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How Much is Mom Worth?

 
My husband and I are in constant disagreement about the role of a Mom and that her worth is far more than most people equate. After all, we hold our family together, from cooking to providing support for our children. We nurse them when they’re ill, put out fires and help with homework. The very tasksngs that no one ever puts a price on.
 
I ran across an article on Insure.com’s website, “The Mother’s Day Index: How Much is Mom Worth This Year?” It has been highlighted by Fox, MSN Money and Forbes. I share it here with you to tell you how much your family would have to spend to do all these various Mom tasks that we take for granted.
 
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From patching up skinned knees to chauffeuring kids around town to investigating what teenagers are up to after school, moms do a little bit of everything.
And those little bits add up fast.
We took an informal look at the various tasks a typical mom does and how much a family would have to spend to pay professionals to do the same things. (See tasks and compensation below, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data.)
The total: $61,436 a year — which doesn’t include the salary mom might make at her job. It’s an important reminder that all moms need life insurance.

Life insurance for Mom’s value

Unfortunately, too many women remain uninsured or under-insured, according to LIMRA, a global life insurance research and consulting firm.
Last year almost six out of 10 women-owned some sort of life insurance, which is about equal to men’s life insurance ownership, LIMRA says. But the amount of life insurance coverage purchased for women is only about 69 percent of men’s coverage, and married households are less likely to buy individual life insurance for wives than for husbands.
“Both parents should be insured,” says Marvin Feldman, president, and CEO of the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education.
Too often, couples assume that a stay-at-home parent doesn’t need to buy life insurance because he or she isn’t a breadwinner. However, the loss of income isn’t the only financial hit a family would suffer if a parent died. Someone would have to take over all the tasks that they performed.
“All those services have a price and could be a significant expense for a family to replace,” says Steven Brostoff, a American Council of Life Insurers spokesperson.
Feldman says the cost of child care could run $30,000 a year. A family would need about $1 million in capital to produce that much income from investment returns.
“Who has that?” he asks. “That’s why having life insurance is so important.”
Another common mistake couples make is assuming that in-laws will step in to help with the children, Feldman adds. “But sometimes in-laws aren’t capable of doing it physically or financially, and their out-of-pocket costs would still need to be taken care of.”

How much life insurance does Mom need?

Although both parents should be insured, they don’t have to be insured; equally, Feldman says. The amount depends on the cost of replacing the parent’s income and the critical services they provide. Couples should also consider future earning potential, such as a stay-at-home parent’s plan to return to the workforce.
“There’s no single rule of thumb for the question of how much life insurance you need,” Brostoff says. “We recommend talking to a professional life insurance agent.”
But one thing is certain: “Something is better than nothing,” Feldman says.

The Mother’s Day Index 2011

Mom job BLS occupation used Hours per week/weeks per year Hourly wage Weeks per year Annual Mom cost
Cooking Cooks 14 hrs./52 weeks $9.53 52 $6,938
Driving Taxi drivers and chauffeurs 9 hrs./52 weeks $13.43 52 $6,285
Helping with homework Other teachers and instructors 10 hrs./40 weeks $17.85 40 $7,140
Taking care of the kids Child Care Worker 40 hrs./52 weeks $9.95 52 $20,696
Nursing wounds Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses 2 hrs./12 weeks $17.90 12 $430
Cleaning up Maids and housekeeping cleaners 10 hrs./52 weeks $9.40 52 $4,888
Planning parties Meeting & Convention Planners 64 hours a year $23.11   $1,479
Summer activity planner Miscellaneous community and social service specialists 40 hrs./12 weeks $18.18 12 $8,726
Haircuts Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists 0.5 hrs./52 weeks $11.55 52 $300
Shopping for the family Personal and home care aides 3 hrs./52 weeks $10.13 52 $1,580
Family finances Accountants and auditors 0.5 hrs./52 weeks $23.83 52 $620
Yard work Grounds maintenance workers 1 hr./52 weeks $10.83 52 $563
Fixing up the house Interior Designers 40 hours a year $24.99   $1,000
Finding out what the kids are up to Private detectives and investigators 40 hours a year $19.78   $791

Total annual Mom cost: $61,436

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
 

 

About Julee: Julee Morrison is an experienced author with 35 years of expertise in parenting and recipes. She is the author of four cookbooks: The Instant Pot College Cookbook, The How-To Cookbook for Teens, The Complete Cookbook for Teens, and The Complete College Cookbook. Julee is passionate about baking, crystals, reading, and family. Her writing has appeared in The LA Times (Bon Jovi Obsession Goes Global), Disney's Family Fun Magazine (August 2010, July 2009, September 2008), and My Family Gave Up Television (page 92, Disney Family Fun August 2010). Her great ideas have been featured in Disney's Family Fun (Page 80, September 2008) and the Write for Charity book From the Heart (May 2010). Julee's work has also been published in Weight Watchers Magazine, All You Magazine (Jan. 2011, February 2011, June 2013), Scholastic Parent and Child Magazine (Oct. 2011), Red River Family Magazine (Jan. 2011), BonAppetit.com, and more. Notably, her article "My Toddler Stood on Elvis' Grave and Scaled Over Boulders to Get to a Dinosaur" made AP News, and "The Sly Way I Cured My Child's Lying Habit" was featured on PopSugar. When she's not writing, Julee enjoys spending time with her family and exploring new baking recipes.
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