You know what you do is priceless ― this is your salary if a price is put on your contributions...
Whichever way you look at it, being a stay-at-home mum (SAHM) is a round-the-clock job. Nor does this position allow sick days or annual leave… Nor an option to resign!
From juggling toddler tantrums and sick babies to packing lunches and shuffling the brood to and from events, an SAHM is someone who wears many hats, yet doesn’t charge her services.
While she finds fulfilment mothering her kids and holding down the fort while her husband works, a SAHM is very often underappreciated. Even worse, she is bombarded with insensitive questions like, “what do you do all day?” from people who truly don’t know what her workload is like.
Even when fathers try to lend a hand ― and we love them for it ― the undeniable truth is that mums still bear the brunt of parenthood. Maybe it’s because they are better at multi-tasking or maybe it’s the maternal instinct that kicks in. Sometimes it could simply also be because the kids just want mummy and nobody else will do.
Being a SAHM is a selfless occupation, one that cannot be fully quantified or truly appreciated until you become one yourself. But if you had to crunch the numbers, here’s a rough estimate of just how much you should be getting paid for your stay-at-home gig. And let’s just say you’re worth every cent, ladies!
Infographic: Syahirah Maszaid
Occupation: Domestic helper
Duties include: Preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner; cleaning the house; doing the laundry; grocery shopping; and washing the car
Number of hours spent per week: 72 hours
Monthly income: $600
Occupation: Taxi/Gojek/Grab driver
Duties include: Ferrying kids to and fro school, birthday parties and extra-curricular activities. Dropping off and picking up the husband up from the office.
Number of hours spent per week: 10 hours
Monthly income: $480
Occupation: Private daycare teacher
Duties include: Organising daily activities tailormade to each child; participating in outdoor and indoor games with the kids; taking little ones out on excursions; giving them their meals; bathing them; and handling discipline issues.
Number of hours spent per week: 60 hours
Monthly income: $2,360
Occupation: Child psychologist
Duties include: Being a shoulder to cry on for babies who can’t verbalise their emotions. Giving toddlers and older kids a safe space and emotional support to talk about their feelings and helping them through the tough times.
Number of hours spent per week: 7 hours
Monthly income: $3,320
Occupation: Nurse
Duties include: Administering medicine; kissing “boo boos”; carrying unwell babies and toddlers round the clock; being there during the night when they wake up feeling unwell.
Number of hours spent per week: 120 hours
Monthly income: $2,890
Occupation: Birthday party planner
Duties include: Deciding on the theme of the party; sourcing for the venue and decorations; deciding on the guest list and entertainment; preparing the food or working with a caterer; sourcing for goodie bag items and putting goodie bags together; making sure the party runs smoothly on the day itself; cleanup after the party.
Number of hours spent per week: 3 hours
Monthly income: $1,200
Occupation: Tuition teacher
Duties include: Helping the older kids with their homework, revising spelling words; and helping them school projects; and coaching them on subjects they are falling back on.
Number of hours spent per week: 10 hours
Monthly income: $800
Occupation: Chief Executive Officer
Duties include: Being a meticulous organiser; and taking care of the day-to-day operations at home.
Number of hours spent per week: 40 hours
Monthly income: $20,000
Photo: iStock
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