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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I went back to work when my kid was 6 months old. I worked 4 nights a week after my partner got home from his day job. 
We did coop at age 3 for symbolic fee and then  local public school.
DC was never sick, no expensive camps, aftercare, or classes.
My partner filed as HH and I filed single making way below $20k. I didn't really have tax expense after EI credit and saver's credit and I still don't. I was able to take lifetime learner's credit for years.
I was never going to have a career (long story). I invested 20-50% of my earnings into stock market and retired when the child finished elementary school. I received a finance degree  when the child was few months old. 
The biggest expense for the kid has been food, school PTA, few soccer camps, some travel in US and EU, and $200 a month for health insurance.
I think my kid is very cheap.[/quote]

My kids were pretty cheap too.
I went back to work PT when youngest entered K which enabled me to pickup the kids afterschool. I gradually ramped up to full time by the time they entered high school.
[b]They probably couldn't have gotten into the G&T programs, competitive middle schools and SHSAT high schools if I outsourced the parenting[/b]. 
The biggest expenses were preschool, summer camps and activities.
Kids scored 1500+ on SAT, attending really great colleges without college consultant nor expensive test prep (they attended mommy prep which cost $0).[/quote]

THIS. Hello, fellow NYC Parent! There is always someone on these threads who talks about the opportunity costs of SAHM solely in financial terms. There are so many other things to consider. I returned to full-time work when my kids were in middle school. I was lucky to be able to return to work in the field which I entered as a recent college graduate. I would not trade those years at home with my kids for anything.[/quote]

+1000

Also, I spent a lot of time in ES/MS/HS driving kids to appointments (therapies/tutoring/etc) that ensured one kid was successful in life.  Had we punted on that and just waited, they might not have succeeded in MS/HS/Beyond.  Instead they attended a good college (T100), graduated in 4 years (with some bumps in the road) and have been gainfully employed at a great job since graduation (4 years). [b] Had I been trying to work and manage all of that, it wouldn't have worked out well. [/b] 
[/quote]

How do you think that makes parents feel if they have to work? [/quote]

That they have to make choices in life.  Yes it sucks.  
 
We chose (before kids arrived) to "live off of one salary".  Our salaries were similar.  We bought a home and life we could afford with just one.  Just in case we HAD to have a SAHP (due to kids with issues).  Because that is a reality that can happen.  But most likely it would have been me sacrificing, getting no sleep, trying to beg for time off during the day to make this happen.

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