I hated the idea of returning to work when DD was only 10 months old. We had to fight so damn hard to get her, it felt like i was just not going to have the time to enjoy her like i should. But like Mak mentioned, sometimes you have to look longer term. In theory, i COULD have taken 2 years, with my job still being available after that time - but the reality was that i think if i'd stayed out of the workforce any longer than i already had, i'd not have returned. i'd have thought "i can get a job when she goes to school" - and waited. But reality was that DH lost his job due to ill health (not that he is ILL - but a truckie with failing eyesight isn't a truckie you want on the road!). So i had to go back. It's hard when he is the one that gets to enjoy her days, tell me about her development etc - but it was a case of me picking up the slack where he can't. He will eventually go back to work as a labourer - but his work is the type that he CAN take a prolonged break without losing his skills - a labourer is a labourer - he doesn't have any particular tickets that will expire so he will get them when he goes back to the workforce when DD starts school. at that stage, i will drop my hours to coincide with school hours (for the most part)

I see, daily, parents that have been out of the workforce for a prolonged period of time and can't go back to work in their chosen field as their qualifications have expired. Things change so rapidly in so many fields that it's almost impossible to keep up if you haven't been in the workplace. I know my job is probably a lot more "fluid" than some, but we have daily changes - after my 12 months off for DD i needed a full week to retrain - and even then, i was struggling. i would hate you to take extra time off with the intent of going back at some point, only to find that you have lost your skills, or are essentially unemployable due to the time you're out of the workforce for a long period of time.

if your qualification is one that will become obsolete if you're not using it, is it possible to get a part time position that keeps you in the loop, allows you to be at home 2-3 days a week, and then build up later when your kids are at school?