So, which makes more sense when one parent telecommutes and the other works out of the house- to have the telecommuting parent try to work and watch the kids at the same time, or to have him or her start working after the other parent gets home?

The advantage of the first method is that everyone is done with work by dinnertime, so you get a few hours to spend together before bed. The disadvantage is that it is insanely stressful to try to work while you are also watching young children. The other disadvantage- and it's a big one- is that if you're trying to work and parent at the same time, one of the two has to suffer for it. Either you work poorly or you parent poorly. Either you get your projects done late and inefficiently, or you just park your kid in front of the TV until you're done.

The advantage of the second method is that you can parent while you're parenting and work while you're working, so both receive their due attention. The disadvantage is the length of your day- you do a full shift as a stay-at-home parent and then a full shift of work, finishing up for the day just in time for bed.

It's not an easy call, is it? I can't say for sure, but I think it's probably an increasingly common dilemma. If you don't make enough to afford daycare, and you don't make enough to support the whole family on one income, then telecommuting is one of the only options you have. If that's your situation, these are the kinds of choices you face every day.