Hi! I went through the same thing when my son was a baby. He is now 2 1/2 and I just this week went back to work and put him in daycare. I worked while he was a baby, and there was even a great daycare center at the company, with a nursing room where I could go and feed him on my breaks. That I think may have just made it worse. I thinik it is really important for children to be raised by their parents, and not a daycare. I am a single mom too, and know how hard that is. I finally decided to try working in a daycare center, but it only lasted 5 months because the children were treated so horribly and I couldn't stand it. So then I found a job as a nanny. I went to someone's house every day from 6:30 am to 4 pm, and took care of their daughter (from 6 months old till 18 months old), and got their 9 year old ready for school. I was able to bring my son with me and be with him all day. It is like being a stay at home mom... but in someone elses house and taking care of their kids too. It was great, I absolutely loved it! I only got paid $200/week, but I was allowed to bring my laundry and do it while I was working, and take the kids anywhere I wanted to go. There are plenty of higher paying nanny jobs, but usually less relaxed. Me and my son were fed breakfast and lunch, and they provided diapers since he is the same size as their daughter. He got to socialize with other kids, and learned to not get jealous when mommy holds another baby. I could bring him when he was sick, and also took care of their kids when they were sick (they had already been around eachother and exposed anyway). It was definitely the greatest job in the world that I could have ever had. My son turned 2 in April, and since then it has gotten to be too much to never have a break. Being a single mom, there is never any help or time away. I started getting too crabby with him and needed a break, and decided we both were ready to go back to full time work/daycare. I know it is the right time for us. So last Friday was my last day as a nanny and on Monday I started back at my old job, and he started at a great daycare. A lot of people didn't like that I took a lower paying job when I could have made more money, and thought that the money was more important for Connor, but I beleive that I gave him a great start to his life by being in it. I had a lot of older mad at me for getting medical assistance... but when I was working before, after I paid for daycare, I didn't have much more money anyway. Is $100/month extra after daycare and taxes really worth not being with your child? To me it wasn't. Now for going back to the same job I had before, I got a HUGE raise from what I made before, and it makes it worth it. I get the break from him that I need now that he is older, and we both will appreciate our time together more. He has done great this whole week with daycare, but I really miss the time I used to spend cuddling with him during the day. I say stay at home with your son! You may make less money, but your first and most important job in your life is to be a mother to your son and give him the best life you can, and I don't think that extra spending money can compare to the time cuddling and playing together and teaching him things! As he gets older, the need to be with him will be less, and I think you should just go with things as they come, you will know what is right for the 2 of you when the time comes, and when you need to be together, it is important to do it, and you will know when you are ready to move on again and give that up. You will see the change in your son and know when he is ready. I never thought I would go back... but over time I noticed he was ready... and I made the change over a couple months and made sure I did it right, and I think what I did before was right for us then, and what I am doing now is what is right for us now. GOOD LUCK!!!