Working Mom vs Stay at Home mom

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Posted by Redhead

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Posted by btrflygrl

I heard on the radio the other day that a SAHM's job totals about $143,000 a year!

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how was that calculated...
is the cost of the child products in that?

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Posted by btrflygrl

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Posted by Redhead

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Posted by btrflygrl

I heard on the radio the other day that a SAHM's job totals about $143,000 a year!

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how was that calculated...
is the cost of the child products in that?

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no, I think it's all the jobs a mom entails: cook, babysitter, chaueffer, laundry, etc.

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Here's the actual artical:

Mothers' work seen valued at over $130,000 a year

Reuters
NEW YORK - The old adage that “a mother's work is never done” remains as true now as ever. Today's stay-at-home moms are learning what their predecessors always knew — they'd be making a lot of money doing their job outside the home.

Just in time for Mother's Day, an informal study conducted by Web site Salary.com shows that stay-at-home moms would earn an average of $131,471 annually, including overtime, if they received a paycheck.

A sampling of the 5.4 million stay-at-home mothers were asked to come up with job titles that fit a general description of their daily routines.

The titles — which reflected the most time-consuming parts of their day — include day-care center teacher, van driver, housekeeper, cook, chief executive officer, nurse and general maintenance worker, the survey showed.

Of course, a stay-at-home parent does not work typical office hours. The hypothetical median salary is based on a 100-hour work week and assumes caring for at least two children of school age.

“The importance of this calculation or this estimate is just calling attention to the fact that being a stay-at-home mom is not a cop out, it's not the woman's way out of the work force and it's not a job of no value,” said Bill Coleman, senior vice president of compensation at Salary.com. “There is a lot of value there, and some would say it's even priceless.”

Salary.com, which tracks what jobs pay, suggested that the annual base pay for a 40-hour stay-at-home mom's workweek would be $43,461. Mothers would earn an additional $88,009 a year for 60 hours of overtime each week.

“I think I should definitely make that much,” said Joanna Butti, who stays at home to care for her twin boys. “It's a hard job.”

Coleman said feedback on the figure was mixed. Some felt mothers deserved more, some less. In general, though, many were pleased to see a figure above $100,000.

“Stay-at-home moms are enthusiastic and upbeat about their jobs, they didn't seem to need external validation,” Coleman told Reuters. “They were also happy that they were getting attention, and that somebody was out there telling the world that what they do is valuable, and perhaps more valuable than one would expect.”

Mothers said you cannot attach a figure to the time spent with their kids.

“I'm giving 150 percent of myself to them many hours a day,” said Debra Miley, who stays home with two-year old daughter Olivia and four-month old son Gregory. “You cannot attach a dollar value to the time that you spend nurturing your child if you're lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mom.”

I stay home with my son and I am happy with my choice..I do work part time at an after school program and my mom watches my son at her house for 3 hrs Thurs and Friday...It gives me a chance to get out a little.I also tutor one night a week

I stay at home with my 2 kids. I went back to work for a little while when my son was younger, but with the cost of day care, and the separation from my son just wasn't worth it.
It makes me mad when people say ' I don't work'!! I do, I may not have a paycheck or a job outside the home, but my job is VERY important!

I would love to stay at home. But life being what it is. I do have a nanny and did stay home for about a 1 1/2 yr when my younger son was born, and loved it.

Message edited 5/12/2005 9:28:23 AM.

I have been on both sides of that fence and their are certainly pro's and con's to both. I certainly respect both positions enormously.

In the end both of my children are incredibly smart and beautiful and well rounded. One I stayed home full time with, the second by business is a lot more demanding. Overall I love what I do and I love my kids, no doubt they come first but they are not lacking anything. I am fortunat eenough to have a mother and cousin who tends to them when business calls.

I hear you about the husband, never see mine, he is a lawyer trying to work his way up in his firm...I guess another 15 years and we will have family dinners together oh joy.

Being the breadwinner in my family, unfortunately I don't think being a SAHM will ever be an option. I envy those families that can afford to live on one income.

That being said, I'm hoping to arrange my schedule to work at least one day from home to give me more time with the children. We'll see when the time comes.

