brandiehadfield@...

Hello! I'm from Toronto Canada and we have this program called OSEB (Ontario Self Employment Benefit). If you have been on maternity leave in the last 3 years, and you have a business idea, you can apply to this program where they will pay you $430 per week for 42 weeks while you work on your business. You get classes for a time and a mentor to help you along the way. Incredible! As my son is turning 3 this summer this is my last chance to get into the program. My husband is willing and happy to work less (he is an artist) to be home with my son while I have class. I thought if anyone on the group is from Canada they might be interested to know about that program but I also have a question: to ramp up separation or no? Having been home and working from home during naps and night with no more than 4 hrs here and there apart from my son, it will be 30 hrs a week I'm away for a year starting in August. I'm wondering if I should work on ramping that time up. My husband feels it will be hard regardless so we should spend as much time together until that time. Thoughts/experiences? Brandie

Annie Regan

I always figure there's no point in making things harder NOW, in the hope that that might make things easier in the future. Make life as sweet as possible now, and then everyone will be happier and stronger and in a better place to manage if things are different or difficult later on

Annie