In a dream world, you’d get paid to be a mom. And if you did, new data from Salary.com finds that you’d be making a fair market salary of $184,820, based on an average of 106 (!) hours of work a week. Of course, that doesn’t take hazard pay or retirement into account.
Those hours worked are up from 96.5 hours a week pre-pandemic and 75% of moms report putting in even more time––117 hours a week to be exact. With the additional burden of schooling and working at home, the most time-consuming and expanded roles reported were Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Operating Officer (the role that makes sure everyone else is following the plan).
For the past two decades, Salary.com has surveyed tens of thousands of stay-at-home moms and working moms to determine the value of the job if it was paid fairly. Moms report their work profile across 20+ roles that make up the most time-consuming tasks from chauffeur, to CFO, to cook and more. Salary.com analyzes the hours spent and assigns an hourly wage rate to each role.
“In a year like no other, moms went to extraordinary lengths to keep things together on the home front, working, on average, 15.1 hours per day, seven days a week,” said Mary Crogan, Vice President of Marketing at Salary.com. “That’s an incredible workload, and one that encompasses everything from C-level responsibilities, to help desk manager, to teacher. It’s fitting that their salary value continues to rise, nearing the upper echelons of Corporate America.”
Of course, mom life doesn’t actually bring in a paycheck because no amount of money could compensate when the work you do is invaluable. But the next time someone downplays your role in the household, just remember you can tie a dollar amount to your hard work—and there’s data to prove it.
The sleep bags are sized 0-6 months and sold under the brand names Dylan & Abby, First Wish, First Wish Organic, Harry & Me, Little Red Caboose, Piper & Posie, Sam & Jo, Sam & Jo Organic, Shabby Chic and Willow Blossom. Customers may have purchased the bags at T.J. Maxx, Marshalls or Sierra.
The size of the neck opening is too large for infants 0 to 6 months, which can allow an infant’s head to slip into and be covered by the sleep bag, posing a risk of suffocation. If you have one or more of these bags in your household, check the style number to see if it’s under recall:
Dylan & Abby: CL01073
First Wish: CL00824, CL00889, CL00911
First Wish Organic: CL00981, CL00985, CL01099
Harry & Me: CL01102
Little Red Caboose: CL00756, CL00882, CL00899, CL00904, CL00905, CL00921, CL00924, CL00986, CL00987
Sam & Jo: CL00871, CL00890, CL00903, CL00906, CL00983, CL00984
Sam & Jo Organic: CL01066
Shabby Chic: CL00980
Willow Blossom: CL00909, CL00913
About 3,600 bags are under recall in the U.S. Additionally, about 33,250 were sold in Canada.
Fortunately, no incidents have yet been reported. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled infant sleep bags and contact TJX for instructions on how to participate in the recall. They’ll receive their choice of either a full refund or a store gift card.
––Sarah Shebek
Image courtesy of Consumer Products Safety Commission
Plain pancakes are so 2020. We’ve got an exciting development in the breakfast world for the unicorn lovers in your life.
It’s CucinaPro’s Mini Unicorn Pancake Pan and it deserves a spot on your kitchen shelves! Not only does the pan pump out hotcakes printed with unique hooved designs, it also cooks up to seven pancakes at once, so you can feed a crowd without breaking a sweat.
As a bonus, it’s nonstick, so it might even save enough time to break out on a weekday. All you have to do is prepare your favorite pancake mix and you’re in business to level up breakfast.
You can buy your own pan on Amazon for $24.95. It’s earned Amazon’s Choice for being highly rated, well-priced, and available to ship immediately. If unicorns aren’t a hit in your household, CucinaPro also offers the option for zoo animals or cars and trucks. Almost—but not quite—too cute to eat.
As a working mom, there’s always the sense you can be doing more, whether it’s with your family or your career. At least, it can feel that way. The trick is to find a sense of balance that works for you. It’s a very individualized process and experience. One way of doing things doesn’t work for everyone.
Maybe if you work from home, on some days, you put the baby in the swing and do office hours that way. Then, once your baby is up from her nap, you let your clients or boss know that your office hours are over. For some moms, balance might be more about completely disconnecting from technology when they’re with their family.
The following are specific tips to keep in mind to have a sense of balance in your life as a working mom.
1. Talk to Your Boss about Your Schedule
If you aren’t already working from home some or all of the time, and your job would be something you could do remotely, speak to your boss. A lot of employers are more willing than ever before to go with flexible scheduling. Then, you can cut out some of the unnecessary elements of your day, like your commute, giving you more time to dedicate to the things that are important to you.
