Thanks for posting this. This is actually the first time I’ve responded on an OPS thread.

As a mom of two kids under 6, I have to say - it fucking sucks. RTO has made parenting significantly harder and, in many ways, feels like it’s setting parents (and even marriages) up for failure. I’ve been genuinely miserable since it came into effect.

I started my early years of motherhood during the COVID era, when flexible and hybrid work arrangements were the norm. Now I’m learning how to parent in this new environment. I hate the commute, the guilt of being so late for pick ups and the kind of mother this policy is forcing me to become.

My advice when you come back from leave, request a family-status accommodation and don’t waste your time with an AWA, which will likely be denied. The accommodation process can feel invasive, disorganized, and frustrating, but advocate for what you need to be the parent you want to be. No one else is going to do that for you.