From a salary standpoint, what would you say a stay-at-home mom is worth? / LJWorld.com

Asked at Hy-Vee, 4000 W. Sixth St. on May 9, 2010

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“$65,000”

— Danelle Sheaffer, secretary, Perry

“In my day, they weren’t worth very much.”

— Shorty Yost, retired, Lawrence

“$50,000, at least.”

— Vincent Vermooten, retired, Lawrence

“40 to 50 thousand.”

— Michael Stoecker, motion picture lighting technician, Lawrence

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Wow, $65,000? 40 to 50,000? 50,000 at least? What the hell are your salaries? I hardly know what to comment on that. I know they are worth a bit to hold a house together but goodness. I would have to say that depends on the household income. 45% of total income of house. Depending on how many others including minors are in household.

puddleglum 6 years, 4 months ago

I would pay $25,000 a year

Gabe Hoffman 6 years, 4 months ago

So the real answer is, "these fools don't know nothing" about worth

Bill Lee 6 years, 4 months ago

Priceless!

pizzapete 6 years, 4 months ago

Seth Peterson 6 years, 4 months ago

Beat me to it.

Kiana Griffin 6 years, 4 months ago

By the time you take into account her numerous jobs (housekeeper, day care center teacher, cook, facilities manager, van driver, CEO, psychologist, etc), it really adds up!

MSN estimates over $138,000. http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/RaiseKids/ThePriceOfAMom.aspx

parrothead8 6 years, 4 months ago

Agreed. I would have argued that my Mom was worth more than that, but I can't imagine her turning that down if it had ever been offered.

Instead, Mom did all of those jobs out of love while also teaching full-time at the local elementary school for 20+ years, and never made more than $25k/year.

Richard Heckler 6 years, 4 months ago

Millions upon miliions is more like it over the long haul.

It's easily an 80 hour work week.

Add homeschooling to the mix then the dollar signs begin to really add up.

As I see it children never forget wonderful Moms = Moms work is never done it's just part of the deal. Then again what would someone expect. After all moms nurture children for the first nine months pretty much single handedly.... how could any child forget about their Mom's?

RoeDapple 6 years, 4 months ago

Uh, oh. Sounds like somebody didn't think they needed a prenup . .

independant1 6 years, 4 months ago

misterlee wins, who gave you the answer to the trick question?

worth? Unhappily, nobody will pay them what they're "worth". I guess those mom's will just have to settle for what the market will bear.

independant1 6 years, 4 months ago

oh,

Happy Woman's Day!!!!

independant1 6 years, 4 months ago

The Russians/Europeons are celebrating the 65th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War, WWII, the big one. Those double dippers are getting a twofer today.

Ricky_Vaughn 6 years, 4 months ago

rofl

looza 6 years, 4 months ago

If your child grows up, graduates HIGH SCHOOL, then graduates COLLEGE, or joins the military, then gets a job where they pay taxes, contributes to society and doesn't end up in prison then give mom 5 million. Right now there are too many moms not doing their jobs and kids are failing/dropping out of school, kiling each other, not working a meaningful job and not contributing to society only to crime stats and prison populations. Next..........

Maddy Griffin 6 years, 4 months ago

How is that ALL the mother's fault? Where is dear old Dad in all of that?

misseve 6 years, 4 months ago

Gram, look that the name, do we really need to comment? ;)

pagan_idolator 6 years, 4 months ago

My mom was a stay at home mom at times and a working mom at times. Either way she worked her tail off. I love you Mom!

geekyhost 6 years, 4 months ago

Selective reading, Tom. You've only had three responses, and you started it out with the view that your imaginary friend "the left" didn't like your gender role reversal. I'm sure they don't have anything against stay at home dads. You've provided enough fodder for people to dislike you on an individual basis.

ferrislives 6 years, 4 months ago

Wow Tom, how do you have time to do all of that and constantly post to the LJWorld?

brewmaster 6 years, 4 months ago

sounds like a kept-man and proud of it...you go girl...er'a... I mean...you go boy.

beatrice 6 years, 4 months ago

Shewmom?

Regarding your worth, I'm sure you would get a deduction in pay for all the time you spend imitating Glenn Beck on the internet.

Maddy Griffin 6 years, 4 months ago

Yay beatrice!!

whats_going_on 6 years, 4 months ago

and wow, you even have all the extra time to come on here and be a liberal hating, faux news obsessed, palin sucking a**hat. How wonderfully busy you must be. Bravo, tom, bravo.

puddleglum 6 years, 4 months ago

yeah, but you live in Linwood...

Deja Coffin 6 years, 4 months ago

I'm a stay-at-home mother of a 5 year old, a 2 year old, and 35 weeks pregnant....... I have days where I just want to pull my hair out and feel like my kids have been replaced by aliens but I worked 60+ hour weeks before at a decent paying job and I wouldn't give this up for anything. The reward of getting to be there with my kids everyday and see them grow and make memories is priceless to me. I won't always be a stay-at-home mother but for now I am enjoying it! There are a lot of single parents out there who don't have this opportunity. They work their butts off and come home to a house that they've got to run all by themselves, those are the real heroes in my eyes.

beatrice 6 years, 4 months ago

Anyway, happy mothers' day Tom.

sustainabilitysister 6 years, 4 months ago

PRICELESS!

RoeDapple 6 years, 4 months ago

bitter much, cleopat. . ., er, maripo . . .,no, Iris . . .well, whatever you are going by now

RoeDapple 6 years, 4 months ago

er, hermi . .

mr_right_wing 6 years, 4 months ago

Ask any kid who grew up with mom right at home, vs. someone who grew up among strangers and/or staff. It goes far beyond a mere financial amount.

Mom, you are the ESSENTIAL (not optional) ingredient to your kids turning out right.

9070811 6 years, 4 months ago

I hope they ask on Father's Day, "How much do you think a say at home dad is worth?".

amesn 6 years, 4 months ago

@907....I hope too they ask that question since like Shewmon my husband is a stay at home dad for our 2 young young children while mama brings home the bacon! He is not like your typical husband that's for sure...it took some training but he is very domestically inclined! Even makes cakes and casseroles! I think he's priceless :)

geekyhost 6 years, 4 months ago

My husband is a stay at home dad, too. He's also taken to baking. When I grew up, my mom always had me in the kitchen learning how to cook. Not so for little boys, so for him to pick up cooking and baking on top of diaper changing and appointment shuttling - it's totally priceless.

RoeDapple 6 years, 4 months ago

This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.

Ricky_Vaughn 6 years, 4 months ago

Must've hit a nerve, Roe...somebody seems a little sensitive today!

RoeDapple 6 years, 4 months ago

;-)

amazed 6 years, 4 months ago

Nothing. The rest of us have to work AND do everything the "stay at home mom" has to do. So from a salary standpoint, they are worth absolutely nothing.

geekyhost 6 years, 4 months ago

Since those of us who choose to have a stay at home spouse think the income reduction is worth it, they do have value.

Katara 6 years, 4 months ago

Ah, Mothers' Day. Perfect timing to stir up the divisions between the SAHM & the working mother. What better way to celebrate motherhood by making both "sides" feel like crap?

denak 6 years, 4 months ago

I agree Katara. I was going to ask "why the qualifier?" Are not all mothers valuable or are only those that conform to an ahistorical standard important and valuable.

And why do we have to put a monetary worth to everything?

Personally, I think any mother who loves her child and who tries to do the best that she can for her child is valuable and worth more money or any salary that we arbitrarily assign to her.

Dena