The place where we lived when my DD was that age it was very common, for those not working full time outside the home, to put the kids in some program when they were 2 at the very latest, even just a few mornings per week. It was the type of city where there were lots of "transplants" so many families had no family support close by.
I think if your DD is acting like that (though it could be an age thing) it would probably be great for you both to have the separation from each other.
When I was little it was not that common for mothers to work outside the home (it was more as I was getting older) and my mother definitely would have been less stressed if she could have worked part-time and had us in a program. We were far away from family also. She missed the intellectual stimulation and has never been big on patience. It was not a problem when we were older, but when it was three little ones at home it really wasn't her cup of tea, though she muddled through and kept us busy with lots of "field trips" and museum classes.
