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Subscribe to RSSWhat would you value more? Mom cooking dinner for the family, or Dad killing a spider in Junior’s room?
While women are still dealing with the gender wage gap at work, when it comes to the unpaid work moms do at home, their imaginary paychecks would be bigger than those of their husbands.
As Father’s Day approaches this weekend, it’s time to take stock of what dads do for their families beyond just bringing home a paycheck. Alas, the household chores they tend to do aren't worth as much as the sweat equity moms put in at home year round, according to two recent reports.
Insure.com calculated what they deemed to be daddy duties, including things such as barbecuing, killing bugs and mowing the lawn. The study found the domestic tasks would total about $20,248 a year if they were paid work. That compared to $60,182 annually for moms for doing things such as cooking, cleaning and nursing wounds. The value of the work was based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for how much similar jobs out in the real work world would pay.
Another study by Salary.com found that the value of what working dads do at home is actually rising. The company looked at online responses from nearly 3,000 dads who reported on the number of hours they put into tasks at home, including everything from cooking to driving kids around, and found the value of what the dads did jumped to $36,757 this year from $33,858 the previous year. A previous study of work done by working moms found what the moms do at home is valued at $66,979, compared to $63,471 in 2011.
The dads in Salary.com’s sampling were doing more laundry this year, about 1.4 hours, compared to 1.2 hours in 2011; but they cut back on their kitchen time, from 2.7 hours to 2.2 hours.
Women are still the ones doing the heavy lifting at home, said Nancy Folbre, a professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Massachusetts. But she cautioned against giving this type of data on what dads do too much credence.
“They underestimate both what mothers and fathers do,” she noted.
Indeed, Emmet Pierce, a spokesman of Insure.com, said his firm's research was not a scientific study but rather a “lighthearted view of fatherhood. It’s not that every dad conforms to this, but it gives a broad view of what fathers do.”
Dads are doing more around the house, but a shift from that 1950s mentality has been slow.
A study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics released last year found: “On an average day, 20 percent of men did housework — such as cleaning or doing laundry — compared with 49 percent of women. Forty-one percent of men did food preparation or cleanup, compared with 68 percent of women.” And a 2008 Gallup poll found that women are much more likely to do most of the household chores, while men are primarily taking care of the family cars and doing yardwork.
But traditional family roles are being questioned. A report released Monday by Boston College’s Center for Work & Family found that those dads who choose to stay at home with their kids made “a conscious choice and commitment to be home with their children to the benefit of their families, their wives’ careers, and their own personal fulfillment.” And the center reported 3.4 percent of at-home parents are dads today, compared to 1.7 percent 10 years ago.
“Nearly all fathers are increasingly likely to experience active caregiving, and the result will require employers to adapt their thinking and their actions regarding who needs support to do so adequately,” said Brad Harrington, author of the study and executive director of the Center for Work & Family. “This is not simply a women’s issue.”
Folbre believes that gender responsibilities as they relate to household work are being “renegotiated” but there’s still some resistance and inertia when it comes to change. “We still have a really long way to go,” she added.
Here's a rundown on what working dads do at home and the value of their household tasks from Salary.com:
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What a bunch of sexist crap! If it wasn't for Dad working a job outside of the house, there would be no house. Without Dad, Mom would be on welfare with the kids.
Another MSNBC article where MEN SUCK! The 1950's were not the Cleavers when I was a kid. Dad came home and handed his paycheck to my mother who ran everything to do with the family and my grandparents were the same way. Men complained about their wives and postured but the women ran the home. Outside the 4 walls, men were king but, once they crossed the doorframe, they were in the wives realm. As my mother used to say "wives were the neck that turned the head". Kids mowed the yard, weeded the garden and shoveled the snow; mother kept house and dad made sure the family had a roof over their heads, food to eat and clothes to wear. Everyone knew their role unlike today where the roles are not well defined. My wife was once asked why she didn't work outside the home and she responded "I don't have time".
My husband does more around the house than I do. He does the 'manly' stuff and is our household cook. He does all of it after working all day. The kids behave much better when he's around, and he makes life fun for all of us. Men and dads are awesome!
Thank you, 10kbug.
This is an atrocious attack on men, before Father's Day. MSN has lost some serious credibility points with me in the past few years. Poor writing, mis-statement of facts, and posting these ridiculous 'study results'. Do your damn fact checking.
I feel that mowing the lawn, taking care of home repairs (on average 1.5% of home's market value / year, which is worth more if you do the work yourself because contractor's charge for their overhead), taking care of automobiles, etc. I think this adds up to significantly more than what this 'study' values it at. Heck doing oil changes on our families 2 vehicles every few months instead of taking them into the shop or quick change place saves us well over 600$ a year. Let's add the work we've done to improve the value of our homes (mine just jumped $40k in 3 years with all the work I've put into remodeling it)...Where is this work accounted for in this 'study'?
I'd rather have my 'worth' as a man calculated as the money I've saved the household by not having to contract out work, or worse yet, paying for a costly repair after it's too late (usually double to triple the cost of the maintenance that should have been done). I think this is a more accurate representation.
