What’s a mother's work really worth?

yes this is absolutely a useless exercise. where do you mothers get off putting the price of having a child on to the child ! the child did not ask to be born, yet brought love into your world. Whether you planned to have the child or not, you certainly had something to do with it's conception. With all the child abuse in this world, mothers should be happy to have a healthy child to grow up an support them in their old age. To put a price on mothers work is to put a price on a child's head. This is taking asset management a bit too far !

I agree this is useless. Most working Moms have all the same duties as stay at home Mom's not less. They are taking on even more with work and family. What about single Mom's? Those numbers wiould be even higher. This is ridiculous. You cant put a value on your family. I feel the same way about the cost it takes to raise a child. Mine would have never survived to become adults as we did not have enough money to feed them let alone edcuate them according to what the studys say it costs.

It is a useful exercise. It makes us feel that there is some appreciation out there for the work that we are doing, despite the fact that we are not actually bringing in the same money as our partners who work outside the home. It helps to alleviate the guilt that pops up when we spend the money that he works hard to make. It justifies the equal partner status in our home and allows us to participate in the making of decisions with regard to money and lifestyle.

I am one of the lucky women who was fortunate to have a career and a family and was able to juggle both with the help of a wonderful spouse. Because I worked outside of the home as well as in it, I was able to build up a Canada pension as well as contribute to a retirement plan. I believe the younger generation is more knowledgable about these things and that is good news for the government. However, having said that I have to look at the women who were raising their children in the 50's & 60's who stayed home and did not work outside of the home. These women are now in their 70's and 80's and have no CPP to look forward to, likely no RRSP's either.They are dependent upon their husband's pension (if they are still living) stats have shown that women live longer. Alot of these women are living meager lives to say the least and trying to cope with the increasing cost of living. The government squanders our tax dollars and pays very little regard to these women. When you hear about the limo drivesr (200+ ) our MP's and assistants use this is outrageous.(This is only one of many ridiculous expenses) We have elderly people in this country living close to the poverty level just because they are from a generation of mothers who stayed at home to raise their children. And we children were very happy that they were there.

This is an incredibly useful exercise, not in terms of quantifying the value of a mother or child, but to reiterate that motherhood is demanding job that should command respect. Too often women's status within the family and in society declines precipitously once she leaves the workforce (either permanently or temporarily) to have children. Although most women do not resent their children or the decision to prioritize family, this often comes at the cost of diminished respect. Studies such as these remind us that parenting is not frivolous work. Unfortunately, quantifying equivalent hours and wages for a mother's work communicates in a language that everyone in society understands - money.

Glenn and Don, your mothers should get rated at double the estimated value. They have clearly had the most thankless job on earth.

What about hard working Dad's that are Mom's ??? I work fulltime-shiftwork , was the primary caregiver and went to school partime....while my EX spouse worked her 8-4 job....I got a pittance at the steps of juris prudence...and she has an income of $80 plus and still wants Child support ????

AVL,..you obviously don't have any children or don't have a mother. If you attribute any cost to a mothers work that could possible equal the benefit and happiness a child brings to her, then you are narrow minded and gravely mistaken. instead of passing judgement on others opinions, why don't you just give your.

typical attitudes of those who want their cake and to eat it too ! iSN'T A CHILD AND A FAMILY ENOUGH REWARD ? FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO THINK YOU ARE OWED ANYTHING, THE REALITY IS YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN PAID IN FULL !

I am a Mom and the appreciation I have for my mother is limitless. I raised my childern and worked for the last 33 years. Why would you think just because I dont agree with these kinds of numbers being attached to raising my childern that I have no appreciation for my mother? I wouldnt jump to such conclusions so i thnk my mother did a better job of raising me than some.

Anna Marie.....My Mom was a stay at home Mom until we were teenagers then she went to work in a retail outlet. When she applied for CPP she was able to receive a certain amount of credit (i dont know how much this was) for the years she spent raising her family. I know this because she had to get our birth certificates back from us in order to file for this. Whether it is adaquete or not I dont know but there is something.

I agree with Heather. I was a stay-at-home mom, the demand was 24/7 AND I helped my husband with his work. It is extremely rewarding when children grow up and are good people as a result of all the effort put in, HOWEVER..........society and, in particular the government do not recognize how much work truly is involved. Because I did not work as well out of the home (as I was always available for family), I have no pension from the government.

That is a strong statement!

This is a good reminder to society so people can appreciate more, the value of a mother.

