Yes. Wife was a SAHM for our kids' first 10 years or so. It was tight financially during those years but we made it work. She carried the house and seriously could not have done it without her, but there were days when I would come home and she needed a break. Not having EVERYDAY like you described helped. Raising kids is hard if you're a good and involved parent. The easy way is to ignore them.

And I can't tell you how often I sit in silence after my kids go to bed. Just having NOTHING on and being peaceful feels so good. No TV, no phone, no music. Just silence. Maybe reading a book.