To Kathy

What makes a woman leave work to stay at home full time with her family?

This article is from May, 2007.
Stay-at-home mother's work worth $138,095 a year!
NEW YORK (Reuters) - If the typical stay-at-home mother in the United States were paid for her work as a housekeeper, cook and psychologist among other roles, she would earn $138,095 a year, according to research released on Wednesday. This reflected a 3 percent raise from last year's $134,121, according to Salary.com Inc, Waltham, Massachusetts-based compensation experts. The 10 jobs listed as comprising a mother's work were housekeeper, cook, day care center teacher, laundry machine operator, van driver, facilities manager, janitor, computer operator, chief executive officer and psychologist, it said. The typical mother puts in a 92-hour work week, it said, working 40 hours at base pay and 52 hours overtime. A mother who holds full-time job outside the home would earn an additional $85,939 for the work she does at home, Salary.com. Last year she would have earned $85,876 for her at-home work, it said. Salary.com compiled the online responses of 26,000 stay-at-home mothers and 14,000 mothers who also work outside the home.

She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along. ~Margaret Culkin Banning

Isn't this incredible?! Why would you want to stay at home full time to be a housekeeper, cook, day care center teacher, laundry machine operator, van driver, facilities manager, janitor, computer operator, chief executive officer and psychologist and be worth $138,000 but not get paid?

Any mother could perform the jobs of several air traffic controllers with ease. ~Lisa Alther

I'm not knocking it at all....I've been all of those for 15 years. Give or take a part time job or two...but those part timers were still a far second to my full time job as a mom and wife. And that's payment enough for me and I know it is for you too. Solid relationships are critically important to children from infancy through their teen years. Time spent caring for your children can be a richly rewarding experience for parents, full of opportunity and growth, with deep satisfaction and joy.

Now, as always, the most automated appliance in a household is the mother. ~Beverly Jones

As I write this, you have less than 2 hours left as a working mother. With three beautiful children, you want to be a full time mom and wife again. Breanna will be going into high school this year and that's huge. I know because Ian will be too and I know how you feel when it looks like these are going to be the last of the 'mommy' years for them. It's scary to think that in 4 years they will be graduating high school and heading into a life of adulthood. The thought makes me cringe.

Today you are coming home to your family and making them your sole priority again and I know you're thrilled. You and Don will be able to have so much more quality time without the extra worry. You will get to watch Bree grow into a woman without any sidetracks or thoughts. You will be able to concentrate on raising your boys the way you believe is right, the way God wants, instead of worrying about the 'what ifs' because of work. You will be there for them thru every step of their lives.... dates and proms, football and basketball, childhood to adulthood and beyond.

I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine - she helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights. ~Adabella Radici

So again I ask, what makes a woman leave work to stay at home full time? Her family of course.

Congratulations on a new beginning Kathy!!