It’s tax time here, and Ryan has been dutifully working on the taxes. He had everything pretty much done, and was waiting for my w-2 from my substitute teaching last year. Hmmm. I didn’t teach at all during fall semester, and I really didn’t teach much last spring, either, so I knew it wasn’t going to be a big number.

$875.

Woo-Hoo.

Add that to the $1200 I made teaching my chime choir last year and I earned just over $2000. Wow. Nothing like hearing that to give my self worth a hit. My 17 year old daughter makes more than me working at Wendy’s. (Of course, I did win about $500 cash and some awesome tickets and other prizes..sadly no trips this year… from radio stations, but that is thankfully not included in the taxable income)

BUT, if you read this article here, it paints a different picture.

” According to the U.S. Census, there were 5 million stay-at-home moms in 2010 — down from 5.1 million in 2009 and 5.3 million in 2008.

According to Salary.com, the average stay-at-home mom’s task load equates to a 95-hour work week. This breaks down to 40 hours at base pay and 54.7 hours of overtime on their “mom duties.” This is good for an annual salary of $112,940.45, or $17.80 an hour.”

That makes me feel a little better.

Thankfully, my husband has never criticized my choice to be a stay at home mom. Even as the kids are getting bigger and in school all day, I haven’t felt pressure to work outside the home. I work because I want to work, and I take care of my family and do the laundry, grocery shopping, coupon clipping, piano lessons, making dinner, homework helper, etc. because I love my family.

So, there, taxes. I may not have brought in a bunch of money, but I support and help the one who does, and that is worth it.