2. Organize Your Schedule
When you’re busy, and you feel like you’re juggling a lot, staying organized can help relieve some of the stress that might occur as a result. Create a family schedule and a work schedule, and post them both where the entire family can see them easily.That way, everyone knows what to expect and when.
3. Share the Housework & Outsource What You Can
Everyone in your family should be sharing in the housework. You don’t have to do it alone. Assign everyone in the house their weekly chores. Start teaching your kids how to do chores from an early age, so it becomes part of their routine. And if you can afford to, outsource some of these things as well, to give yourself a bit of time to relax when you are at home, rather than trying to get it all done. For example, maybe have a cleaner come a couple of times a month.
4. Stop Multi-Tasking
We’re trained to think multi-tasking is the most efficient way to do things, and the reality is that it’s not. When you’re trying to do multiple things at once, your attention levels are pulled in these different directions, and you’re going to end up being less productive.
Instead, focus on one thing at a time and give it all of your attention when you’re doing it, whether that’s related to work or your family.
5. Aim to Have Weekends That Are Completely Free
Finally, your weekends should be a time of solace. Try your hardest during the week to get all of your work done, and also try to eliminate the number of chores and errands you have to do that are related to the household. That way, you can block out a period of time at the end of every week where you really can focus on being with your family. You can return to work on Monday, recharged and refreshed. Don’t let work or an overwhelming shuffle of errands and activities take over your weekends.
"Rae is a graduate of Tufts University with a combined International Relations and Chinese degree. After spending time living and working abroad in China, she returned to NYC to pursue her career and continue curating quality content. Rae is passionate about travel, food, and writing (of course)."
It is no secret that military men and women sacrifice a tremendous amount for our country and our freedom. Army, Navy, Air force, Marines, Coastguard, National Guard, all have a unique mission, but make sacrifices some cannot even fathom.
Their children however never even signed up for this life but make daily sacrifices as well and deserve to be recognized. April is Month of the Military Child! We proudly celebrate this month in our household because my children are military children. They have had to be resilient beyond their years at times and have risen to the occasion and overcome many challenges in their short life.
They have lived in three states in the past five years, gone a full year without their Dad at home, and just recently have been told they will be leaving Columbia and moving again this summer. They were not too happy about that and kept asking “Why?” The “Why” is because their Dad is in the military and unfortunately we have very little say in where we live; something that gets increasingly more challenging as kids get older.
My children made it very clear they love where we live. They love their school, friends, and neighborhood and they don’t want to move. Sadly it’s just part of military life and I would be lying if I said all of the upcoming changes didn’t keep me up at night. My kids don’t get to have that consistency other kids may have and that is very difficult. I moved around a lot growing up as well so I can relate to these big feelings. Having to start over in a new state is difficult at any age. The unknown can be scary. But if there’s one thing military children are—it is resilient!
They learn from a very young age that plans can change at any time and they have to make the best of an otherwise tough situation. When the military calls, their parent may leave for a few weeks, months, or even a year. So many feelings and emotions surround being a military family and I teach my children that it is healthy to talk about the struggles and to find others who can relate. Reaching out and finding other military children with similar experiences can be the biggest blessing in not feeling so alone on this journey.
There are of course so many positives to being a military child. For starters, my children get to live in many different places and see different parts of the country they otherwise would not even know existed. They have recently also learned about F16s up close and even sat in the cockpit during a special family day on base. This is a unique experience and one they will cherish for years to come.
As they get older my children are becoming more aware of the unique sacrifices their Dad makes and have great pride in what he does. They admire and look up to him and other men and women in uniform. He is their hero and I hope they grow up with a sense of pride and honor in being a military child. So this month and every month let’s celebrate the thousands of brave military children across the globe and the important role they play in our communities.
Caitlyn is a military spouse and mom to three children and one fur baby. She was an elementary school counselor before becoming a stay at home who enjoys coffee, hiking, and playing in the dirt with her kids.
Make every day Earth Day with Grove Co.’s eco-friendly, plastic-free cleaning essentials! The Earth-conscious brand recently announced the release of an exclusive new scent—and how you can now shop the line at Target!
The Citron and White Rose scent will be available at the big red bullseye retailer to finally buy in store, bypassing the brand’s website and membership option. You’ll be able to shop the plastic-free products online starting and in stores starting Apr. 18, 2021.
The new collection includes refillable cleaning concentrates to use on an awesome array of household surfaces, a refillable hydrating hand and high-performance dish soap, and dishwasher pods. The dishwasher pods are made with a 91 percent derived plant-based formula and are free of synthetic fragrances or colors.
