Did you know that if you were to assign a monetary value to all the tasks a mom typically does for her family, her annual salary in 2024 would amount to $140,315?
That’s what Insure.com’s Mother’s Day Index suggests. Each year, they tally up the various roles moms fulfill, cross-referencing them with the average hourly wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to arrive at this figure.
I personally love the jobs that make the index each year. There’s cook and chauffeur (naturally), and maid and meeting planner (that makes sense too). But there’s also teacher, interior designer, grounds maintenance worker, judge, and my favorite, private investigator.
It’s a fun little article, but I think it also points out the difference between the worth of the work that a Mom – or any other primary caregiver – does, which can be measured and calculated, and the value of being someone’s Mom, which is pretty much priceless.
How do you measure the value of comforting a child, tending to their scraped knees, guiding them with boundaries, and being their biggest cheerleader at every milestone? How do you assign a price tag to the daily doses of encouragement that shape them into the remarkable individuals they become?
It’s interesting how many highly accomplished people – from Abraham Lincoln to Pablo Picasso – credit Mom for what they achieved. The anthropologist Jane Goodall said that her Mom told her she could achieve anything she wanted to if she put her mind to it. “I am always grateful for that,” she added.
I hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day this weekend. If Mom is no longer around, spend some time cherishing her memory. If she lives far away, give her a call. And if you are lucky enough to have her nearby, spend some time with her. Do lunch, take in a movie, or maybe plant a garden. There is no one in the world quite like her and, despite the best efforts of Insure.com, no way you can truly pay her what she’s worth.
Happy Mother’s Day,
Misti