What Moms Really Earn
It’s no secret that being a Mom is hard work. Staying at home all day with children and taking on all of the daily to-dos of parenthood, especially. However, while we all – men and women alike – have been more accepting of the idea that staying at home with the children is work – even a full-time job – we are still failing to assign monetary value to all of that work.
Why is this a problem?
There are a number of reasons. First of all, our American philosophy is money = success. For a women who leaves her career to raise her children at home, this can be a really difficult transition.
When she brings home money in exchange for her efforts in the workplace – she is being validated with a message of her value through money. But when she goes to work in the home, the message is completely different. Because her work is not being rewarded financially, her contributions can be perceived as less.
And yes, of course the emotional rewards of raising children are great. It is still important to view work inside the home as having monetary value. Because it does. I am not recommending that a working spouse should cut a check at the end of every week. That said, changing our mind set about the monetary value of mothering will help women feel more confident about their contributions, and earning spouses more aware of the daily value that the a stay-at-home mother can bring to the table.
For example:
I have sat down with many couples over the years and have been told that: “We don’t need life insurance for her, she doesn’t have a salary that we count on.”
My first thought is always: “Oh. Yes You Do!” And then I get out my pad and paper and start to do the math.
Let’s just say, God forbid, the mother of your children were to pass away unexpectedly. With some basic internet research, I have determined what it could cost to raise a family of 2 children/1 parent without a stay-at-home spouse.
The math changes everything, doesn’t it?
It reminds stay-at-home moms that the value that they bring to their family is 50% greater than the average American salary of $50,756 per year[7]. That’s real money! And, a real change in perception for stay-at-home women and their spouses.
It is also a serious illustration of how important life insurance is for both parents – regardless of a physical paycheck. Life insurance can cover all of the expenses associated with raising a family if one of the two parents were to pass away unexpectedly.
So, ladies! Congratulations on all that you achieve on behalf of your families as you take on the responsibilities of a stay-at-home-parent. The value of your contributions is so much greater than you know.