Stay at home moms...

[oldsoldier]

Ok, so, if the study was done based on school age children, where does day care fit in? Kids get home at 3, dad at 5 (typically, I am being broad based), and, I am assuming, he helps with children. So, that one's out. A cook...most meals today are pre-prepared...rarely is anything from scratch. So, cut that in half. Repairman...I wont touch on that, for fear of being reprimanded. Lets just say I've been called more than a few times to fix what someone else already "tried" to fix. And, they werent guys. Driver; again, you're dealing with a 2-3 hour timespan where only one parent is home.
Now, all this being said, I think its nice to have a stay at home parent. Unfortunately, today's economy doesnt allow for that. although, when you figure in break times for a stay at home parent...they make out, BIGTIME .

[MonsterMag]

Those sideburns are nasty
That guy looks like boris off Goldeneye

[Miscue]

$43,461 - for a stay home mom?
The average starting salary for an MIT graduate is not much higher.

What about a daycare worker that looks after multiple kids? I don't think they make 40k. Kindergarten teacher? Many don't break 30k.

Bogus!

[gc82000]

Then you should also think about the man of the house if there is one. Dont tell me he does nothing for the kids for their entire life. He will not get paid for his part in raising the children and gets no credit because he is out making money to support his family.

If anything families that have a stay-at-home parent should be given a tax break based on the amount/age(s) of the child(s) being cared for. And nothing more. Welfare and foodstamps are not included in this but shuld not be affected if needed.

[Target Practice]

Bogus!

Bogus? Where the hell did that come from?

[davidb]

Geez. As long as we're cheapening what they do by tacking a dollar amount onto it, why not add "hooker" onto the list and tack on a few more dollars for sleeping with her husband? Let's figure $50 bucks a night (can't say I know the actual going rate.. Ryan? ), so that's about $20,000-30,000 for the first year of the marriage alone, not to mention another 20-30 grand for the rest of it.

Seriously though, this exercise of trying to find out what being a stay-at-home mom is "worth" is not only futile, but, in a way, demeaning. I suppose people taking care of their own pets is worth pay now too? I think Slarty put it best, if you have to put a value on it then it's worth half of what the husband makes, minus shared expenses. What it's really worth is the love of her husband and her kids, which is of course as priceless as her own love and work.

[Target Practice]

(can't say I know the actual going rate.. Ryan? )

Hey now, leave me out of this.

[SlartyBartFast]

why not add "hooker" onto the list and tack on a few more dollars for sleeping with her husband? Let's figure $50 bucks a night

I like the observation about putting any dollar vaklue on it cheapens the contribution.

But 50$ a night? EVERY night? You've OBVIOUSLY never been married....

Before wedding:

After wedding:

[davidb]

What I meant was 50 bucks per night spent "with" her husband. Hence 20 grand the first year, and 20 grand the rest of the marriage.

I'm 20 years old, so.. Yes, obviously I've never been married.

[Bear_Claw]

LOL that was a funny artical. I just took a week off work and stayed home to uild my workshop for my future "PROJECTS" ie. my truck and eventually a Motorcycle.

Well my mom ontop of being a home maker also runs a Home daycare with five children. And haveing been home for the last bit now i have seen how her day goes. It is pretty demanding and stressfull but STILL Not as demanding as a day at the shop for me. Now i DONT think you should be paid for caring for you OWN children or cleaning your OWN house Or Running your OWN erands, Or cooking for YOUR self and family. But i DO respect there contribution to the family. There aint a HOPE in heck i could do my mothers job but the SAME goes vise versa.

Oh and for comparisons sake my mom pulls in about $150/month LESS running a 5 kid daycare than i do as a Mehcanic. So i think its a fair deal.