Did you/will you go back to work once you had children (for children under 2 years)?

[PuppyGuts]

With DD i went back to work when she was 4 months old to finish my apprenticeship, but had a break once i had been signed out before working somewhere else for 6 months, then DH started working FIFO and i didnt think it was fair, she was still so little to not have dad around and mum always working so had nearly 12 months off before going stir crazy and then i opened my own buisness, which was too full on-i wasnt paying myself as it wasnt going as well as i had hoped yet still paying close to $300 a week childcare so after 12 months of that we sold the shop and now she is 3.5 and i am working 3 days a week and she is in childcare.

For us, its mostly more beneficial for me to be at home, i get paid about $400 a week and CC is $280 BUT i love my job, i love being in there and its still s bit of extra cash to save.

DD is also a much better kid when shes in kindy, she gets so bored being at home with me and i hate it, i need adult conversation, when number 2 is here i plan on taking a few months off but still go back to work casually.

[insanity]

I went back to work last month when ds was 9 months

[karisha]

I couldn't bare to go back to work after having my last 2 babies and instead started my own business. I now earn 3 times more than what I did in my boring 9-5 job plus I have the benefit of being with my kiddies and doing something I love. Find something your good at, enjoy and then take it from there xoxo

[littleriv]

Yes, I went back to work- part time at first then full time after my first 2. I love work and the money meant we could buy a house and so on. We had excellent care for our kids from the age of 12 months at out local childcare centre. Now, my eldest has just started school and I have realised this is when I really need to be at home- to get them to and from school and to be part of their school lives and education. So, this time around, I will be staying off work for longer- but mainly as my 2 older ones will be at school. In my experience, working in the earlier years was better and if you have excellent care, then go for it, I say. It gets harder to work later when they start school.

[Tildy]

I wont be going back to work. That being said, I will be doing uni. The plan is that uni will take me 4 years and then I can go back to work and put bubs in preschool to get him/her school ready. Lol sounds like a brilliant plan........in theory. We shall see how it all goes.

[nicoletta]

I've been at home since before DS1 was born. I was studying from home, until he was born.
I'm starting my first year of Uni in January, I'm so excited

[jade84]

I will be returning to work for one day a week when my maternity leave is up, im going back purely for 3 reasons 1 I enjoy my job, 2 i don't want to resign a 3 in order to keep my RN registration you need to complete a certain amount of hrs each year. My mother in law will look after bub one day a week.

[Neisha0702]

I had to return to work due to financial reasons just before my son's 1st birthday. As a teacher I was able to go back part time - 3 days per week. If I had the financial freedom to stay home with my boy I would have - no question about it. Fortunately my son is cared for by his grandparents when I am at work, so I know he is loved and nurtured all day long.

[tiggerfields]

I had to go back to work when DS was 6mo. It was very difficult.

Now happily I run my own business from home. When we are blessed with our new baby I'll continue to work from home, with a full-time nanny or au pair so I can duck out to meetings and do conference calls etc.

[miracle4me]

I'm in my 2nd year off work. Yesterday a friend & ex collegue said "Do I miss work?' NO was my answer loving being a mum I'm just lucky DD husband has a gd salary & we have been financially able to cope on 1 wage. We did have a lot of things paid off eg cars and had a low mortgage plus we've had to adjust our spending i.e we go out less for dinner & entertainment movies etc - we hire a DVD & eat yummy meals at home. I'm just as busy without work & feel I'm still active in the community with my profession. I started a MUMS & BuBs tennis club to help women with new babies cope with PND & help them exercise to loose the baby bump, I became President of the Local Tennis club, Started a Data Base of local playgrounds for mums on FB Springfield Region's Parks Database, started my own Babysitting club with my friends, I enrolled in some courses to help kids with Dyslexia & now tutor 2 children on a Saturday and I'm even considering learning how to make glass mosaics. I actively assist mums with kinds of all ages with professional advice to concerns about children's educational/developmental issues. I also assist in a charity RETURN SERVE run by Tennis Qld to assist disadvantaged kids & Act4kids a charity to help abused & neglected kids all done in the spare time usually at night instead of wathcing TV. I take my DD to playgroup, Toddler Time at local library, music and gymboree classes plus I find time to exercise with a local Stroller bootcamp baby goes in the pram while I work out. Yes I'm busy but I still manage to cook clean , be eco friendly wash cloth nappies and iron (sometimes) as well as read a book for book club. So I don't miss working - I think I already have a full time job just being MUM to my DD under 2 is so important for me to stay home until she is 3 at least as this is the crucial age where they learn so much from their 1st teachers their mums & dads . But in saying that I'm sure any care provided it it good quality care is also beneficial to those mums who have to work because they don't have a choice or they choose to go to work that's totally their choice. But for me I chose to be a stay at home or as I say an out and about mum in the mornings we come home to sleep for our noon nap. LOL. I have a choice thankfully to my Darling Husband. I even entered a yummy mummy competition just to prove to all women that u don't have to show clevage or pose semi naked to be a real mum & even if sometimes I do wear my 17mths old breakfast lunch & dinner on me I'm still a yummy stay at home mummy. I'm #178 if you want to vote thanks.http://www.b105.com.au/win/yummy-mummy-2012/entrants2