Singapore's mum would be paid higher than their US counterparts

Source: May 11, 2008 "The Straits Time"

Mum, you could be paid $23k a month

HR experts estimate economic worth of stay-at-home mums, but others say it's not right to fix dollar value

By Shuli Sudderuddin

"Here's a number - $22,568 a month - that's bound to make any mother's day today.

That is what a top human-resource practitioner calculates as the worth of a stay-at-home mum in Singapore.

Mr David Ang, executive director of the Singapore Human Resource Institute, picked five roles she plays daily, from executive housekeeper to chef and driver.

Assuming she works 17 hours a day, she would make $22,568 a month at the market rate for such jobs.

On top of this, he counted a 13th month bonus, leading to a princely $293,384 a year.

The Sunday Times had asked him to figure out a Singaporean mum's worth, in the light of a study done in the United States which estimated that a full-time mother could earn up to US$117,000 (S$160,000) a year.

The US study was conducted by Salary.com, a firm which studies workplace compensation. The US$117,000 sum is based on a mother doing 10 jobs, from housekeeper to psychologist and chief executive.

Another HR practitioner here, Mr Gene Yap, a human capital consultant with Aon Consulting, estimated that a Singapore mum's work is worth $8,481 a month.

This is based on spending 30 per cent of her time on marketing and housekeeping, 40 per cent on supervising children's activities like a teacher, and 5 per cent as a family motivator.

Both the Singaporean calculations factored in rest days, like the rest of the country's working population.

Whether it's $23,000 or $8,000, mothers were amused when told of the results.

'I don't think housewives would get that much money. Not all mothers cook or teach their children daily,' said Madam Kee Chooi Hua, 34, a housewife with three children.

Said housewife Sandy Lim, 53, who also has three children: 'Who will want to pay a housekeeper $23,000 a month? I enjoy my work and I don't do it for money.'

Some working mothers like Mrs Maria Loh, 41, a financial planner, feel the figure is justified. 'If you add all the duties a mother performs, the figure is accurate. And if she works and has to forgo work opportunities, then even more cost is incurred.'

But mothers' roles are too important to be quantified, said several women MPs.

'A mother's job is priceless if done well,' said Ms Denise Phua, 48, an MP for Jalan Besar GRC and mother of two.

'There is no cookie-cutter price or standard solution; mothers must know how they can add value to their children's lives.

'I'm best at preparing my children for the future and being a friend to them. Things I'm not so good at, like cooking, I outsource,' she said with a laugh.

Madam Halimah Yacob, 53, an MP for Jurong GRC and mother of five, felt it was impossible 'to put a monetary value to what mothers do. It is far beyond $200,000'.

Ms Jean Yip, 48, founder of the Jean Yip hair-salon group and parent of three, agreed: 'Mothers take care of both the emotional and physical needs of husbands and children. That's why Mother's Day is always more celebrated than Father's Day.'

Ms Laurrieta Alaabons, 37, director of LAMC Productions which promotes concerts and a mother of one, said: 'I think to give a dollar value to a mother is nonsense. A mother is a jack-of-all-trades and you cannot put her responsibility down in dollars and cents.'

Ms Constance Singam, 70, chairman of the Association of Women for Action and Research, said the value of a mother's work is underrated.

'The trouble with society now is that women, who often do housework that can't be valued in economic terms, don't get the appreciation they deserve.'

Even those in the HR field agree.

Said Mr Ang: 'We can estimate how much the jobs might pay, but mothers are also involved in deep emotional bonds and life lessons which will stay with their children all their lives. Now, who can put a dollar value to that?'"

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Wow!, wouldn't be nice if the mums really be paid as this much? I am sure more mums would want to stay at home. However, our society is likely to pay lip-services to these mums who choose to be stay at home. I guess their salary will be paid by the husbands.(Thanks hubby!)

On one hand, we hear that the government asks for "citizen procreation duty", on the other hand, "A personal choice ma" we heard the government says,"can't be help".

When facing increasing cost of living and extra-intensive family burden, there are nothing our government can help you "stay at home mums".

The "pay" for Stay at home moms

Sources: The Straits Times

May 9, 2008
Market value of stay-at-home mum is $160,114: study

BOSTON - IF a stay-at-home mum could be compensated in cash rather than personal satisfaction and unconditional love, she'd earn S$160,114 a year.

That's according to a study released on Thursday by Salary.com, a Waltham, Massachusetts-based firm that studies workplace compensation.

The eighth annual survey calculated a mum's market value by studying pay levels for 10 job titles with duties that a typical mum performs, ranging from housekeeper and day care center teacher to van driver, psychologist and chief executive officer.

This year, the annual salary for a stay-at-home mum would be S$160,114, while a working mum who also juggles an outside job would get S$93,700 for her motherly duties.

One stay-at-home mum said the six-figure salary sounds a little low.

'I think a lot of people think we sit ... home and have a lot of fun and don't do a lot of work,' said Samantha Russell, who left her job as pastry chef to raise two boys, ages 2 and 4. 'But they should try cleaning their house with little kids running around and messing it up right after them.' The biggest driver of a mum's theoretical salary is the amount of overtime pay she'd receive for working more than 40 hours a week.

The 18,000 mums surveyed about their typical week reported working 94.4 hours - meaning they'd be spending more than half their working hours on overtime.

Working mums reported an average 54.6 hour 'mum work week' besides the hours they spent at paying jobs.

Mrs Russell agreed her job as a stay-at-home mum is more than full-time. But she said her 'job' brings intangible benefits she wouldn't enjoy in the workplace.

'The rewards aren't monetary, but it's a reward knowing that they're safe and happy,' Mrs Russell said of her sons. 'It's worth it all.' -- AP

Copyright © 2007 Singapore Press Holdings.

