Equal pay?
My husband sent me an email saying that he "owed" me and citing this article.
This reminded me of a favorite cartoon from the WSJ editorial page. Visually, it was very simple, a woman at a kitchen table with a list of figures and an infant in a high chair. She is looking up at a man suited up and with a briefcase, presumably her husband. She said, "I've just figured how much I am worth as a housewife. The only trouble is that it's more than you earn." In our case, considering that we had six children and I home schooled them, we knew it was true.
There are other aspects of the wifely job that are not counted in the article's list. We get into that on No Left Turns in a thread on a related topic.
Perhaps some of those things are beyond valuation. However, last year, I was a stay-at-home mother with work valued at $134,121, which does not count homeschooling our daughter. She was thirteen years old and I deserved something like combat pay. This year I earn far less than the difference between that figure and the $85,876 of value for the housework I still do.
What is the value to society and the economy of women who choose to stay home and raise children?
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And the job description goes on and on
You could also add to that list triage nurse. That might tack on a little extra (not that we'll ever see it :-)). I don't think anyone can fully appreciate what all a stay-at-home mom or dad really does until he/she has walked in those shoes for a while. If we're doing our job well, we may save society a good chunk of change down the road with lower rates of incarceration, etc. Who knows? I'd love to see a study tracking children who stayed at home, at least during the formative years. But, lack of salary and recognition aside, you get to know your child on so many levels. The payoff is, therefore, priceless. Thanks for the post.
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