Mommy Wars Revisited

I'm a working mother. I tried to stay home with my first two kids and was. bored. out. of. my. mind. I couldn't wait to get back to work, to have real conversations, to feel some semblance of sanity. By my third child, I realized three months was the max. I nursed all of my children for a full year each and my sister was able to alternate caring for them with my husband. I chose to work, not because of money, but because I needed more to do in a day than what staying home offered.
MSN today has a report:

NEW YORK - If the typical stay-at-home mother in the United States were paid for her work as housekeeper, cook and psychologist among other roles, she would would earn $138,095 a year, according to research released Wednesday.

I've been a stay-at-home mom. I was raised by a stay-at-home-mom. I've also been to a psychologist (perhaps as a result of my experiences with my own SAHM.) I can tell you, a psychologist, my mom ain't.

I can understand lumping housekeeper, cook, nanny, maybe some other things into the monetary value of mothering. But when you start to sneak in specialized professions like psychology or nursing, who are you really trying to kid? A SAHM can kiss boo-boos or stroke developing egos as well as I can, but until they put in the hard core academics and hours it takes to earn an LPN or PSYD, let's not call a chicken a duck. And let's not inflate the hypothetical salary of someone who chooses to not earn one so she can feel important. Because that's what this is really about isn't it? SAHM's wanting to feel like what they do has value. And, believe me, it does have value. Only its just to you and yours. You cooking and cleaning and raising your own kids, doesn't mean a hill of beans to me. Just as my salary shouldn't matter to you. I don't try to make you value my choice, don't inflate yours to try to sway me.