I was an older mum and did try child minders and nurseries as I wanted to go back to college to boost my career.
Then I got a good dose of commons sense, and gave up college to stay at home with our beautiful son. I have since then done all the college I needed knowing that he didn't suffer.
We really needed me to go to work but we managed, we didn't need expensive holidays abroad or all the gizmo's and gadgets or bigger homes just to keep up with the Joneses, which lets face is mostly why women go back to work these days. I acknowledge the real need for some Mums to go to work just to be able to eat. Otherwise don't have kids if you don't want to spend time with them.
Is it any wonder that kids are running riot these days, if you can't afford to stay home you can't afford to have children, this also goes for the I must work or I will get bored brigade, bringing up a child can be infuriating at the worst but most wonderful at it's best. Once again why have them if you just can't be bothered, bored! They are more fun than traffic jam's rushing everywhere and being stuck in a boring office all day thats for sure.
We have a well adjusted, polite, and wonderful 22 year old son now, and I thank God that I had this wonderful opportunity to watch him grow and enjoy the world.
Something else we taught him was manners, which seems to be something that is lacking in today's society, and he doesn't swear at home his Dad and I don't so we don't accept it in our home, he probably does when he is with his friends, but if they come to our house they too are not allowed to use bad language.