Succeeding as a First-Time Parent (HBR Working Parents Series)

19

“The One Thing I Wish I Had Known . . .”

Contributed by 18 HBR readers

Quick Takes

• Ask confidently for the support you need at work
• Returning to work brings guilt and emotional toll for many
• Others will find returning from leave invigorating
• The long view is hard to see at first, but you will get there
• Don’t try to be the person you were before you were a parent

Editors’ Note: We asked HBR readers on Instagram a simple question: What’s the one thing you wish you had known when you returned to work as a first-time parent? Insightful and inspiring comments came in by the dozens, and we’re sharing a handful of them here.

I wish I understood the power of the “ask.” I assumed my employer would say no if I requested more flexibility or alternative ...