I spent 14 weeks with my newborn son, which was a crash course in being a working parent and dealing with stress, guilt, and coordination. I realized that coworkers with kids put in full days before work and deal with similar emotions as me, including guilt for leaving my child and anxiety about not being present enough. To navigate this transition, I crowdsourced tips from fellow parents and adopted strategies such as focusing on quality time with my son, acknowledging conflicting emotions, making a daily plan, finding support at work, and giving myself breaks. These approaches helped me balance work and parenting responsibilities and find a sense of purpose and community during this challenging period.