I am a mother of a 2 yr old and work in IT (haha talk abt hrs ha)
I guess we all (mom' s or dad' s irrespective ) would love to spend most of our time with kids and I agree its upto the family to decide if one of parent should leave job and be a stay home parent..
but here is the question every working parent needs to ask...
How would I feel once my kids are grown up and won' t need me around as much' Do I have an hobby or something I will keep myself busy with
Many of us agree that having one of grandparents taking care of our kid is best..but again lets be practical here
don' t they deserve some rest and there own time. Having them around yes a big plus but making them the primary care giver is something we should think from all angles. It not that aaji baba won' t like to spend time with kids but its only how much we should take them forgranted
I feel better to have a maid come in home and have her suprivised by an elder at home.
But if someone of us is unlucky to have that kind of help better to leave them in creche rather than with unsuprivised maid
(remeber the case of Delhi doctor where maid ran of with the kid)
So whatever you do ..trust the person you are handing your baby but remeber to do surpize visits also
and enjoy being a Parent ..that' s the best

LI feel that if your husband is economically well sound, then baby care should be the priority of mother and later on one can go ahead with its career aspirations and can opt to any secondary baby care options.

My wife is a career person and tends to ignore our child on weekdays when she is working. How do I convince her that she needs to stay at home and provide the care that she really needs.

Most women i know would love to have a carreer of their own, to be able to stand on their own two feet even if the husband is doing very well.
Whereas a working mother has to strike a balance between a lot of things, her role as a mother, a wife, a daughter, a career women etc. and this is a handful. Probably you could be a little more assertive, help her in a few things around the house, make her daily chores a little more easier. Probably you could do a little house work while she bathes the baby or vice versa. If your baby is a little bigger, probably you all three could do things together, like take the child to a park, or take her to play with other kids. Even a trip to the local supermarket would be a enjoyable time for a small child. I am sure she doesnt neglect your child on weekedays, it´ s just that she has her hands full and you could help with that and your help would make things better for all three of you.

If you are really concerned about your child, why don´ t you give up work instead? Why pass the buck to your wife? Else, share responsibilities.

Though I am a working mother, If given a choice, I would prefer to spend with my son in their growing years. A mom' s care is unbeatable. Other options are all secondary when it comes to child care. But some people are forced to work or have their own career aspirations. If its only career aspirations and without a woman' s salary, if family can enjoy all the luxuries atleast to a certain extent, better to forego job and be a good mom and spend all the quality time with your kids. If you have to support your family, the best option would be leave your kids with in-laws provided they are young and energetic enough to take care of them. If this option is not so possible, better to leave them in good day care centres and make your children understand that you will come back early in the evening and enjoy with him/her. If none of the above options working, then opt for a baby sitter. Its really difficult to get a good baby sitter who loves your children as you do. Instruct all possible things to her and leave for work. But make sure you introduce your baby sitter right from the birth of the baby so that babies/kids dont feel any difference when they grow up. This is very important. Make sure that your work is flexi hours and you are there with children any time if there is an emergency. Enjoy your parenting..

For a younger baby, obviously mother´ s care is best. But a creche is better than nothing. One of my friend´ s daughters enjoys going to the babysitter´ s very much. She has lot of friends there. But for a newborn baby, may be you can hire a full time babysitter for complete attention.

I agree that the child should be the mother´ s priority. However, I feel one has to learn to balance both home and career. Otherwise, you will be left with a lifelong dissatisfaction. Also, fathers can participate more to ease the workload for the mother.

I have to return to work in a couple of months and I´ m trying to decide if I shuld hire a baby sitter or leave my little one at a creche.. This article has come at the right time for me

Though 90% of ppl seem to feel that a creche is better, I want to know how much attention do they really give our little ones at a creche.. after all they have so many other babies to look after too.. will they cajole a fussy baby to eat or will they just let her be ? Will they rock a wailing infant to sleep or let him cry himself to sleep ?

Creche is the best option for children over 1.5 years but is it really good for a younger baby who needs a lot of attention ?