f/u small novel re: part-time/full-time, #kids, school (also posted in original thread)

potbellypig

DH and I talked at length about all of this today (we were both home sick this afternoon. Friggen Christmas flu).

We have decided to send the kids to the public school nearby. I looked up the high school courses available in the private school and they were very limited (sciences every second year only) and our kids will have way more options in courses and sports going to the public school. Someone here mentioned that parental involvement and not school determines success, and I found similar articles online. I feel at peace about this although I expect some anxiety about the crowd of kids to remain. In a way, I may have been too naive and trusting of the kids in the private school though. I'm sure they have problematic kids too.

After baby 3 I will go down to 3 days a week. DH was totally fine with this especially given that we wouldn't be paying for private school. He will talk to our financial adviser this week so that we can plan for this. That means I'm going balls-to-the-wall with working my full time job and filling in shifts until the end of June, then mat leave, then 3 days a week in November. I'm dreaded the next few months but ready to do it if it means I can go part time more easily next year.

Baby 4 remains to be decided, as many of you stated, deciding that now is unwise. We'll see how baby 3 goes. There's space in my heart (and house!) for two more kids, though! 

Thank you everyone for taking time to respond to this today. I know I am worried way in advance but unknowns like this stress me out and I need to know about the PT/FT thing sooner than later for strategic planning at work, and the school and baby thing tie into that.

 (also posted in original thread)

jlaOK

Great news!  I'm also a major planner so I totally understood where you were coming from.  Seems like it all worked out.

Beevol

It sounds like the public school in your area is way better than the private school you were looking at! Science only offered every other year would keep your kids from being able to apply to most colleges so that would be a total deal breaker for me. 

I'm glad you guys found a compromise though!