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Social Story for a Parent Going Back to Work
A parent going back to work social story helps a young child understand a big change in the shape of their day. Maybe they are starting daycare, or a grandparent or sitter is taking over, or a parent who was home is now gone all day. Children often worry about two things: who will look after me, and will you come back.
The story below answers both with the plain, predictable parts of the new day: the goodbye, the person who looks after them, and the moment the parent comes back. Read it a few nights before the first day, and again after. Free to read aloud, or make one with your child in it.
What will happen, in order
- Mom or Dad goes to work
- Someone kind looks after me
- Our special goodbye
- Pickup time comes
- Bedtime together, the same as always
Read the steps together in the daytime, more than once. The free printable below has these steps at the top and the bedtime story underneath.
Mia’s New Mornings
A free story to read aloud tonight
For a long time, Mom was home every day with Mia. They went to the park, and the library, and made pancakes on Tuesdays. But now Mom was going back to her job at the hospital.
“Who will look after me?” asked Mia. “Nana will,” said Mom. “Every weekday, after breakfast, Nana comes. And every day, at five o’clock, I come home.”
On the first morning, Mom and Mia did their special goodbye: two hugs, one kiss on the nose, and a wave from the window. Mom’s car went round the corner. Mia felt a bit wobbly inside, and Nana held her hand.
With Nana, they fed the ducks and made a puppet out of a sock. At lunch Mia ate all her noodles. Sometimes she thought about Mom, and Nana said, “She’s thinking about you too.”
At five o’clock, Mia heard the car. She ran to the window, and there was Mom, in her work clothes, waving. Mom came in and scooped her up and said, “I missed you all day. Tell me everything.”
At bedtime, Mom read the story, the same as always. “Will you go to work tomorrow?” asked Mia. “Yes,” said Mom. “And I’ll come back at five, the same as today.” Mia snuggled down. Tomorrow, she knew what would happen. And she fell asleep.
Read it a few nights running rather than on the morning of. Familiarity is the part that works. The aim is that by the day itself, none of it is new.
How do I prepare my child for me going back to work?
Many families find it helps to talk about it a few days ahead, keep the goodbye short and the same every time, and tell the child exactly when you will be back, tied to something they understand like after nap or before dinner. Coming back when you said you would is what builds trust.
My child cries at drop-off. Is that normal?
Yes, very common, and it usually eases as the routine settles. A quick, warm goodbye tends to go better than a long one. If the distress is intense or lasts for weeks, talk to your child’s caregiver and your pediatrician.