| Amy says, "I love being a housewife and a mom. | | | | doesn't understand that I work just as hard as he |
| Providing a beautiful, loving home environment for my | | | | does. I refuse to put my kids in daycare or have a |
| husband and two small children brings me joy. But | | | | relative take care of them. I didn't have my children to |
| sometimes my husband makes me feel guilty about | | | | let someone else raise them. I want to raise my own |
| spending his" money (as he puts it). He doesn't seem | | | | children. My own husband sometimes says hurtful thing |
| to value all that I do for him and our family. And isn't it | | | | like how I am a financial drain on our family. He will |
| supposed to be our money?Homemakers are often | | | | even complain that the house isn't always spotless |
| undervalued, by both society and their spouses. The | | | | even though he never lifts a finger to help. It is really |
| unpaid work that homemakers perform daily is | | | | hard being a homemaker, especially without the |
| priceless. It is wrong to make stay-at-home moms and | | | | support of my husband. I am often made to feel guilty |
| dads feel that they are not entitled to fulfill their dreams | | | | when I want some time to myself; he expects me to |
| because they do not earn the household money. It's | | | | stay busy every waking moment to make up for the |
| unfortunate that we put more value on material things | | | | fact that I don't bring home a paycheque. Am I not |
| than we do on the family. Regrettably, our society | | | | entitled to some downtime? Just because I'm a |
| doesn't place a high dollar value on a homemaker's | | | | non-income-earner doesn't mean I don't contribute to |
| work, but a loving spouse should. | | | | the family-I do everything, except bring home the |
| Between taking the kids to school and picking them up, | | | | bacon. |
| driving them to soccer practice and dance lessons, | | | | We must recognize that most homemakers carry a |
| doing the laundry and grocery shopping, cooking dinner, | | | | heavy load of work and responsibility. They work long |
| making lunches, and keeping the house clean, | | | | hours, and we must give them the respect they |
| homemakers work as hard as anyone in the "official" | | | | deserve. Spouses need to realize and appreciate that |
| workforce. In 2006, compensation experts at released | | | | they provide real economic value. |
| a report on the value of the work done by | | | | The homemaker wears many hats: child-care worker, |
| stay-at-home moms, as well as that done by working | | | | housekeeper, cook, bookkeeper, chauffeur, nurse. |
| mothers once they get home from their "real jobs": | | | | Many work seven days a week, 12 to 14 hours a day, |
| consulted with Stay at Home and Working Moms and | | | | and they don't get paid for it. They get no health |
| determined the top 10 jobs that make up a mom's job | | | | insurance, no sick days, no paid vacation. And many |
| description. If paid, Stay at Home Moms would earn | | | | do it without complaint because they believe that the |
| $134,121 annually (up from 2005's salary of $131,471). | | | | true value of raising their own children is priceless. |
| Working Moms would earn $85,876 annually for the | | | | As part of your financial planning, it is important for you |
| "mom job" portion of their work, in addition to their | | | | to discuss how you each feel about this issue. If you |
| actual "work job" salary. | | | | are planning to have children, will one of you stay |
| Many homemakers are frustrated because they feel | | | | home with them? Planning ahead and coming to an |
| that they are not appreciated for the amount of work | | | | agreement on your values and how you could handle |
| they do-neither by their own spouse nor by society. | | | | living on one income may save you frustration and |
| Here is a short letter from one of these frustrated | | | | problems in the future. |
| moms who feels underappreciated despite the fact | | | | This article was excerpted from Joanne B. Parrotta's |
| that she is doing the world's hardest job: | | | | new book: The Five Rules for Marriage: Practical |
| Why are homemakers so undervalued? My husband | | | | Advice for Divorce - Proofing Your Marriage |
| complains about my being a stay-at-home mom. He | | | | (WiseAdviceBooks, 2010). |