First, the calculus changes as your child ages. Your kids will get less expensive as they grow up. School-age kids tend to cost less—public schools are free, for example. And if you stay in the workforce, your income will probably go up (this depends a bit on your job, but is true for many people). This means that even if working doesn’t seem like a good deal for the first few years, it may be a good deal in the long run. Of course, you could stop working when the kids are little and then return to work later—many people do—but this is easier to do in some jobs than others. And there is no
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