Don't get me wrong. I'm completely happy that I'm financially able to work and allow my wife to be a stay-at-home mom. I value her to the highest degree! I just think this study doesn't accurately represent anything of value. It doesn't even make the damn connection that a stay-at-home dad would be doing these exact same things as a stay-at-home mom would. To me those values are equal. Having a stay-at-home parent is worth a lot in child care costs that are never accrued.
Whether that's a man or a woman is irrelevant!
Congratulations Eve. Mission accomplished. Dad's aren't valued as much as moms. The mommy factor always wins because its a winless arguement. Just ask any man and woman.
I get fed up with this spoon fed crap. Women must have a higher need for atta girls, and way to go supermom, and break the glass ceiling, and soccer mom, and hockey mom, and... and... and...
I vote "no value" on this article.
They've always valued Mom's work at home to be worth more than Dad's, especially in divorce cases. I think that's where the trend came from because years ago the courts almost always wanted to tag Dad with the alimony and other bills. I have to wonder, though. I personally do alot of "do it yourself" work at home that would cost many, many times more to hire a contractor or handy man to do. AC, electrical, carpentry, roofing, cabinets, painting, pest control and more. My work is also done better because I'm not rushing or cutting corners to make a buck and leave. Plus, my wife would rather I do the work for these reasons!
Build a deck, clean the pool, cut the grass, dig up the garden, spread the mulch, fix the sidewalk, finish the basement, replace kitchen cabinets, lay hardwood floor, clean the carpet, install wifi and cable, cleanup the 6 PC's, clean up the dog crap, cut down, cut up and haul away the two dead trees in our yard, buy the brick and haul it home and lay an 80 ft x 4ft brick wall, haul out the trash, weed the flower bed, take the kids to baseball/hockey/football (and coach those teams too).
But before you do all that, work 60+ hrs a week at your salaried job until the job gets done, advance your career, go back to school to continue your education, and make sure your family has a roof over their heads, food on the table, and a safe and happy home.
You know why I do all this? Because I want to... I don't care to be measured by factors of money. Its not important to me.
But women never let the value thing die. Its sells books, magazines, and makes them feel good. Get a life!!
Happy father's day!!!
Isn't it strange to read an article like this and then see where the real value is in a divorce (picking dad's pocket, taking his paycheck, taking part of his retirement, and ofcourse the biggie...alimony) because she "can't" get a decent job to live the life she was accustomed to...
Been there, done that.
Wow, some really sensitive guys out there today trashing the article.
Yes, a few men have always done a fair share of housework and they are doing more today than 40 years ago, but like the article states, women spend more time on housework/dependent care than men. Which means they have less time to relax and/or follow their hobbies.
Personally, as a full-time life-time member of the formal workforce, I've NEVER lived with a man who has come close to performing comparable time in household chores. You have to ask them to do stuff and then run the risk of being a "nagger."
Frankly, it's getting old, women are not servants.
If you feel like a servent it's your fault not anyone elses.
I have the best husband on earth. He works at least 75 hours every week and yet thinks nothing of walking in the kitchen when I am washing up and grabbing a dish towel.
Our kids are grown and gone but he still makes me feel like I am the most beautiful woman in the whole world (wrinkles, cane, gray hair, and all). He can fix anything and if he can't, he isn't too proud to call our kids and ask them if they know how.
The best part of my week is sitting in our porch porch swing with him, having a cup of coffee and just talking or going for a walk. I can't imagine life without him.
What I have noticed is that many people expect their mates to know what it is that they need. Then they get all upset that they didn't read their minds and know that they were supposed to do this or that. You can't complain that your partner doesn't help out if they don't know specifically what you want from them. That is just plain unfair.
I am confused, did some suggest that we (men) wanted to change from the 1950's inspired household roles? I had not heard that it was the desires of men to change their position ... I have heard that women want us to change but not that men actually wanted to. I personally do not, and therefore fall into this category of the minimal collection of income where the household duties are concerned. But that still makes me the overall bread winner of the house pushing me well into the Obama defined "rich" bracket (can I actually collect this money somehow).
Personally I work full time, am an active member on 2 board of directors, run 2 small businesses, coach Baseball, Football, play Softball and Golf, and hunt and fish. I do not have time to do anything else, least of all chores at home. This study is nonsense and a waste of time, energy and effort. The reason this does not change is because men understand from a early age that it is our responsibility to provide for the family and not worry about the household chores. That is not a man's job. Heck I don't even cut the grass anymore, my son does!
And for those of you that are about to say I am not married or have kids, yes I am married and have 3 kids.
How long have U been married?
I have to admit that my husband means well most of the time, but can be clueless when it comes to the amount of effort it takes to do everything around the house. Because of that he gets frustrated when he wants "personal time."
He still proclaims on a regular basis that he can't handle our four year old daughter, even though she is just being normal. His solution most of the time is to try to pass her off on me, even though I am having medical issues and am unable to do a lot of the heavy lifting that I usually do. He is still somewhat blind to household chores that maintain the house such as cleaning the stove top, wiping down counters and sweeping floors. He will also complain when I need laundry done and he doesn't want to do it. He doesn't recognize how much laundry I have done just because he needed clean work clothes or the baby was running low on underwear or pants.
