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My two months of parental leave is over, and I can tell you that time has taken on a new meaning.
Before parental leave and the arrival of our second son, time was structured around Kita drop-offs and pick-ups, and the unrelenting beat of the work day: focus time, one-on-ones, stand-ups, all-hands, and so on.
During parental leave from work, the rhythm of the days feels more fluid. Often just as urgent, but more important.
We (well, mostly the mother) adjust our schedules around feedings, wakings, and diaper changings. You rise with the sun, and can't wait to get to bed after the sun sets. The Kita drop-offs and pick-ups feel like interruptions into the parental leave's unique time zone.
There are other impositions inviting themselves to the mix. Forms must be filled out to meet bureaucratic demands. We're moving to a bigger apartment, so boxes must be packed (while the baby sleeps). All of which make the usual time-constrained demands on our schedules and energy levels.
Aside from those impositions, time starts to feel more natural. I see parental leave as a return to a natural order of things, instead of a deviation from the expected order of things. Which is something I hope to keep in mind when I return to work.