To learn more about Grove Co. or view the entire plastic-free product line, visit the brand’s website here.
Whether you’re fully vegan, looking to go vegan or you simply want to bring more plant-based foods into your household, finding creative ways to incorporate a few more plant-based options into your home is never a bad idea. From saving money to helping the environment, and of course, helping your family get even healthier than you already are, plant-based foods are often crucial to your diet and wellness—even if you don’t realize it at first. So many healthy foods are already plant-based, and even more, can be easily vegan-ized to your liking.
Even so, it can be difficult to get people on board sometimes—both kids and adults alike. People can be stuck in their ways and unwilling to try new things, but that doesn’t mean vegan-izing things is a completely lost cause. In fact, providing vegan options and feeding your family a few more plant-based meals can actually be easier than you realize. All you need to do is find what works for you and your family and take things one step at a time.
1. Stick to the Basics
One thing many people don’t realize is that there are so many foods that are already vegan or “accidentally” vegan. From pasta recipes to salads, there are so many foods that are already vegan, and leaning into those options can give you a bit of an easier time, both for yourself and the rest of your family.
2. Vegan-ize Old Favorites
If your family has a few non-vegan staples, another option you can try is making plant-based versions of them and seeing how they do. If there’s one thing that many people have learned in recent years, it’s that anything can be vegan-ized. Whether it’s chicken nuggets, decadent mac and cheese or chocolate chip cookies. You may not even want to mention that it’s vegan until after the family has tried it. That way, they can get used to it and see if they like it without any judgment.
3. Make a Vegan Base
Another great way to ease in more plant-based foods is to start with a base dish that you can add different proteins, toppings, and condiments to based on everyone’s taste. You can start by making a list of plant foods that everyone enjoys, so you know you’re starting off with a crowd-pleaser.
4. Promote General Health
Another way to get older kids and partners in particular on board is to simply discuss the health benefits of a plant-based lifestyle openly and honestly. Talk about how healthy plant foods are and how it’s important to eat fruits and vegetables regularly. While it might not feel like the first way you’d get your family on board, you might surprise yourself, especially if they tend to notice feeling better after eating plant-based. Even if it isn’t all gung-ho at first, it might just get people part of the way there.
5. “I Do the Cooking”
This one might be a bit controversial. While many parents subscribe to the idea that you should ask your kids what they want for dinner and that what you make is a family discussion, there is a time and a place to lay down the law. Simply put, stating that when you do the cooking, they can eat what you make or find somewhere else to get their food might be what it takes to start everyone off on the plant-based bandwagon.
6. Don’t Forget Snacks
While meals are the main event, snacks also play an important role in the way we eat. When you bring plant-based snacks into your home like fruits, trail mixes, hummus, and much more, your family may naturally discover vegan foods that they like, making meals easier to prep for. Try to go for a wide variety of snack foods, perhaps changing things up every few weeks to introduce new flavors and foods.
7. Try Out New Recipes
Going to the opposite end of the spectrum from some of the earlier tips, if your family tends to be the kind of people who love to experiment with different kinds of foods and dishes from all around the world, bringing a bit of plant-based adventure into your house could capture some interest. Experiment with different recipes—bring in some Thai, Mexican, Indian or Italian food and see what your family falls in love with. You might just encounter a new staple that your family will associate with plant-based food.
Feeding Your Family More Plant-Based Meals
Getting your family to eat more plant-based foods might seem difficult, but it’s absolutely possible and worth it. All it takes is a bit of creativity and resourcefulness. Whether you vegan-ize old family favorites or you try out brand new cuisines together, there is so much that plant-based foods have to offer. What’s your favorite plant-based dish?
Kara Reynolds is the Editor-in-Chief and founder of Momish Magazine. A mom of four and matriarch to her big blended family, Kara wants nothing more than to normalize differences in family structures. She enjoys peeing alone, pancakes, and pinot noir - but not at the same time.
You spent years away from the work-outside-the-home employment market—but that doesn’t mean you lazed on a chaise and ate cookies all day. Instead, you became the CEO of your household, organizing schedules, orchestrating all-day adventures and so, so, so, so much more.
Now, LinkedIn is acknowledging all the major skills you amped up while at home. The online networking platform just added new job titles—and now you can include stay-at-home mom in your online resume.
In the new job title upgrade last week, the professional social networking site added caretaker titles that include homemaker, stay-at-home mom, stay-at-home dad and stay-at-home parent. The changes will hopefully de-stigmatize time spent at home for a variety of reasons as parents seek to re-enter the workforce.