Hats off to the guys that do all of these things without complaining. However, I really want my husband to understand that chilling out in front of the video game or tv shows is not going to going to get the lawnmower fixed or the laundry washed and folded. And along the way he will get interrupted by a four year old that just wants to be with Daddy. I expect to to be have my life interrupted many times a day and I deal with it, but I need my husband to deal accordingly also.
For some guys, change is hard. Working full-time outside the home where he is in charge of his time is a totally different experience from staying at home and taking care of a family and house full-time. Some men seem to more flexible when it comes to change than others.
Another stupid article.
Look up why father-less children are ending up on jails and becoming a burden to society. Chicago is having bloody shootings in south side every day. Gone up recently.. with kids grown to single moms are majority there.
There could be some fathers who probably don't do much for their family, just like there are some moms who are useless.
My wife is the primary wage earner in our household and works 10-14 hour shifts 6 days per week. No way in #ell am I going to let her come home and do laundry, clean, and cook for 4 people after that.
I stopped working a well paying corporate job to be at home with my son. I thought it more important to spend time with him. My wife isn't the child friendly type and is into her work and time with the girlfriend. So, in addition to the normal daddy work i do the cleaning, laundry, cooking, homework duty, bill paying, grocery shopping, and IT support. I don't even bother with what she's not doing because the her math will never add up- period. What's really sad is that if my children become successful they will most likely give her all the credit- if they fail it will fall on me. Happy Fathers Day!
Hey, killing spiders is ... is .... Okay, never mind.
I think you guys missed the part about this being a light-hearted study.
In your world, the 'study' may be light-hearted. But obviously in the world of many others it is just plain offensive.
My wife and I both work full time and when it comes to household chores we tend to divide them along typical gender roles but in a way that balances the amount of "free" time we each get so that one person doesn't get to sit around more than the other.
Also, the article doesn't really include a lot of the financial responsibilities for a household. Who manages the bills, does the taxes, manages the savings and investments, et cetera? These are all important and valuable duties that this article glosses over, and in my household, those chores fall to me. What does an accountant or financial advisor make these days anyway? :)
My husband does a lot. A LOT. I am incredibly grateful for all he does. I know that I certainly would not be able to take care of three kids under 4 years old and keep the house spotless and cook all our meals and do the yard work and take care of all the little things. And, he is grateful for everything I do. We've both had to take care of everything by ourselves at one point or another so we each know just how hard it all is.
Wow:
Computers (that would be IT mom since Dad is terrified to even check email)
Outside work granted he does do the mowing but I did all the planting furtilizing germinating, trim work, and SWEEPING that is very important, plus lanscape design.
Last night after working a 9 hour day Mom made Shrimp scampi (No McDonalds thank U) chedder rice and brushel sprouts plus corn dogs and fries for the kids because they will not eat seafood, so I made 3 dinners last night.
I do all laundry he on occation will fold a load but that is it, I am the master of removing stains so they leave that to me.
I empty dishwasher on my lunch break and make sure all animals get an afternoon break he takes care of them in the morning
I make sure the kids have snackes (even when they goto daycare instead of school, pool items for classes and extra clothes for daycare)
He likes to have me make him a cocktail nightly and then for about 1 hr we sit outside and relax before we start it all over again.
I must say if something breaks he is the one to fix it but alot of the times he broke it to begin with or 1 of the kids did.
I do all house cleaning, funny when we 1st started dating 1 of the things I loved about him was how neat and clean his appartment was. Now I wonder if he just paid someone to make it look that way.
We both do our share he has a much more physical 9-5 job then me I sit at a computer all day he works in the heat so I think we are even.
I am the accountant he has no will power so I handle all money matters he gets a weekly allowence, but he prefers it this way and we have had some wonderful vacations to boot
Talk about stereotypes. I'm a woman who can kill bugs and mow grass and many men cook dinner, do laundry, etc. Ludicrous.
I'm really excited about the next article that manages to once again remove all aspects of actually being human and intentionally reduces the concept of "worth" down to two decimal points.
Unfortunately the article commences with a one sided view from a "female" writer, however, the mothers tasks in the home is a more serious position more so in raising children and therefore valued much more highly. All other responsibilties whether husband or wife's chores, while tiring, should be shared by each.
Who cares about this since it is not "real" money? My husband is worth a lot more than some silly imaginary 30K since he brings in over 5 times that amount in "real" money. Plus, he does about 1/2 the chores and I do the other 1/2. We divide them by ability and interest. There is no price tag on household duties.
For those women complaining that their men do not help around the house---you can only blame yourself since you chose to be with them and breed with them.
the amount those people would get paid to do these jobs outside of the home is 0. they are not trained or certified in any of those jobs and wouldn't be able to get a job ding those things without training, except lawn care to an extent.
This article presents us with highly useful information. I wish more studies like this were done. Truly this is cutting edge research.