I started rethinking about this when I watched my daughter try to tackle her new life as a working mom. I had forgotten how tough that task of being a mom could be even without adding the full-time job.
Since jobs are sometimes valued solely for their monetary yield, it's no surprise the dollar value of running a household and raising a family full-time is debated. This year there are 5.1 million stay at home moms.
The calculation can be disparaging or romanticized, depending on who does the math.
This year, when Salary.com looked at all the jobs that moms do and what each would cost in the work world if you hired someone, it said a stay-at-home mom's work is worth a whopping $112,962 a year.
I am sure I am leaving out something but here is a list of some of the jobs moms do: driver, cook, babysitter, janitor, housekeeper, and book keeper. Salary.com also estimated she works about 94 hours a week.
Did you know the monetary value of a stay-at-home-Mom, or stay-at-home-Dad? Has your perspective on that changed as you aged? Can you add any other jobs to the list that Moms/Dads do?
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Comments (6)
I'm a SAHM, and one thing that bothers me is when other full time mommies either belittle themselves by saying "Oh, I'm just a mom," or they try to prove to our career oriented counterparts that we are just as, or more valuable, than they are. I was unaware of the monetary value of the stay at home parent mainly because I've never really thought to look it up. The second question posed by the author of this post doesn't really apply to me considering I'm only 25 and still have young ones in my home. I can add more jobs to the list of things that the SAHM/SAHD does that also apply to those parents who work... How about seamstress and entertainer?
The stay at home mom earns the equivalent of two full time jobs outside the home. That's what Dr. Phil said, whether you like him or not.And I remember thinking when mine were little, how quickly they were growing, and how quickly they were learning, and being loved by me. In this economy, I totally get it that moms are in the workforce a million times more than when I was at home. It's a necessity for most. But I remember wondering, "How do you know what's happening at daycare?" The local YMCA rented out the upstairs of our church, and once a week I'd go in for a meeting, and it would be right underneath where the toddlers were cared for. I've never heard so much crying and misery in my life, and this was supposedly one of the best places in town! I looked in there, and it was state of the art, as far as learning, etc., but those kids sure as hell weren't getting one on one, and half of them were crying it out. I'm glad mine are grown, because I don't think I could take it.
Not all value is monetary. I plan to be a SAHM when we have kids, but I'm not too fussed about defending my choice by claiming that, if only my job were paid (it kind of is anyway, by whomever is supporting the family economically), it would be umpteen dollars.
Anyway, how can you compare mother's care v., say a daycare? I assume that's how they figured this out, by adding up the value of what a professional would earn. But daycares, nannies, etc, all earn different amounts, based on how qualified they are, and I would argue that a mother would be more qualified than any. BUT- that is also the professional's job. They can't use that time to do anything else, whereas a mom takes her kid shopping at the same time, etc. Eh. These studies don't mean much. If I really wanted to, I could claim that I'm really "worth" my actual salary, plus what you would pay a dog boarding place, plus a personal chef, etc. It's kind of silly. But they don't do that for people who work outside the home for a wage and still do housework.Being a stay-at-home mom is a profession but you can only do it for twenty or thirty years, tops, assuming you have lots of children and stay home until each is out on his/her own. Then your career is over. At that point you begin to realize it's not really a profession. It's a giant hole on your resume with no health insurance, salary or retirement. It's also the point at which you realize you're really really really counting on your husband to continue to love and support you on into your old age, now that you've raised his children. In these ways, being a SAHM is a little like deciding to be a whitewater guide for an exotic tour guide service for low pay and no benefits in return for adventure (without the selfish slant, of course). It's GREAT while it lasts.
I don't have much respect for housewives who either don't want to look for a job or has given up their jobs for their children. Raising children is definitely a lot of work, but it's tedious busy work, not important work in my book. To me, "profession" has the connotation of helping the world to become a better place; taking care of your own children is far from that (and more like doing harm to the population crisis by choosing to have more kids who will most statistically likely turn out to be very average and contribute little to society).
I had to talk my wife into taking a part time job, so she could get a break and be around adults some. Her duties where she works are much easier than the ones at home.