While the caretaker job title addition is a major upgrade to note, it isn’t the change LinkedIn recently made. The site also introduced an optional field at the top of user profile page to add your own preferred gender pronouns. Along with the new titles, LinkedIn also ditched the requirement to link all resume job titles to employers.
I was born in 1950, the youngest of five children in a white, working-class family living in a predominately blue-collar neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There were not many books in my household, but I distinctly remember the “Dick and Jane” series, which were the school textbooks that were used to teach reading, back in the day. And I definitely remember the illustrations and how the families in those books were portrayed.
Television shows like “Father Knows Best,” “The Donna Reed Show,” and “Ozzie and Harriet“reinforced a father’s image, always dressed in a suit and tie, which was not a common sight in my community. I remember asking my mother why my father or any of the dads we knew didn’t dress like the fathers represented in those books or on the TV shows we watched.
I have heard from friends who are Black describe what happened in their homes during that same time period when a person of color appeared on television… everyone in the family would excitedly come running to witness this rare occurrence.
These anecdotes illustrate a child’s natural inclination to look for a reflection of themselves in the world around them. This is what representation – or the portrayal of a person or group in books and other media—is all about.
And it matters!
Children need to see themselves included and represented, and that representation should be truthful and not based on stereotypes. How people are depicted shapes how they see themselves and how others see them. It also defines or limits possibilities that one can aspire to depending on whether the representation is positive or negative.
For those readers who responded to my recent blog: Should We Continue To Celebrate Dr. Seuss? with a “don’t like it, don’t read it” reaction, I would counter that continuing to publish children’s books with offensive illustrations sends the wrong message to anyone who comes across them. It is crucial for all children to be exposed to truthful and positive images, not just non-white children; otherwise, we as Americans have no chance at becoming a better nation where all are seen, heard, and treated equally.
I hold out little hope for any mutual understanding from those respondents who replied with hate and disdain to my posting.
But I was heartened to hear from people who said they reconsidered their impulse to roll their eyes at the Dr. Seuss news. While they frankly expressed fatigue at times with the reexamination of misguided and immoral thinking and actions from the past, they acknowledged that they had discovered some understanding of the power of representation with further consideration. Many offered that when they recognized the significance of negative and offensive illustrations and how they contribute to division and hate—which is on the rise—they realized this fatigue was nothing compared to what non-white individuals had and continue to experience.
I have always cringed when people talk about the “good old days.” While I have many fond memories of the past, I am quick to recognize that it was far from perfect. I acknowledge that women, people of color, and any group considered to be “other” had to be submissive in that past. And that there were unjust laws in place or the mores of the time that limited the freedom of many of our citizens. That history must be confronted and identified for what it was…wrong. Calling it out doesn’t cancel anything or take away from what was positive about those times, nor does it proclaim that everything nowadays is ideal and without reproach.
Fortunately, progress is being made and representation in books and other media is becoming more inclusive and more positive; that said, we need to be vigilant in looking honestly at the past, as well as critically at how people are represented going forward.
I am a parent and grandparent with over four decades of experience in early childhood education. I share my passion, wisdom and experience, with parents and the people who care for and about children at Little Folks Big Questions, where we're out to answer the questions parents face in today's world.
Does it seem like you’re cleaning your home more than ever? OnePoll recently conducted a survey on behalf of Bounty of 2,000 American’s cleaning habits pre- and during-pandemic times.
Pre-pandemic, Americans spent an average of five hours and 37 minutes per week cleaning. Now that everyone is more aware of the germs around them, Americans have added a whopping three hours and 12 minutes per week to this number. This means 71 percent of adults are spending more time cleaning than ever.
photo courtesy of SWNS
The survey’s cleaning statistics show that the average American has spent nearly three weeks cleaning in the past year. This equals 458 hours or 19 days!
Increased cleaning time isn’t the only issue the survey revealed. According to the OnePoll stats, 79 percent of people were more aware of bacteria and cleanliness in general after the pandemic started. Seventy-eight percent of respondents reported they were more aware of their own cleanliness.
The survey also revealed the home spaces and places Americans believe are the dirtiest. These include handles and knobs in the kitchen (44 percent) and kitchen hand towels (18 percent). Jessica Rivera, infectious disease expert said, “Used dishcloths can provide a flourishing environment for bacteria. And what many do not realize is, when you wipe up a mess or dry your hands with a used, reusable cloth, you may be helping to spread bacteria.”
When it comes to other “dirtiest” areas of the home, the survey revealed that Americans also ranked kitchen sponges, bathroom faucet handles, kitchen faucet handles, coffee makers and bottled water dispensers at the top of the list.
