Thank Your Mother

It is that time of year again and I think Mother's Day is one of the best times to show your appreciation to an important person in your life. Salary.com has put out what a stay at home mother's wages should be worth. Whether your mother works or stays at home her worth is often undervalued and more often overlooked. I do not believe a mother's (or a woman's for that matter) worth and contributions to your life should ever be overlooked. Cherish what you have while you have it. You are a fortunate one to have a mother that cares. We often forget how hard it is to raise a child or do tasks that require you to always be selfless. I think many gay men forget this aspect of life as they never see themselves having children and families themselves. While being a mother is not all about the financial gain, it would be nice for society to acknowledge one of the most important jobs in society.

My mother raised me as a single mother most of her life. Being an immigrant woman, she had a difficult time meshing her life with that of the world her children were growing. She made many sacrifices for my sisters' and I's sake and I will always be in her debt. Let your mother how much you appreciate her. Not just on mother's day, but as much as you can everyday. You only have one mother, make it count.

What is Your Mom Worth?
Families Can Customize Mom's Job Description and Create a "Mom Paycheck"

Are you wondering what mom should be paid for her work as mom? Salary.com has valuated the "mom job" of both the Working and Stay-at-Home Moms! Based on a survey of more than 40,000 mothers, Salary.com determined that the time mothers spend performing 10 typical job functions would equate to an annual salary of $138,095 for a stay-at-home mom. Working moms ‘at-home’ salary is $85,939 in 2007; this is in addition to the salary they earn in the workplace.

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.

Now moms and their families can use the Mom Salary Wizard to create their own "mom paycheck". The tool allows moms and their families to price the "mom job", based on location and mom's personal hours worked in each of the 10 roles. Users can create a hypothetical mom paycheck and mom pay stub, which can be printed and emailed to family and friends for Mother's Day.

For the second consecutive year, Abbott's Similac® brand is sponsoring a nationwide contest to reward America's moms for their hard work and nurturing. The Similac Mom's $135K Payday contest will award one deserving mom a check for $135,000 – the annual "value" of a mom's parenting activities as measured by Salary.com.

In addition to the grand prize of $135,000, Abbott will award 10 first prize winners with a week's salary worth $3,000. All moms who enter the contest will receive downloadable "Chief Mom Officer" business cards and Similac coupons.

For complete contest information and rules, and to enter, please visit
www.SimilacMomsPayday.com.