Stay home mom...deserve a salary???

Grandma's Letter:


DEAR ABBY: I need your help with something. My 16-year-old grandson seems to think that all his mother does is stay at home. He conveniently "forgets" that she is a housekeeper, gardener, cook, teacher, nurse, driver and mediator. Could you please print a breakdown of what a stay-at-home wife should be paid? I would love to have a list so I can pass the "bill" on to him. -- VIVIAN IN COLONIAL BEACH, VA.


DEAR VIVIAN: According to the

Census Bureau figures for 2004 -- which are the most recent -- there are 36.7 million mothers of minor children in the United States. About one-third of them, 10.8 million, are stay-at-home moms.
According to an article penned by Al Neuharth, the founder of USA Today, in its May 11, 2006, edition, "Salary.com compensation experts estimate that stay-at-home moms work an average of 91.6 hours a week." That's more than double the number of hours the average office worker puts in. He went on to say, "That should be worth $134,121 annually."
He quoted the compensation analysts as figuring the lowest-paying parts of a mother's job are "housekeeper, laundry machine operator and janitor. Higher-paying categories include computer operator, facilities manager, psychologist and CEO." With a 91.6-hour work week, 52 weeks a year, it works out to be $28.16 an hour.
It should go without saying that a mother's love is priceless, so tell that grandson of yours that $28.16 an hour is a real bargain.

I think it is a consious decision that a mom makes. To stay home or not. Sometimes it makes sense that a mom stays home financially but others make the choice. Love is unconditional especially from a parent to a child.

yeah but thats not the way our society works. if that were the case dads should be paid more also becasue we would be the primary money providers, we would be the mechanics, plumbers, movers, safety poviders and so on.

I agree 100% that goes without saying i wish people would realize that.

I don't really know what your asking...I am a stay at home mum and am happy to have the privileges that go along with it. I watch telly when I want and have no boss to answer to.

love doesnt cost a thing....

however being a 24hr everything else does have its worth also though Abby has exaggerated a bit. hehe but i love it.

a stay at home mom need only to be gone for a couple of hours, couple of days and the rest of the family is lost only because supermom was so relied upon. I think mothers who have to go out and work are better at teaching their family to contribute more. peace

hahaha
your daughter -in-law out to love you!
have the spoil-brat get a job and give his mom some more money so she can go for a Nail salon, get her hair done, etc...
she deserve it a nice break from him!

i'm a housewife. and i think that we should be compensated. its not easy. there are so many chores and responsibilities to worry about. i'm constantly cleaning and cooking, and by the time i can take a breather its time to put dinner on and then the baby wakes up! i have no "me" time. my husband brings home the money but i still have to figure out the bills. just because we don't work outdoors that doesn't mean that our duties are any less strenuous.

Well, basically, a stay at home mom's salary is half of what the working father makes. That is how it works.

138000.00 most anyone would be a stay at home mom, anyone that would read this question already knows the value, your daughter is no more special then the billions of women who did the job before her. He is 16, just like any 16 year old boy or girl, they are to busy for Mom or Dad, and you are only making the situation worse, remind your daughter it's part of the price of being a parent...that's all it is..nothing more nothing less.

Does she not get to claim 1/2 of everything, get to eat, clothing, a place to sleep, and her poor husband does that on 1/2 or less of what you think her time is worth...Grow up.

personally i think that figure is overinflated, but not by much

I agree, I think a stay at home parent should be recognized for his/her role.

You are all forgetting that there are no sick days, holidays or vacation days from being a mom...i think the figure is WAY low. When my husband (now EX) came home from work,his workday was done. I still had supper, dishes, baths for three little one's , not to mention his smelly laundry to do.

Yes, wives/mothers should be paid or they are just prostitutes and nannies working for free.

a good wife gives sex too, so she deserves a salary. i am going to pay my foreign wife a salary of around $250 a month. that gets me sex, cooking, and cleaning. not bad considering that the same service from a whore would cost many times that amount.

Studies have proven that being a stay at home mom is equivalent to 2 full time jobs! It is a labour of love!

Kiss off! Real people do this everyday without asking for a dime. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, I want I need buy me. Get lost and take care of your own like you are suppose too. That's what annoys me in this day and age everyone wants something and they're not willing to make any sacrifices for the sake of the family. I don't give a sh_t what the census bureau has to say they're all about money themselves. Give me a F-ing break. Go to work and shut up if you can't handle what you are doing. Send this to Abby and tell her I said stuff it!

I TOTALLY AGREE

I read the article to my husband and when I finished he said "is that all you'd make?" I asked him what would be an appropriate salary for me and he said, "All the money in the world woudn't could come close to being deserving of what you do." He thought just laboring and giving birth was like worth 1 trillion billion dollars!! LOL

I used to work full time and thought being a full time, stay at home mom would be a snap... after a month i called my mom (a full time mom) and thanked her!!