As a stay-at-home dad, you’ve had a very difficult yet rewarding job of raising your child/children and having the opportunity to be there at home with them every step along the way. Whether you chose to take just a few months off, or a number of years, it’s something that has a huge and positive impact on the kids.

When you first made the decision to stay home, however, there’s a good chance the goal wasn’t that it would be forever; rather it would be a temporary arrangement. Now that the time has come that you’re ready to transition back into the workforce, it’s only natural to feel a bit scared and apprehensive about the whole thing.

Here we’ll take a look at some tips that can help make the process much smoother, and take a lot of that doubt and fear out of the process.

Discuss Your Intentions with the Kids

As long as your kids are old enough to understand, it’s a good idea to talk to them about your plans to return back to work as soon as possible. They will understandably be concerned about how it will affect them directly. They will want to know who will be looking after them if dad isn’t there. So, it’s also a good idea to have answers you can give them, as you want them to feel as comfortable as possible.

Approach the conversation in a positive manner, pointing out the fact that this is a great opportunity for everyone and that you were so grateful to get the time at home with them.

Further Your Education with Online Courses

Now that you’ve made the choice to head back into the workforce, this is a great opportunity to actually further your education. Earning a degree or diploma not only opens all kinds of doors for you, but it most likely results in a higher paying job. Because you can find so many different programs and courses that are available online, there is bound to be something that can help you further your career prospects.

Maybe you were working in the medical field before you became a stay-at-home dad, just as an example, and now you’re ready to head back into the field. While you can certainly return to the position you had before, there’s also the option of earning a degree and thereby giving yourself more options.

Take, for example, the Spring Arbor University online MSN program, which is the Master of Science in Nursing. You can actually work while earning this degree, so you can still start making an income again.  As long as you already have your BSN, you can choose from three different degree programs, opting for the one that best suits your interests. Pursue your MSN/NP (Family Nurse Practitioner or Adult Gerontology, Primary Care), MSN/Education (a nurse educator or clinical leader), or MSN/MBA (become a Chief Nursing Officer).

Of course, this path isn’t limited to those in the medical field, as you can choose to take a program completely outside your wheelhouse and truly try something new.

Connect with Old Contacts

It’s also a good idea to start connecting with old contacts that you had in your industry. Even if you aren’t planning to return to the exact job of before, you never know what kind of information or leads you can learn from your contacts. Put it out there that you’re heading back to work, and that you’re looking for a job.

Polish Up Your Resume

This is also a great time to polish up your resume and make sure it looks and reads well. You want to be sure to keep it professional looking, adding all your relevant training and experience. If it’s been quite some time since you were in the workforce, it may be helpful to check out online examples of resumes, or even have a resume service take a look and make some edits.

When you do speak to potential employers, be sure you are honest about your break from work. They will most likely ask about a gap in employment, and you can tell them you took time off to raise your children.

Understand It May Take Time

Finally, you need to make sure you are patient with yourself and the process. Just because you’re ready to head back to work now, doesn’t mean you’ll instantly find a job. Understand that it takes time and patience, and probably a lot of work on your part.

Heading back into the workforce is bound to have some bumps and hiccups along the way, but keeping your mind on the end goal will help.