Today marks Lara’s first day back in the office (wahey!) after nine months away on maternity leave.  Whilst we’re overjoyed to have her back, I’m sure the feeling is slightly less clear-cut for her. I have many friends who have recently returned to their workplace after having a baby and they all have mixed feelings about it. They are happy to regain their independence and role as a working woman whilst harbouring a certain amount of guilt and heartbreak at leaving their adored little one at home or nursery.

So, seeing as nowadays you will find a book about every possible situation in life, I was curious to see what books were available on this subject, so a quick browse on Amazon pulled up a few relevant titles. And of course, my immediate response was to judge the covers for appeal… I might sound a little like Goldilocks but it took a little while to find the one I personally felt had got it ‘just right’.

This one looked a bit dated…

There was something a bit depressing about this cover (is it me or does this working mother just look a bit forlorn?)…

This suggested being a working mum requires a certain Boot Camp discipline which (realistic as it may be) frankly scared me a bit…

This softer approach actually would probably make me feel more guilty about leaving my child at home. I can’t help but look at the cute kid popping his head up as though he’s thinking “Hey, Mum! Remember me? I know you have to work, but, hello, can you see me? Don’t forget me please.”

And this survival guide (whilst again, probably very realistic and a picture many mum’s could relate to) doesn’t quite instil the hope of a relaxed work-child balance and seems to remind you that, as a working mum, you will always be pretty frazzled and harrassed no matter what. I think I’d rather live in denial – even if it’s just for the 2 minutes it takes to buy the book.

But then I came across this one which I think nailed it. Colourful and attractive, without suggesting military efficiency, a life of misery or the need to tackle a whirlwind schedule. The silhouettes spell the message simply – you have two roles and you CAN do both – be an independent working woman and a caring, playful mum. And that’s that.

That’s my choice, solely based on the cover, but of course,  Lara would probably be the better judge of the content!

Chiara Priorelli, Publicity & Online Marketing Manager.