You (don’t) earn HOW much?
Think you’ve lost your edge? The truth is you have probably been honing it.
You (don’t) earn HOW much?
“Sorry, you must have meant my Husband, not me”, I said to the insurance representative. “No”, he assured me, “The cost to replace you is much higher, this is your policy”.
I vividly remember this conversation from my peak child-rearing years. Two years before I had exited my job as a Senior Associate in a law firm, and was financially fortunate enough to stay at home to raise our children. The hours were terrible, pay non-existent and emotional toll larger than I realised at the time, but it is still a decision I am glad we made. Like many mothers in this position, however, I felt a significant lack of validation. No pay rises (no pay at all), no “work wins” or client feedback…. just a relentless rotation of repetitive, unfinished tasks.
Which is why it was hugely validating when our bank manager and insurance broker put a number on my contribution. Despite my husband’s incredible work ethic in a highly respected profession, it would cost more to replace me.
$240K Base Salary
I was reminded of this recently when The Female Quotient posted a video estimating that it would cost at least $240,000 to cover the many jobs performed by a stay at home mother on a daily basis. This estimate, derived from salary.com, does not include replacing the mother herself, and is based on standard pay (not taking into account many of the other variables and round the clock care I was providing at the time). There have also been significant inflationary and labour market conditions in Australia which would likely lead to a much higher figure.
A 2021 study by salary.com compared pre and post-pandemic roles assumed by stay at home mums. When considering the traditional roles assumed by mothers, they concluded that the role involved more than 20 different positions including:
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Operating Officer
Logistics Analyst
Housekeeper
Laundry Manager
Driver
Teacher
Facilities Manager
Meeting/Event Planner
Kitchen Manager
Assistant Athletics Director
Staff Nurse - RN I
Bookkeeper
Physical Therapy Supervisor
Nutrition Director
Consumer Loan Officer
Fast Food Cook
Server
Conflicts Manager
Interior Designer
Fundraising Coordinator
What about the conditions though?
The survey results show that stay-at-home moms work an astonishing 106 hours per week on average which means they are working 15 hours a day 7 days a week – hours that would put a stereotypical wolf of Wall Street to shame.
Why Returning Mothers are in Demand
The ability to perform so many jobs in such testing conditions (not to mention the irreplaceable emotional support provided) should provide any mother considering a return to work with confidence in her abilities. I have heard from more than a few friends (with demanding paid jobs) that her work days are the least stressful of the week, which is further proof that if you’re only holding back because you think you’ve lost your edge, the likelihood is that you have actually been honing it.
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