The Hidden Value: Calculating the Cost of Stay-at-Home Parenting
5/9/2024
Anta Praņēviča, Figure Baltic Advisory leading consultant
The arrival of a child into a family is one of the most common reasons nowadays for someone in the family to temporarily leave their career to take care of the offspring and home. And although this time, whether it's just a few months or several years, is joyful and full of wonders, it often makes the one staying at home feel very tired and underappreciated. Writer and academic C. S. Lewis once wrote a truly great insight about homemaking: "I think I can understand that feeling about a housewife’s work being like that of Sisyphus (who was the stone rolling gentleman). But it is surely in reality the most important work in the world. What do ships, railways, miners, cars, government etc. exist for except that people may be fed, warmed, and safe in their own homes? As Dr. Johnson said, “To be happy at home is the end of all human endeavour.". C. S. Lewis used the term "homemaker" instead of "housewife" in English.
| Taking care of the home and family has a much greater added value than might initially seem apparent when looking at routine duties. They embody the essence of life and pursuit of happiness, creating and maintaining a safe and happy place for individuals - both physically and emotionally. Although I am convinced that the value of this work cannot be fully calculated to justify the great feeling of exhaustion that comes with homemaking alongside satisfaction and joy, we can create a simplified calculation of the value of the work, how much it would cost if someone else were to do it. |  |
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Calculated models of labour costs
The stay-at-home parent often performs many functions on a daily basis, such as cooking, cleaning the house, and taking care of the child, among others. How much do these services cost, based on the 2023 salary survey data from "Figure Baltic Advisory"? The average salary for each profession is indicated in gross terms.
Chef: 7.72 euros per hour
Responsibility includes meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking (3-4 meals a day and some snacks).
Cook's Assistant: 5.71 euros per hour
Responsibility includes washing dishes, preparing ingredients, and cooking the simplest meals.
Housekeeper: 4.54 euros per hour
Responsibility includes cleaning rooms, making beds, and doing laundry.
Nanny: 9.50 euros per hour
Responsibility includes childcare, feeding, entertainment, transportation, and educational support.
Governess: 13.02 euros per hour
Responsibility includes educating school-aged children and planning activity schedules, taking into account the school's working hours.
Driver: 5.58 euros per hour
Responsibility includes transportation and maintaining the vehicle in good condition, including seasonal tire changes, maintenance, technical inspections, and refueling.
Wardrobe Master: 6.73 euros per hour
Responsibility includes wardrobe maintenance - purchasing and planning, including washing, ironing, and organizing clothes.
Household Manager: 15.17 euros per hour
Responsibility includes budget planning, organizing purchases, planning maintenance work, and supervising personnel.
Gardener: 6.30 euros per hour
Responsibility includes maintaining the garden and indoor plants.
Daily work hour distribution
The distribution of work hours in these professions varies depending on the size of the household, the number and age of children, school schedules, the presence of pets, garden maintenance, and the care of elderly family members. However, on average, the daily breakdown could look like this:
Chef: approximately 2 hours per day
Cook's Assistant: approximately 1 hour per day
Housekeeper: approximately 3 hours per day
Gardener: approximately 1 hour per day
Nanny: approximately 10 hours per day
Governess: approximately 2 hours per day
Household Manager: approximately 1 hour per day
Driver: approximately 1 hour per day
Wardrobe Master: approximately 2 hours per day
In total, these are 23 work hours per day. In my opinion, if we add it all up, it really highlights the tremendous work done by stay-at-home parents.
Estimated costs if these tasks were performed by hired employees
If we were to give these tasks to hired employees, the estimated costs would be approximately 200 euros per day. These service costs in monthly calculations (assuming 5 days a week) could be around 4000 euros per month.
If we want to be fair, homemaking is not a job we do five days a week. Usually, the person performing these duties does them 7 days a week. Therefore, next time we feel overwhelming exhaustion, we can remind ourselves that we're doing at least the work of 2 people in at least 2 shifts. Moreover, it's worth remembering that, if not financially, then emotionally, it's possibly the most valuable job in the world.