“I also mentioned how she would be better off to just take a full year, receive only a portion of her salary through the maternity leave but at least have that special first year with baby at home.”
There is a young frum couple a block from us that we have often hosted for Shabat. The mom, a lawyer, is staying home with her nine month old. They plan to send the kid to public school so that they can afford to get by without the two of them having to have workaholic careers and not be able to parent their child.