Post by Astrid de Jong

I recently updated my LinkedIn profile to include a “career break” as full-time parenting. I assumed it would automatically share with my network, but it turns out LinkedIn only posts ‘career’ updates to your feed. For me, the past eight months have been one of my proudest and most transformative chapters. So before I share what’s next professionally, I wanted to share this part of my journey. My partner Mitch and I welcomed our son Milo in July 2025. Since then, I’ve been on a full-time career break as a parent. Wow, how do you even begin to describe such a life-changing chapter? Nothing quite prepares you for the rollercoaster of parenthood. The steep learning curve is far more intense than any of my career moves to date, learning to function on very little sleep, navigating the physical and emotional demands of being a mum, rebalancing priorities, and stepping into a whole new identity, both personally and as a family. And for me, none of these challenges come close to the joy and privilege of being Milo’s mum. This time has also given me the gift of slowing down and re-experiencing the simple moments through the lens of a child. The things that make Milo’s day: a big smile and a happy wake-up, stopping to touch the leaves, watching the wind in the trees, and feeling raindrops on our faces. In this new role, I’ve also developed a number of unexpected skills, including operating at peak productivity during 30-minute nap windows, children’s book repairs, nursery rhyme singing, and enthusiastic animal noise impersonation (skills I don't feel the need to bring to my next workplace). As I return to work, I feel a mix of emotions, knowing how much I’ll miss these full days with Milo, while also feeling excited to challenge myself professionally again (and maybe wear my hair in something other than a messy bun). This chapter has been grounding, perspective-shifting, and deeply fulfilling, and I’m excited to bring this new version of myself into the next step in my career as I learn to navigate life as a working mum.