A Husband's essay in appreciation of his stay-at-home wife becomes web hit after he calculates that her workload should equal an annual salary of $73,960

I wanted to pass along an awesome story that has been covered by many news outlets over the past few days.

Husband & father, Steven Nelms, writes an essay in appreciation of his stay-at-home wife, Glorianna.  In his essay, he calculates the monetary value of what his wife contributes to the home, including child care, cooking, cleaning and running the finances. Nelms concludes that his wife's annual salary should be $73,960.  He writes that he was 'ashamed' that his wife ever 'felt like she doesn't have just as much right to our income as I do'.  Nelms said his wife has worked since she was 14 and he wanted to make sure she felt appreciated.    

Nelms estimates that the childcare his wife provides is worth $36,660 a year, the annual-salary for a full-time nanny. 

He also estimates this his wife does $5,200 worth of cleaning a year, $12,480 of cooking, and $13,520 for buying groceries and running errands.  

After adding that his wife helps deal with the family's finances and does the laundry, he concludes that his wife's annual salary should be $73,960. 

'I would have to make over $100k to even begin to be able to cover my living expenses as well as employ my wife as a Stay-At-Home Mom!' he writes. 

'In short, I can’t afford for my wife to stay at home. And I’ve tragically failed to show my wife the appreciation that she deserves.'

Read the full article at the Daily Mail UK 


Have you ever calculated what you are worth as a stay-at-home parent?  I know, that sometimes I personally forget what I am contributing to our household and feel like a glorified babysitter and housekeeper.  And, much like Glorianna, I feel like I haven't earned the "right" to our money.  When transitioning from a working parent to a stay-at-home parent, I mentally struggled with not contributing financially to our family as I once had. It certainly puts things into perspective when I see actual numbers of what would be spent if we paid someone else to do what I do on a daily basis 365 days a year.  

So, No matter the monetary value that your skills are worth...being a stay-at-home parent is priceless and no amount of money can take away what both you and your child(ren) get from you being at home with them.  I can honestly say, that my children have taught me just as I have them.