What if Mom’s were paid what they were worth?

Job description for Mom:

• Days/Hours required - Non-negotiable:  7 Days/week 168 Hours/week
• Cook - Must be able to plan and prepare 3 meals per day plus snacks for a varying number of people
• Laundry - Must be able to keep up with the laundry for all household members and be able to get out stubborn stains.  Sewing ability desired.
• Medic - Must have basic first aid knowledge with a strong ability to diagnose illness. 
• Chauffer/Taxi Driver - Must have a good driving record with an emphasis on safety and defensive driving.  Must be able to map out best possible routes with little to no advance notice.
• Receptionist - Must be able to multi-task while answering and directing phone calls.  Must be able to record accurate messages.  Experience with multiple scheduling a plus.
• Bookkeeper - Experience necessary. 
• Personal Shopper - Must be willing to do the grocery shopping, clothes shopping, electronics shopping, birthday/anniversary/holiday shopping as needed, everyday if needed.
• Home healthcare attendant - Ability to follow doctor’s instructions for the care of the patient
• Childcare Attendant - Expert in child development
• Teacher - Must be able to teach young children reading, writing, arithmetic and other subjects as needed.
• Housekeeper - Responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the entire house.  Washing dishes, mopping, sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, washing windows, shampooing carpets and furniture.  Some duties are on a daily basis. 
• Interior Designer - good taste required along with practicality.
• Groundskeeper - Responsible for the maintenance of all outdoor areas.

The above duties and roles in no way are 100% representative of the position of Mom.  The person filling the role of “Mom” must be flexible and adapt to changes instantly.

Pay:

There is no possible way to keep track of all the hours “Mom” devotes to each position.  Therefore, if we take an average hourly wage of $15 per hour for a 40 hour week ($600) and $22.50 per hour overtime hours ($2880) = $3,480.00 per week or $180,960 per year earnings.

$180,960.00 a year conservatively.

I don’t know about all of you “Mom’s” out there but I don’t know a single Mom, myself included, that makes anywhere close to that.

Looking at our society and government, I shake my head in confusion at times.  There are government assistance programs designed to “help” low income families by granting them money for childcare costs, transportation costs, healthcare costs, even rental assistance.  It makes no sense to me for several reasons.

The government will help a Mom by paying someone else to watch her children but they will not pay her to watch her own children.  Or if she has a grandparent in the same home with her, they will not pay the childcare cost to the grandparent but they will pay it to a stranger outside of the home.

Our government and society wishes for the “Family” to be strengthened again and yet we live in a society that forces both parents to work in order to make ends meet.  One income households are no longer feasible.  Very few are able to live off of one income.

How do we strengthen the Family unit when parents are kept from their children by necessity?  When a Mom no longer has the choice to spend most hours of the day with her children, instead they are to be raised by strangers.  When single parents are forced to take 2 and 3 part-time jobs in order to work 7 days a week for pay so they can keep a roof over their heads and food on the table?

For all the Mom’s out there - Keep up the good work!  Keep your chin’s up and know that you’re worth you’re weight in gold!  Happy Mother’s Day!