This is just for fun today - - I was thinking about how much I might be paid if I were a "professional" Stay-at-Home Mom... here's what I came up with!
Choose how you would be paid, and calculate it! It's fun :)
Childcare - - Minimum Pay $80.41/day, or $402.05/week
Classroom Teacher - Work 7:30-6:30, with two one-hour breaks for nap time = 9 hours a day at $7.25/hr
...if you have early childhood credits, add another $.25/hr for each credit
...if you have a college degree, add another $.75/hr
At the very minimum - - $65.25 per day
Daycare Director (if you push paperwork for your child's medical care, babysitters, etc.) - ~2 hours per month = 4 minutes/day at $10/hr
...if your child has special needs, add more time based on how much paperwork there is
...if you have a business degree, add another $5/hr
...if you have more than one child, double, triple, quadruple the time accordingly
At the very minimum - - $.66 per day
Extra Help (if you have children with special needs) - 2 hours per day at $7.25/hr
...if you have a degree in special education, you should be making around $10/hr (and add more if you have graduate degrees)
...depending on the extent of the needs of your child, add more time
At the very minimum - - $14.50 per day
Housework - - Minimum Pay $19/day, or $95/week
You'll have to calculate your own housework hours, based on how big your house is
Minimum 1 hour per day at an average of $15/hr
...if you have experience cleaning houses professionally, use the rate you used when you cleaned
...if you make your own cleaners, add in the hours spent making them and the money you saved your family
Laundry - - $4/load, averaging 1 load a day for a small family = $4/day, or $20/week
...if you wash your clothes by hand, calculate your pay hourly based on time you spend actively washing/hanging/folding clothes at $8/hr
...if you hang-dry your machine-washed clothes, add $.50 per load for saving your family money
...add another $1/hr per child in your family (add another $1/hr for each child if you hand-wash)
At the very minimum - - $4 per day
Bill Paying - - Minimum Pay $3.11/day, or $21.77/week
Taxes - Once a year, if you do your own $30/hour (add $5 for each year of experience you have doing this) for 3 hours
At the very minimum - - $.25 per day
($90 per year / 365 days)
Monthly Bills - $2 per bill you pay by writing the check and mailing, figure 5 bills a week
...if you have to go to the Post Office, add another $4 per trip for travel time
...if you have to walk across the street to get to the mailbox, add another $3 per crossing ($6 per trip to the mailbox) for the danger
At the very minimum - - $1.43 per day
($10 per week / 7 days)
Weekly Budget Meeting -2 hours a week at $5/hr = $10 per week
...if you have gone through any coursework that helps with budgeting, add another $3 per week
...if you stick to the budget, you get another $3 per week
At the very minimum - - $1.43 per day
($10 per week / 7 days)
Health Care - - Minimum Pay $4.29/day, or $30/week
Boo Boo Preparedness - Flat rate of $30/week
...if you have a degree in medicine, add however much you think that's worth
...if you have more than one child, add another $10 per week per child
...if you have boys, add another $5 per boy per week
...if you have toddlers between the ages of 13months-24months, add another $5 per toddler per week
At the very minimum - - $4.29 per day
($30 per week / 7 days)
Meal Preparation - - Minimum Pay $15/day, or $105/week
Each Meal - $5 per meal (or $15 per day)
...if you cook from scratch, add in another $5 per meal
...if you ever bake, add another $2 per baked good you make each week on average
...if you use organic ingredients, add another $1 per meal
...if you cook for guests at least once every week, add another $10 per week
...if you have more than 4 people to cook for (including yourself), add another $1 per meal
...if you make separate meals for different kids because of picky eaters or allergies, count those meals separately
At the very minimum - - $15 per day
Minimum Yearly Pay: $33,998.64
So... can your hubby afford to pay you?
This certainly isn't meant to downgrade what our hubbies do to support our families. It's just fun to look at, and hopefully will boost your spirits the next time you feel like what you are doing isn't worthwhile. Above all else, remember what God says about our job:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
~ Colossians 3:23
