Financial Value of SAHM Services

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no monetary equivalent for raising your own children. The pay is not in dollars.

That's what I was thinking, however I probably would have said it in a less confrontation way. My DH and I were not willing to put our kids in daycare or leave them with a nanny for 9 hours a day. There is no amount of money that anyone could have paid me that would have changed that. Of course we saved money by not using child care and a housekeeper. But that's not where my value as a SAHM was. My value was in simply being fully present with my children when they were young. I could never put a price on that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no monetary equivalent for raising your own children. The pay is not in dollars.

That's what I was thinking, however I probably would have said it in a less confrontation way. My DH and I were not willing to put our kids in daycare or leave them with a nanny for 9 hours a day. There is no amount of money that anyone could have paid me that would have changed that. Of course we saved money by not using child care and a housekeeper. But that's not where my value as a SAHM was. My value was in simply being fully present with my children when they were young. I could never put a price on that.

You think your way is less confrontational to someon who used 10 hours a day of childcare, lol?

[Anonymous]

My DH and I were not willing to put our kids in daycare or leave them with a nanny for 9 hours a day

spin it like a helicopter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no monetary equivalent for raising your own children. The pay is not in dollars.

That's what I was thinking, however I probably would have said it in a less confrontation way. My DH and I were not willing to put our kids in daycare or leave them with a nanny for 9 hours a day. There is no amount of money that anyone could have paid me that would have changed that. Of course we saved money by not using child care and a housekeeper. But that's not where my value as a SAHM was. My value was in simply being fully present with my children when they were young. I could never put a price on that.

My value is being able to demonstrate to my children what a professional, educated working female looks like. To each their own, but drop the morale superiority.

[Anonymous]

*moral

[Anonymous]

Also, I was raised by a SAHM and barely remember anything before pre-K. I doubt I would have been damaged by daycare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no monetary equivalent for raising your own children. The pay is not in dollars.

That's what I was thinking, however I probably would have said it in a less confrontation way. My DH and I were not willing to put our kids in daycare or leave them with a nanny for 9 hours a day. There is no amount of money that anyone could have paid me that would have changed that. Of course we saved money by not using child care and a housekeeper. But that's not where my value as a SAHM was. My value was in simply being fully present with my children when they were young. I could never put a price on that.

My value is being able to demonstrate to my children what a professional, educated working female looks like. To each their own, but drop the morale superiority.

Right. Which I why I clearly stated that those were things that WE valued. You cannot place a monetary value on something like this because not everyone is going to see the value. I can understand why you work. It's not difficult for me to see the value of having a mother who works outside the home. It baffles me that you can't see the value of a SAHM. And for what it's worth, kids can learn what a "professional, educated working female looks like" even if their own mother chose to SAH. My daughter finished her Masters Degree two years ago and has been working full time since she graduated from college. Clearly my staying at home when she was a baby didn't stunt her intellectual growth too much.

[Anonymous]

I never said there's no value to a SAHM. You're the one who said there isn't enough money in the world to "leave" your kid with someone else. This is dripping in moral superiority. How about you personally preferred SAH with your kids than paying for childcare. Also, I am 30 so we are clear different generations. I don't think one is better than the other, and I would never suggest "no money in the world could cause me to stay at home" as if SAH were somehow a lesser option than having a career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Then how much does a working mom who is also primary parent provide? I do food cooking cleaning laundry drop offs night wakes baths organizing and playing, schedule everything and plan. And I am the main breadwinner. So my services would be another $22 per hour for all that work, plus my salary.

It's an asinine little game. It's worth what you are willing to exchange for it.

Bitter much? You don't have to respond.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no monetary equivalent for raising your own children. The pay is not in dollars.

Agree. The other posters have no idea how valuable it is. The highest calling and job a woman can have is wife and mother. Obviously many here dishonor that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no monetary equivalent for raising your own children. The pay is not in dollars.

That's what I was thinking, however I probably would have said it in a less confrontation way. My DH and I were not willing to put our kids in daycare or leave them with a nanny for 9 hours a day. There is no amount of money that anyone could have paid me that would have changed that. Of course we saved money by not using child care and a housekeeper. But that's not where my value as a SAHM was. My value was in simply being fully present with my children when they were young. I could never put a price on that.

My value is being able to demonstrate to my children what a professional, educated working female looks like. To each their own, but drop the morale superiority.

Right. Which I why I clearly stated that those were things that WE valued. You cannot place a monetary value on something like this because not everyone is going to see the value. I can understand why you work. It's not difficult for me to see the value of having a mother who works outside the home. It baffles me that you can't see the value of a SAHM. And for what it's worth, kids can learn what a "professional, educated working female looks like" even if their own mother chose to SAH. My daughter finished her Masters Degree two years ago and has been working full time since she graduated from college. Clearly my staying at home when she was a baby didn't stunt her intellectual growth too much.

Lots of kids do well despite their parents or they do the opposite because they did not respect their parents. This MigHT not be true in your case but it also could be true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no monetary equivalent for raising your own children. The pay is not in dollars.

Agree. The other posters have no idea how valuable it is. The highest calling and job a woman can have is wife and mother. Obviously many here dishonor that.

Poor Mother Teresa. Who knew her calling was so low.

[Anonymous]

Well, having just been divorced -- I can at least tell you how the court values your SAHM services economically: $0.00!! Married 22 years and worked for many before becoming SAHM. Even though I stayed home to raise the family and made many sacrifices to put DH's job first, I get no credit for that. Alimony is not the norm anymore as long as you are considered capable of working. So despite having made six figures before I quit working and only being able to get a job making $40K now because my skills are no longer relevant, I get nothing.

I was never a proponent of pre-nups before, but I will make sure that my daughters have some sort of pre-nup or post-nup if they ever decide to be SAHMs. I don't regret staying home -- it was wonderful for me and for my kids. However, if I had it to do over, I would continue working at least part-time to maintain my skills and contacts.

[Anonymous]

$96,261 according to Mint.com, and I think that was in 2012. If you are a working parent who also performs all those tasks, then shouldn't your financial value be equal to that amount plus your income from work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, having just been divorced -- I can at least tell you how the court values your SAHM services economically: $0.00!! Married 22 years and worked for many before becoming SAHM. Even though I stayed home to raise the family and made many sacrifices to put DH's job first, I get no credit for that. Alimony is not the norm anymore as long as you are considered capable of working. So despite having made six figures before I quit working and only being able to get a job making $40K now because my skills are no longer relevant, I get nothing.

I was never a proponent of pre-nups before, but I will make sure that my daughters have some sort of pre-nup or post-nup if they ever decide to be SAHMs. I don't regret staying home -- it was wonderful for me and for my kids. However, if I had it to do over, I would continue working at least part-time to maintain my skills and contacts.

It's a perk for sure.