from your child ...
It really was an adjustment for me- I am finding I have little social stamina. I refuse to commit to anything that we don't 1000% want to do as a family. I get tired easily after social interactions; it's so weird. I miss the simpler times but DAMN it feels good to get dressed up, have BBQs, even stupid kids bday parties (as long as they're not too long lol).
I suggest just really laying low those first few weeks so you can adjust literally to the different neural activity you brain will experience 🥴 (I'm an HSP so I get overwhelmed easily)

Yes, very much so. My parents came to visit for the first time in 18 months. Everyone is fully vaccinated except my daughter (who's still at home/virtual school) so I felt OK about it but then we got asked to brunch at a friend's house (adults are vaccinated but their kid, like mine, is not and their kid goes to school in person) and I'm stressing about whether to go. I also run a large team at work that delivers training and I have to make recommendations on coming back to in-person program delivery - how to keep my customers safe, keep my staff safe, what's OK to ask and do especially now that most restrictions have been lifted, etc. And my kiddo is heading to full time camp in a few weeks as well, which will be her first foray out of the house since March 2020 as well, and I'm both very excited for her and anxious about the potential implications.

I am losing my mind being at home with three kids and not quite enough childcare. I am counting down the days til July when all three kids will finally be in camp five days per week and I can count on some quiet and calm in my house.

I’ve actually learned that I don’t want to WFH full time, I just hope to maintain some level of flexibility. Pre-pandemic, I WFH once a week. I feel like my ideal would be two days in the office and three at home. My workplace is having us all go back at the end of July, starting with two days a week. I kind of hope that schedule continues to be an option, but I guess we’ll see how people do!

I'm with you! The pandemic was difficult for many reasons but getting to be cozy at home and safe from the world with my little family was actually one of the bright spots. We're not in any rush for the inevitable, I don't know when we'll fly or even eat inside a restaurant. I'm back to work at the hospital and school and my husband's job will be back in person in the fall so I'm going to savor these last few weeks or months. My therapist has told me not to apologize for feeling anxious and wanting to take time to feel normal again.

How did your return to the office go?

My husband worked through this with the public, I have been back in the office through the worst surge, and the kids made it back to school full time before the end of the year. I miss telework for the kids not for covid. And I never really WFH more than a couple weeks without going in to the office at all. We were always sort of hybrid.