The cost of raising a child

Yes, its been a while....

In mid-October I returned to work full time after being on maternity leave for a year. At first, I enjoyed my daily escape from the clutches of my one-and-a-bit-year-old, but gradually the novelty wore off. I really wish that I could stay at home and raise my son, but society dictates otherwise.

Who was the idiot that caused us to think that our children would be better off with two working parents? Why does it require two incomes to raise a child? How does it make any sense that almost an entire income goes towards paying someone else to raise your child, just so that you can come home exhausted to a child that you barely know? Yes, sure you have a nice home, a nice car, the latest electronics, your child is the height of fashion, etc.....But at what cost?

I guess I'm lucky in a way. I work full time and my husband has agreed to stay at home during the day and care for our son. He is on call and works mostly evenings and weekends. During the time our shifts overlap, my parents look after our son for a few hours. We both couldn't bear to leave our son, our most precious belonging in the care of someone he doesn't know, to someone who doesn't care and love him the same way we do. Not to knock those people who feel that they don't have a choice. But our choice was to put the needs of our family first, and we have decided that our family needs love and connection more than money.

Once our son is older, we may send him to an outside caregiver, but for now, this is the sacrifice we choose to make.

Now, you ask, why don't I stay at home and my husband go "bring home the bacon?" Well, I suck as a homemaker. I CAN cook and keep a home clean, but my husband is much better at those sort of things (and more reliable). Also, I am the higher income earner.

In a perfect world, I would be a domestic goddess and my husband a successful entrepreneur. We would raise our child(ren) in the country, homeschool them, grow and eat the majority of our own food. Sigh....In a perfect world.

This reality sure isn't perfect, but its not so bad. I am grateful that I was able to spend that year with my baby (and earn at least a portion of my income through EI). I miss him every day that I'm at work. When I come home, I am greeted by a boy who is usually naked from the waist down and asking for milk. We nurse and he drifts off to sleep in my arms. He is still my little baby and I love him like only a mother can.

Mi