published: Friday, May 11, 2012

Our mothers are raising the future of America

Our mothers are raising the future of America

According to Salary.com, the average mother works 92 hours a week. The study concluded, "The job titles that best matched a mom's definition of her work are (in order of hours spent per week): housekeeper, day care center teacher, cook, computer operator, laundry machine operator, janitor, facilities manager, van driver, CEO, and psychologist."

According to Salary.com, the average salary of a stay-at-home mother should be $138,095.

Stay-at-home mothers and all mothers who are raising children work hard. And for stay-at-home mothers work comes without a paycheck.

Consider for a moment the impact of mothers on America. How are children best trained to be responsible, mature, contributing adults? There is no question that a mother molds the child. Who comforts a sick child? Who wipes away the tears? Who gives so very much but asks so very little?

Mothers are raising the future of America.

It's important to keep in mind that the average stay-at-home mother works a busy 24/7 schedule. Most stay-at-home mothers rarely get a luxury vacation to Hawaii, transportation in private planes and limousines, fine dining every night of the week, and being waited upon for every want and need. I'm not sure too many stay-at-home mothers have time for a round of golf.

I saw a bumper sticker recently that said, "Stay at home mothers drive our economy." Rosen believes that stay-at-home mothers don't know anything about the economy. But the opposite is true. Stay-at-home mothers need to know how to handle household finances. Mothers learn to budget money for food, clothing, shelter, school activities and many other needs.

Most mothers know about budgeting money yet our president has admitted that he has never balanced a personal checkbook. I would add that he also has serious problems with balancing our nation's budget.

Stay-at-home mothers deserve more than high gas prices. Encouragement by the administration to purchase expensive hybrid cars and cutting back on driving is not a solution for stay-at-home mothers.

Stay-at-home mothers deserve a better economy -- lower prices in the grocery stores, lower gas prices, affordable housing and a stable employment market.

The great playwright George Bernard Shaw observed, "Perhaps the greatest social service that can be rendered by anybody to the country and to mankind is to bring up a family."

Mothers deserve our support. Mothers deserve the highest consideration from society. In an age when mothers are devalued, they deserve even more of our praise, support and thanks.

Reed Markham | Sorrento