[MonkeyMama]

Ahh, but I know many who hd no choice and decided to start their own daycare. Then again you have to like kids and it does still take away from time with your child. I know personally I would rather work outside the home than resort to that. I do not do kids, besides my own. But there are so many opions out there if you really feel it is important to be home with the kids. My older son is in daycare/preschool 2 days a week and actually I Am totally in love with the place. The woman started an in-home preschool 20 years ago when she was a single mom so she could be home with her kids. But she loves it so much she continues though her kids are grown.

Gruntina - it is good you are thinking about these things though. My husband has been home 4 years. He tried to find a minimum wage last year - temp - when my maternity leave was unexpectedly extended and came up against a lot of discrimination about his lack of working for a few years. Originally he was going to stay home until the youngest was in kindergarten, and then maybe one of us work FT and one PT. After all my raises the last few years and his experience looking for just a grunt job for a little extra income, I am starting to think he may not ever return to work. IF that is what he runs up for minimum wage job, I Can't imagine the trouble he will find in his field with such a large gap - it will be 8 years no work by the time the younkest is in kinder. In the meantime he is using the time to try to break into another field. He may return to school for a while as well... It is tough overall to have such a gap in employment, but planning ahead can lessen the blow. I wish we had planned ahead better.