How do I describe my career break on a cv?

[JackBauWooohooohoowaaer]

I am still officially employed by my employers although am about to hand in my notice.
I have beeen on a career break for 4 years though, and I have only worked about 20 'Keeping in Touch days in that time.
I went on my career break as I was working full time with a long commute and was out of the house 6am until 7pm and had no family to help (DH works long hours as well) so couldn't figure out how to manage childcare and working.
I took the career break option, and now I am wanting to go back they can only offer me my full time job back, which is still impossible to work for me.

I am applying for part time jobs in my home town so it would be much easier for me to work and get childcare at sensible hours.

How could I best explain this when applying for new jobs?

"Long parental leave"?

TBH I would put 'Employed by XXXX 2002 - 2009 including career break'.

An awful lot of references only confirm your employment dates anyway these days. Let the new employers probe more in the interview; you can explain that the time was right for you to take a career break, and that you have waited until it is possible for you to give FULL commitment to this amazing NEW job, blah blah blah.

Best of luck!

can you not just say that it was a career break that you took in order to enable yourself to raise your young family, and that it was very important for you to be able to do this...now your family are older, you feel you would like to take up the commitment of working for an exciting company blah blah blah...

god. sorry pedants! how long was that last sentance!!??

good luck jack.

I am putting I am still employed as officially I am, and can go back any time, so am just looking for somethign to put on the 'why do you want this job / personal statement thing'

I assumed I would need to put something about not working at the moment but woudl it be so awful to leave it to interview stage then?
I like the 'waiting until I can fully commit' bullshit line