Return to Office

Return to Office

From Whatcha Expecting? by Claire Tadokoro and Kate Herzlin

February 11, 2026 · 29 min · Season 2 · Episode 18

About this episode

Kate shares her experience returning to work after maternity leave while Claire reflects on her own transition and the changes that come with it.

Maternity leave is over! As Kate returns to work, she discusses what it’s been like to slowly ease her way into a new routine. Claire recounts what it was like when her maternity leave ended, and how surprised she was to find herself suddenly rusty at skills that used to be second nature. They both consider what it’s like to come back when who you are has so fundamentally changed, and how to manage and embrace those changes. Come for the life lessons, stay for the tangent on the cost of daycare! Weekly Plugs: Changing your default meeting time to 25 and 50 minutes — give yourself buffer time! Hot cocoa Editing, recording, post production and dad insights by Joe Leonardo. Music by Christopher Morucci Follow @whatchaexpecting .

People in this episode

Hosts: Kate, Claire

Topics covered

  • maternity leave
  • return to work
  • parenting
  • life changes
  • daycare costs

Keywords

  • routine
  • skills
  • life lessons
  • hot cocoa

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Google Workspace, Hot cocoa

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