Salary.com claims that the work of a housewife is worth $134,121. IWF vice president Carrie Lukas points out how useless such a claim is on NRO this morning.
“But placing a number on a mom’s value misses the point. Women perform these duties because they love their families. Moms aren’t daycare providers worth $14 per hour-they are loving parents driven to care for those tiny beings who are more precious to them than any amount of money. Serving as your child’s “psychologist” and your home’s “facility manager” isn’t work-it’s the essence of life. Your compensation isn’t measured in dollars, but in building a life that you love.
In the interest of fairness, salary.com might examine the compensation warranted by a typical husband’s responsibilities. My husband is part handyman, plumber, electrician, garbage man, mechanic, electronics technician, computer operator, and babysitter. The salary he could claim if he parsed out these chores would be far more than my daughter or I could afford.”