Comments on: Overpaid stay at home parents?

By: LAL

LAL — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:31:14 +0000

I can’t believe how much kids are to raise either!

By: Neil

Neil — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:25:52 +0000

I think a lot of these surveys just try and come up with the biggest number they can, just to get a few easy headlines. It’s like the statistics that come out every year about how much it costs to raise a kid. If they were true then there wouldn’t be many kids around!

By: FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com

FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:08:26 +0000

I did a whole post on this breaking down a SAHM’s pay. The post is coming up

By: LAL

LAL — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:05:02 +0000

I agree that it’s hard to value. And unfortunately they do not consider that DINKS, singles all have too cook, clean, self-medicate, etc.

And you are paying top dollar in HCOLA. I cannot imagine someone in LCOLA paying $2k/month for childcare, can you? That’s more than many pay.

I wonder if they aren’t using the most inflated numbers? What would the salary be if it were in a LCOLA.

By: Patience

Patience — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:36:24 +0000

Those “SAHMS could earn $122K” articles are kind of condescending anyway. On the other hand, Danielle Crittendon’s book, The Price of Motherhood, makes a valid point that it’s unfair that the contributions of SAH parents are not considered a part of the GDP. When I was a SAHM, I used to list my occupation as “unpaid laborer” on my tax return.

By: Cat804

Cat804 — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:57:06 +0000

I second R. May. To me the only thing a SAHP does that the rest of us don’t have to do is childcare during the working day. As a single mom when I get home from work, I still have to cook, clean, etc.

That’s not to take away from the value of SAHPs- it’s a great job to have if you can swing it! But the rest of us are working hard too.

By: Meg from FruWiki

Meg from FruWiki — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:54:14 +0000

I think it’s quite exaggerated, mostly to make moms feel good around Mother’s Day.

Yes, moms do a lot, but just because you talk to your kid doesn’t make you a psychologist, entitled to the salary of a TRAINED professional who has spent many, many hours studying. Nor does cooking make you a chef, nor teaching your kids makes you qualified to be a teacher, nor does using a computer make you any sort of computer expert. Unless they have special training, moms — like anyone else — would probably expect to be hired only at entry level positions for those various fields.

However, I’m not saying that what moms do isn’t valuable. To the contrary, I think these salary estimators do moms a disservice, because they can’t put a value on what it really means to be a MOM — not a cook, not a housekeeper, not a chaffeur, a MOM — which is truly a unique position. Bringing someone into this world, caring for them, preparing them for their future, helping shape the future generations… that is a great responsibility, and it is PRICELESS.

By: R. May

R. May — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:22:45 +0000

@ Melani – yes but so are working parents and single parents (like me).

If you really want to argue 24/7 – I have no one else to throw in a load of laundry, make dinner, drop off at soccer practice, stay up all night with sick kid. Me myself and I.

But factoring in that is ridiculous! Even people without children need to cook, do dishes, fold laundry, etc. There’s a differencial here and it’s not being factored in.

By: Melani

Melani — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:59:12 +0000

One of the reasons that the number is so high is they’re figuring in hours working. A regular job is normally 40 or so hours per week while a sahm mom is basically “on duty” 24/7. I don’t know about 122K but I wouldn’t mind someone paying me for staying home!

By: R. May

R. May — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:04:55 +0000

I always had a problem with the inflated titles like CEO, CFO, psychologist, etc. Why don’t they just throw doctor in there since we diagnose and treat illnesses too. Those salary numbers are ridiculous – I don’t have the education or background to be a CEO nor am I really doing equivalent work.

Being a mom is important – to the kids your raising. We shouldn’t need to jusitfy it with made up salary numbers.