Can't this just be the other spouse? When they are home from work then the stay-at-home parent can have a break. What's so difficult about this?

Then the working parent never gets a break for themselves? The couple never spends time together alone? (Or only after the kid's bedtime when they're both absolutely exhausted)

Of course some people do this. But it's hard.

So what exactly does the working parent need a "break" from? Surely it's not their kids - as they've been completely absent from their lives during the entire working week.

Is it shocking people may want to do things other than their job and spending time with their children?

If it were more common than you’d have your Neighbours kid for a few hours while they have some sanity and vice versa.

This is a long way from 10 hours a day of outsourcing when the kid is only awake for 12 hours.

Childcare is for the benefit of the companies who can then extract value from more workers.

100% agree if you have suitable neighbors (parents with similar age children) this is an ideal arrangement. Not everyone is so lucky.

Because most nearby parents will be working 8 hours plus a day and shipping the kids to full time childcare

I was lucky with my kids, we don’t live somewhere like London, we could book 4 hour periods a couple of times a week and didn’t need two full time workers.