Hi K.,
I feel your pain. I'll tell my story. I was a medical assistant working full time when our daughter was born. When she was 3 months, I went back to work only part time. I would pump during breaks in one of the doctor's offices. Worst of all my daughter didn't take the bottle very well. I felt terrible leaving her and couldn't wait to get home the days I worked. To top it off, by the time I got paid, after taxes and insurance (I was the carrier) and paying for child care, there was NOTHING left.
Changes needed to be made and we made major ones. My husband was able to get another job in his line of work that offered benefits. I quit my part time job after finding a job working from home full time (we needed the money) as a medical transcriptionist (since I had the experience).
Things were great but not easy! It was so hard working from home full time and having a growing baby into her toddler years. Plus I was tired and getting bored.
Then things changed again. When our daughter was 2, we bought our first home. With a new mortgage and all the expenses that come with a new home, I HAD to keep working full time.
I started looking into part time ventures, mostly home party plans, but quickly put the thought aside since I simply had no "extra" time. Then I got invited to a Tastefully Simple party. (No, this isn't a sales pitch). Not a big fan of home parties but decided to go because of the food. I had such a great time, my mind started to race. This was something fun that I could do out of my home...get people to eat and they would buy. It was ideal. So I asked for information and became a consultant 3 days later.
I mostly worked weekends but didn't mind because it was fun, I was only out of the house about 4 hours at a time, plus I was making extra money. Things really took off. 1-1/2 years later, I was able to quit my full time job and got another transcription job part time working from home. My food business made the remainder of my income! Didn't expect it to turn out that way but it did and this is just testimony to home businesses. 5 years later, I am still doing transcription 24 hours a week from home and I work out of the home 8 hours a week doing the parties.
The best part, I have not missed any of my daughter's milestones and I am very active in her life.
They aren't small forever and in my situation, where there was a will and you're willing to work, there is a way.
Come the fall, if you're "desperate" to make it work, maybe you can do something like tutoring part time if you want to stick with teaching and supplement with something else part time if you need to?
Good Luck, you're not alone! :)