Don & Glenn - WTF???
yes- children bring us un-countable happiness, but also, nail biting worry & frustration!...
As a single mom, my Ex is a fairweather Dad, who rarely contributes to raising the children & costs relayed to them. Many nights I have wanted to go home & put my feet up - but wait - I'm a Mom ( & a good one) but tonight it's brownies, tomorrow soccer, then gymnastices, oh & don't forget playdates etc....Glenn & Don, obviously, you are divorced or don't realize your wives are going on average 18hrs plus a day...I think you are living in a dream world where you think children are always happy, well behaved & have no social life. I love my children more than anything & do everything I can for them daily...but are mothers underpaid - ABSOLUTELY! I think you should both call your Mom's, tell them you love them & buy her some flowers..Maybe go for a visit & do her laundry...I'm sure she did yours for atleast 18yrs +.....P.S giving birth - you will NEVER know the pain & how uncomfortable being pregnant can be. Not to mention limitation put on pregnant mothers food, activities & much more!. You pass a bowling ball & call me - then we can talk realistically!

Again....I am a MOM , have been through birth a few times and know the trails of raising childern.
I love my mother and childern more than you know.....I dont want my childern to think I feel like I have been "taken" by deciding to have them and rasiing them. I know my chldern value me as I value them. They appreciate me and I appreciate them and that is enough. Why does everything have to have a monetary value attached. What does it matter that I did not receive a hundred thousand dollars a year to raise them. I dont care. That is never what it was about. A mothers love and care can not be valued by mere money...it is so much more. Any dollars i did not get have been replaced by years of joy given to me by my childern and now....my grandchildern. I dont see how any amount of money could be assigned to that. Raisning my childern was never a job but a labor of love.

Yes it is important - especially when one has a husband who calls his wife his "most expensive employee" because there is about $35,000 transferred to her account to pay ALL the family bills, including mortgage, insurance, phones, interenet, hydro, food, school costs, gas, and kids clothing. Not much left over from all that for that wife to pay for the odd lunch out, a hair cut or new shoes! I'm not sorry I brought my kids into the world, and generally I don't think they owe me anything (unless they are feeling especially hard done by cause they can't get an Iphone) - but it is nice to know that my contribution to the family has a monetary worth - which is what many (and perhaps, most) men recognize as valuable. Maybe some of the men who have commented here do recognize and appreicate their wives (working outside the home or otherwise), but there is a whole big bunch who don't. And for those ladies who think that working moms look down on you - get rid of the chip! We all work hard, whether we get paid for it or not. I've been on both sides and I'd rather be a working mom and get some outside appreciation.

Glenn, I think you have missed the point of the article. It is not designed to put a price on a child's head. It is to demonstrate how undervalued working mothers and stay at home mothers are in society. Children are a blessing and a joy to have in one's life, no one is saying otherwise. And no, money cannot even begin to equate to the love and joy that they bring into the world they live in. The article is merely an exercise to show, IF mothers or fathers were to be paid for all the little things that we (happily) do, what that amount would be. Perhaps you should be more open minded and realize that a small, insignificant article might be a reassurance that a new mom, or a tired dad needs on a bad day. Less aggression, more understanding... it does a world of good.

This calcuation is bogus! The reason that moms aren't "worth" $132,288 is because there is no value to sustaining yourself. Now if the mom decided to provide the services of "Van driver", "washing machine operator" and "cook" to her neighbors perhaps she could actaully earn that amount. If I am to take this survey seriously I would also have to assume that I should get paid because I wipe my own ass (private bathroom attendant) and can feed myslef (personal care giver). Perhaps my dog should also be valued for peeing on the lawn (groundskeeper) and chasing after squirrels (vermin terminator). Ridiculous!

I think this is very useful, there are a lot of men and others in society that think a mom's job is a piece of cake, get to stay home all day and do nothing. It isn't alway a woman at home, some Dad's as well. Besides looking after 3 kids, 4 yrs apart, which made it kind of endless, I did all the gardens, painting, fixing things, plastering and painting two giant basements, deck building, just about anything you can think of that was needed during all those years. Yes while I did get credit from the gov for staying home when filing for CPP it still came to just $150/month. Not worth much. When my husband filed for separation after the kids were grown he and his lawyer answered the question: how much did I contribute to the home? - 10%. So yes this is very useful information.

I had one neighbour who worked as well as being a mom of two who was the only mom I knew who didn't say she had to work, she said she went to work because it was easier. Having been through it and now retired from this stay at home mom position - I can honestly say that yes it might have been easier to go to work and when that job is over you are rewarded with some recognition and a pension. When I retired I didn't even get a cup or a single word of congratulations - job well done.
So it can be a lonely, thankless job but when society, gov and your partner think it isn't worth much then it is very discouraging. Most mom's today are at work, doing it all, but I think we have some strong evidence that the children are suffering.

I think the whole thing comes down to this. A good mother is priceless, you can't put a price on what she does. But the stay at home mother is not valued by society as she ought to be. She is not JUST a stay at home mom as the popular saying goes. She is a valued worker in society bringing up tomorrow 's citizens. I think it is amazing when a mother does an eight hour a day job and still is a good mother.
It is a very rewarding job to be a mother but it is a job no doubt.