After yesterday’s career fair, I’m really considering my options for my future. I’m mostly having qualms about my college degree. I was aiming for political science, but now I’m thinking of focusing on an MRS degree. Think about the advantages for a second: I get tons of money from my incredibly rich and handsome husband and all I have to do is stay home and have a couple babies!

Whoa. You’re telling me that raising kids is difficult? Go figure. In all honesty, I have a lot of respect for stay-at-home moms. They’re on the job 24 hours a day, they can never play hooky and they receive no pay, despite the fact that they work harder than the ordinary businessman.

Salary.com analyzed the work of a stay-at-home mom and determined that if she were to be paid, she would earn $131, 471 each year. This includes duties as day care worker, teacher, taxi driver (whoa, dangerous!), facilities manager, chef, laundry attendant, janitor, counselor, CEO, administrative assistant, accounting clerk, licensed practical nurse, plumber, automotive mechanic and cake decorator. *Phew* That’s quite a long list. The one I sort of don’t agree with – moms, feel free to get mad at me here-is CEO. What sort of corporation or agency are you in charge of as a mother?

Even if we don’t include CEO, moms sure do have a crap ton of responsibilities, and again, with no monetary benefit. So why do they stay home? Moms cite being able to see the world through their children’s eyes, and getting to watch their children grow up every step of the way. There’s a financial reason to stay home, too. When moms consider the cost of work – traveling to work, eating out more often, wardrobe and paying for daycare – sometimes they realize that the second income isn’t quite the booster they were hoping for, and it just isn’t worth the added stress.

If nothing else, when moms stay home, they get to watch their children go from cute babies to temper tantrum toddlers to examples of fine young gentlemen.