Colman Noctor: New mums need to ease off on guilt about returning to work 

"We often hear ‘there is no manual for being a parent of a baby’, and maybe there shouldn’t be. Every child is different"

Picture; iStock 

The rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine is giving us much-needed freedom. But for parents, it is a mixed blessing. Apart from the logistics of returning to work and finding affordable childcare, there is an emotional cost that is often unspoken about. 

Over the past 15 months, I have been contacted by many new parents about the impact of rolling lockdowns on infants. Many newborns have had little or no contact with extended family members, and due to restrictions have missed out on core socialisation experiences. Also, what we know from children of many ages, is that the cocooned nature of the last year has meant that many have developed an over-reliance on adults and parents and have struggled to reintegrate into school and sports as a result.