A privilege of being a “Stay at home” mum,

To be a full time mother or "stay at home mum" is really a privilege.

1. Time is our great enemy for all parents, time changes our babies into teenage and adults in no time. My children need me most when they are young, while my job can wait. Their beautiful, wonderful and innocent childhood fly like wind, passing quickly, it is more worthy to enjoy these time together.
   
   The study done by Teachers College, Social work professor finds association between mothers working full time and young child’s cognitive and verbal development. Professor Jeanne Brooks of Columbia Teachers College and her colleagues found that even after taking into consideration of quality of child care, the home environment and maternal sensitivity, the researchers found lower cognitive development for the children of mothers who worked full (30 or more hours per weeks) during the first nine months of life.



2. No one, not best childcare service can raise my children better than I can, no one loves my children more than I do. My children only have one mother, they don’t need a perfect teacher, the best childcare, or even the most wonderful nannies, and they need their mother. I don’t want them have someone to be substitutes. They need me as mother more than any company needs me.



3. Motherhood is the most demanding, challenging and rewarding career I have ever had. One can develop some many skills which could be valuable for her future career ever to personal development.

USA Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was a stay at home mum for 17 years, she did not enter into electoral political position until her youngest son entered senior high school. She said: Don't think of this as a minus," Pelosi says. "This is a plus, being a mother, having an experience of raising a family."
Pelosi says her children gave her the scheduling discipline it takes to be a successful politician. Meeting their demands taught her to budget her time: "I was raising them, but they were forging me." "It renews you," Pelosi says. "It makes you stronger at doing the job you're doing. Nothing in my life will ever, ever compare to being a mom. Not being a member of Congress, not being speaker of the House. I wish I could do it all over again.

The Value of Stay at home mothers in Singapore

The research done by our local scholar A/P Euston Quah in 1987 found that household service contributed our 5-8% GNP. 1997 some other scholar repeated the same research confirmed the finding. In some other country, household service even contributes as high as 23% of GNP.

In Singapore context, as dual income family increases over years, the smaller family size has also been found among these families. For younger couple, which wives age below 35, 40% dual income families do not have child while 20% single income family do not have child. For wife age between 35-44, more than 1/3 single income families have three or more children while 1/5 dual income families have the similar family size. For average family, single income family has 0.3 more child than dual income family

What does that translate? Taken GDP per capita in 2006 is S$46,832 and average life expectancy is 80 years, single income family contributes S$1.2 million more than dual income family.

There is a long term economic earning capacity dealt in each and every child. Besides economic value, stay at home mum certainly contributes in our national future human resource development and, most important social building foundation and social value reinforcement.

So what Government can do?

Like many other countries, our government has realized the urgency of ageing and decreasing TFR rates,
o Do not discriminate stay at home mums, give them practical recognitions and social supports
o Increase maternity leave could be one of effective measure, countries like UK has increased paid maternity leave to 9 months,
o Expand the more job options for mothers with new babies
o Reinforcement more on work-life balance,

Full Time Mother's Step One.

If you choose to be a full time mother, Congratulations! Many women wished but did not have such a privilege to be a Stay at Home Mother.

Your may be a graduate having been worked a long way to reach to today’s position, to be a professional or an employee with a promising career. Now, the baby is coming, the love for your children and mothers’ instinct draw you back to your home.

You are right; for your children need you more than your job needs you. Be grateful you are able to be one of stay at home mothers. No matter what kind of job you have been doing, now be ready to embrace a new professional career called Motherhood.

However, if you expect a smooth sailing in your motherhood, you will be disappointed. Just like all other occupations, motherhood requires expertise and training, it needs your full commitment and hardworking. Being a mother of your children alone does not automatically qualify you as a good mother, while you children will obviously benefit more from a good mother than just a mother. Like in other organizations, you would need basic knowledge and training, and then get to perform, the only difference, you will not have any supervisors.

Firstly, start with reading, There are some many readily available information in books as well as online. You may gain substantial information and knowledge on motherhood as well as parenting, childcare....I especially recommend the following website for Christian mothers:

About rubies
No greater joy


Then, contact some older women, Bible tells us “Let older women to teach younger women”. It is very wise. If we are more respectful the older women’s experience and knowledge, we will benefit much more. Unfortunately, in this modern society, we tend to look down ALL the older women’s advice as “the old wife’s tales”. Unknowingly, we miss the some gold mine.

Next, practice makes perfect. Time is our best teacher, from breastfeeding to change diapers; from comfort a fuzz baby, to organize your home and work; from cooking a meal to homeschooling your children .... You will have many hands-on practices, your door of opporunity is widely open. It will be a wonderful learning experience. However, please remember there is no such thing of Super Mother. Be gentle to yourself, give your enough time to adjust and to learn the necessary skills.

The reason for being a Stay-at-home mother

I have talked to many SAHM mothers and found out the main reason for them to stay at home is Mother's Instinct. They wish to look after their children by themselves, especially in the early formative years.

For the mother whose monthly income less than S$2,500 in Singapore context, it makes more sense to be a SAHM.
Here explains-

MotherSalary	S$2,500
Children care per child*	S$800
Office attire and dry clean	S$200
Eating out	S$400
Transportation	S$300
Home repair and housekeeping	S$200
Hand phones and computers	S$400
Total Expense :	S$2,300

(*PAP childcare service will be much cheaper, however, many mothers still prefer otherwise. Hiring a foreign maid will not cost less.)

For a professional or graduate mother, the opportunity cost to give up their career for is higher. Yet, for many of them, the desire of being with children is stronger than the desire in advancing personal career. One of mothers told me this way: “God has chosen me to be the mother for my son, this is my first duty.” If there is God’s will for you to be a Full time mother, He will surely meet you all your needs in motherhood with grace and mercy.