my youngest child is 9, i think (with 4 kids and a memory like mine - i tend to forget. at this point, they're lucky i remember names), so it's been 7 years or so since i had a toddler in my house. heck, we haven't even had anything less than waist high in the house that wasn't furry in ages either. but that's all about to change.
a friend of mine, one of my gaming buddies, actually, is a single mom who has gone back to school. i remember being a single mom and going back to school. it was a *itch. childcare is so hard to find, affordable childcare is nearly impossible to find. affordable childcare at the hours you actually need it? forget it. everything closes no later than 6 pm even in progressive california. so, if you have a class after 6 and no family to watch your kids, well, then, you are screwed. i lucked out with a lady who was willing to come into my house, watch my kids all day, clean for me, make sure i ate at least one meal, and was willing to work within my budget.
time to pay it forward.
besides, i support education whole heartedly. you can NOT get a decent job in this country without some kind of college degree or certificate. why the california government doesn't realize that, i will never know. working a minimum wage job with no benefits supports maybe a single person, but definitely not a family of any size. why the government has to push single parents into working and won't help them get a better education to get better paying jobs (and thereby pay more in taxes), i will never understand.
at any rate, paying it forward. i told my friend if she needed help with her 18 month old, let me know. i'd be more than happy to watch her. so, little m will be joining us in about 2 weeks.
i am very glad my oldest is here to help me adjust to having such a youngster back in the house. as i said, it has been a very long time since we've had a toddler around. and saxy has never been around a toddler on a consistent, daily bases, and he wasn't too happy with the times.
it might be a good thing he's planning on spending his time job hunting.