It was always necessary to have two incomes in my household, not least because of a serial debtor who hid his lunacies until they invariably crashed on my head. But I insisted we pay for private school; it wasn't all that great but the aftercare was essential. There was a period of time when I was taking eight buses a day, going and coming, and if any one of 'em was late, it was a disaster. My kid had an adult schedule from the time he was in first grade.

And had I been able to stay home, I would've been impoverished later.