Big Mother Energy

Returning to work after maternity leave.

you didn't stand still

You're coming back with more, not less

Leave can make it feel like you've fallen behind. You haven't. You've been running a household on little sleep: planning, negotiating, keeping a tiny person alive and everything else moving. Those are skills. The hard part is putting words to them.

Before your first conversation with work

• Write down what you want your days to look like — hours, place, pace.
• Name three skills you've used most in the last year, at work or at home.
• Have one sentence ready for anyone who asks about the time away.

Let the audit do the wording

Own Yours asks how often you do each of 78 everyday "receipts" and turns your answers into your Energy, a skillset breakdown, résumé lines in your own words and career ideas — whether you're going back to the same job or looking for a new one. It's free, about 15 minutes, and stays on your device.

Also read: How to put stay-at-home mom on your résumé · A life audit for women.