I get a lot of criticism now that I'm pregnant and people have started asking whether I'll go back to work or not. Thing is, with us, financially we COULD afford for me to stay at home - it would be tight, but we could do it. But, in the long run, my career will probably bring in more income than DH's, once I get further along (I'm a new attorney). The fact is, though, that I have no desire to be a SAHM, and it never really crossed my mind. When I tell some people, they tend to judge - one girl plopped her 8 week old baby in my arms and said "you mean you're telling me you would give a baby this old to a complete stranger to take care of???" after I told her I would probably put my baby into infant care once my 8 weeks of maternity leave are up at my firm...

Some of my co-workers are shocked when I say I would love to be a SAHM - I think I am more of a traditional thinker - it's always the way I imagined it to be when I became a mom. If I am not able to be a SAHM then I would at least work part time - but I REALLY don't want to work full time.

my friend is a SAHM. I envy her and her DH because he makes a lot of $$.
I would LOVE to stay home for the first few years, but we couldnt afford it

Anyone think about Stay at home DADS?

My friend and I were talking about this, and her husband has volunteered to stay at home with the kids if she brings in more money, which I thought was great. She says that the only way it would work otherwise is if one of them works at night, since they also have her elderly parents to take care of.

I don't have a plan, but I never thought I would be a SAHM. I do have a large family to babysit, but growing up everyone who could work did, and so I never thought about being a SAHM as an option, honestly. My DH works from home, so he's a SAHD by default , and I *hopefully* one day will work from home as well. That's the ideal for us. When I thought about it, I planned on working part-time for the first few years and then going back full-time after the children were in school.

That being said, I find it interesting that it's always the woman who is expected to give up her career. It also put a lot of pressure on the husband to make enough money, and they tend not to see the kids nearly as much, especially if they have to work extra hours. Maybe both of you could work part-time so the kids will have both of their parents as strong influences, just for a few years. Just a thought, a different option.

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Posted by nsgraham

Anyone think about Stay at home DADS?

My friend and I were talking about this, and her husband has volunteered to stay at home with the kids if she brings in more money, which I thought was great. She says that the only way it would work otherwise is if one of them works at night, since they also have her elderly parents to take care of.

I don't have a plan, but I never thought I would be a SAHM. I do have a large family to babysit, but growing up everyone who could work did, and so I never thought about being a SAHM as an option, honestly. My DH works from home, so he's a SAHD by default , and I *hopefully* one day will work from home as well. That's the ideal for us. When I thought about it, I planned on working part-time for the first few years and then going back full-time after the children were in school.

That being said, I find it interesting that it's always the woman who is expected to give up her career. It also put a lot of pressure on the husband to make enough money, and they tend not to see the kids nearly as much, especially if they have to work extra hours. Maybe both of you could work part-time so the kids will have both of their parents as strong influences, just for a few years. Just a thought, a different option.

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I would love to SAH part-time, but it is just not an option for us right now

I always thought I would stay at home, but now that I'm pregnant I just don't think it's going to be possible, financially. Also I'm starting to really like my job and wondering about what options I'll have in the future. I'm an attorney and someday I'd love to go to the US Attorney's Office. If I leave work now, though, I'll never have that opportunity. It's so confusing. Last week my dh and I just started talking about hiring a nanny.

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Posted by nsgraham

Anyone think about Stay at home DADS?

My friend and I were talking about this, and her husband has volunteered to stay at home with the kids if she brings in more money, which I thought was great.

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I am going to go back to work PT. We could swing it if I didn't work at all but there is no reason for me to give up my career completely. I can make good money working PT and my career is a very mom friendly one.

I plan to stay home until the baby is about 4 months old though and then ease back into working.

I work from home --- but I think when the time comes I will either quit or cut down to part-time.

We can live on DH's salary -- maybe cut back on luxuries, but I think my time will be more valuable to my baby than the latest trends in clothes or whatever...

I would love to be a SAHM when the time comes, but with the cost of living these days, I don't think it's possible...maybe by the time baby #2 comes alone

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Posted by Ali

I always thought I would stay at home, but now that I'm pregnant I just don't think it's going to be possible, financially. Also I'm starting to really like my job and wondering about what options I'll have in the future. I'm an attorney and someday I'd love to go to the US Attorney's Office. If I leave work now, though, I'll never have that opportunity. It's so confusing. Last week my dh and I just started talking about hiring a nanny.

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