I'll Start With A Question???

I just started blogging. Actually this is my first post, in case you haven't noticed. I recently had an argument with someone about me going to school FT and leaving my Girls in the care of someone else. Up until now, really only last school year, I had been only going to school for two days a week and my husband was with the Girls during that time. Starting next month, both of us will be in school so I will need to hire someone to watch them. I am torn about it. Of course, I don't want to leave my children with someone else, but I also believe that people leave their kids with others everyday, surely there is someone out there capable to caring for my kids while I'm in school.

I am trying to better myself and my situation (both, my husband & I are) so that we can give the Girls everything we want them to have. Anyways, I digressed. The argument was about this very subject. This person in my life thinks that I should stay home with them until they are at least 5 years old (right now they are 3 years old and 15 months, so that's another four years). They believe, and I agree, that the first five years are crucial to their development and you (the parent) has the most influence over them during this time.

It's hard for me to take this person seriously because of everything they've been through and the experiences they are drawing from. They are currently studying for their GED test and are in their fifties. I just don't see how that happens. How can you be over fifty and not have a HS education or your GED? And then try and lecture me about how I should wait to go to school and be a MOTHER to mine? If you can't tell, I am quite insulted with this statement. How could she say that? Well the truth is that she did! I just didn't want to bring up the facts about her family and how four out of her six children don't have a HS diploma or GED. And the only reason why the other two do is because they were raised by their fathers.

I'm not trying to demean her. I just don't see how I should place any value on her opinion or advice. I mean she wants me to follow in her foot steps and not get education while raising my children. Umm...I think not! I have dreams to follow and goals to accomplish!

What do you guys think???