my wife generally makes about as much as i do (depending on bonuses), and i expect that if/when we have kids she'll take some time off. it'll depend on timing and if we decide to stay in the most expensive city in america on length of her staying out of the workforce. when we first got out of school she couldn't imagine not going back to work ASAP, but as she's seen friends start families i think she's softened in that regard. i also think her current gig where she's working like 30 hrs a week and hitting the gym/doing lunches 2 hrs a day has made her more interested in part-time/stay-at-home options.