A.B.
Hi J.-
I don't really have any advice about what you should do for work. I'm sorry. I did feel compelled to write though, because I feel like we are living parallel lives!
I had a baby girl last January, and took the rest of the year off for maternity leave (I am a teacher alos, art teacher, at the high school level).
She started going to KinderCare in Aug and literally it's one sickness after another. 2 weeks ago, she had a 103 fever and an ear infection, so I was out of work for 3 days THEN my grandfather died so I had to fly to NY for the funeral!!! It's like it never ends with daycare. I've got to say, talking to some of my stay at home girlfriends, their older children go to pre-school, and bring stuff home, so their younger baby still gets sick! It's like you can't win. My mom, she says that my brother & I were sick all the time in Kindergarten. She says, if you are sick a lot from daycare, you won't get as sick when you start school...who knows right?
Hang in there J., I personally went back to work, but we have another baby coming in October so I plan to take the rest of the year off to be home with both. YIKES! Maybe I'll want to do something else after that year, maybe I'll be chompin' and the bit to get back to WORK!
I hope you find a path that suits you and your family, good luck,
A.