Childcare

The first question you should answer is whether or not you'll need childcare if spouse #2 goes back to work. If your children are in school or you have a grandparent or family member willing to stay with younger children during the day then it may be worth a second income coming into the home to help with the family finances. If your children are young enough that they need adult supervision during the day and you don't have a family member willing to do free or discounted childcare, realize that daycare or professional childcare can be extremely expensive based on the facility and the people running the service. The childcare services worth retaining are always costly. If daycare is the only option you have if the second spouse goes back to work, it may not be worth it because the extra income will all go to pay for childcare. Budget a few more years and wait for your kids to be old enough to be in school while you work or to take care of themselves for the most part.

What's the Value

The next question you should answer is how much you'll actually be paid. If your spouse left a good paying career to raise children then it may be worth going back to. However, if you are looking for hourly pay or extra work, then you'll need to look more closely at whether it is really worth it or not. There are economic costs to having a job. You'll need to pay for transportation, upkeep on yourself and your transportation, and the opportunity may not be worth it. Really figure out how much you'll have to be paid to entice you back to work to determine if it is really worth it or not. Another thing to ask when it comes to the value of your job is whether it is work you truly enjoy or not. If you don't enjoy it and it only has mediocre pay, you may want to reconsider going back to work.

Family Time

Another question you need to ask when considering whether the second spouse should go back to work is whether it will be worth it or not in time with your family. If you have a nine to five job, or a job just during the hours your children are in school, it may be worth having a second income. But do you really want to put your younger children in childcare all day every day? Do you want your little one calling someone else, "Momma" (or Dada)? A young child may not know the difference. If you are considering going back to work, consider all the costs on your family time and how you'll spend the time you have together. If it's worth it, go back to work. If it isn't, don't make the sacrifice. A second income isn't always the best answer to family finance troubles.