What does Motherhood Cost?

More money more problems. Where there is economic growth there are surely issues and decisions to be made.  Stay at home moms  create issues within their home environment when becoming succesful individual. A stay a home mom such as Julie Clarke who created Baby Enstein went from raising her child to running a twenty-two million dollar business. Clarke said the stress of the business and the competition made her sell her company to Walt Disney. What was Clarke's life like during the million dollar transition? Was there a power struggle between her and her husband? Where her children affected by mommy's work? 

Stay at home moms never receive the credit in which they deserve. Successful stay at home moms who become entrepreneurs must overcome the stereotype in which American society has created. American society believes that women should take care of their child and that be their first priority. Stay at home moms who become successful entrepreneurs have to rise above their traditional stereotype. Society often believes that these moms are uneducated and are financially dependent on their husband. Stay at home moms are often the exact opposite. Imagine being over qualified for your job but you love doing it anyways. Successful stay at home moms have the ability to move passed the mundane nature of motherhood. These women see their role as a mother far more important than what society thinks of them. These women enjoy spending quality time with their children and are successful for they choose to overcome the negatives of motherhood. Every mother gets into a "rut" but it what you choose to do in those situations is what separates the stay at home moms into respected women. These successful stay at home moms create products by using their talents and resources to change their current situation. It is said that stay at home moms have little interaction with other adults. Successful stay at home moms change that image of solitude and create a business venture while raising their children.

Stay at home moms are often underestimated. These mothers are part of the unpaid labor force. Ann Crittenden's book The Price of Motherhood describes society view of the stay at home mom. Crittenden states that "the invention of the unproductive housewife has negative consequences for women."  Crittenden believes that women have always tried to be counted and matter yet they are considered under the notion of the unproductive housewife. Crittenden writes "A 1995 United Nations report made it starkly clear why 'everybody' wants to believe that housewives aren't busy." Everybody believes that housewives are not busy for if they considered them to have an established job the women would be under paid for the amount of work the do. Crittenden tries to put a value on unpaid labor. 

Who bares the cost of motherhood? 
Crittenden believes that the family will bare the cost and mother particularly will experience the cost of the motherhood. Motherhood cost women their individuality and their identity. If a mom chooses to stay at home and raise her child she also bares the cost of her reputation in society. Stay at home moms are seen as both unproductive and underpaid. The mom's who choose to supplement their income through business ventures are often viewed as the underdog in society. The stay at home moms who are entrepreneurs have the biggest opportunity to fail but they also have the opportunity to  succeed. Women such as Julie Clarke and J.K. Rowling bring hope to the stay at home moms who are craving for opportunities. 

Who reaps the benefits from motherhood? 
Crittenden believes that everyone benefits from motherhood. Crittenden states that "the entire society benefits from well-reared children, without sharing more than a fraction of the cost of producing them." I agree! Society wants to well-reared children in society but does not want to bare any of the cost. Society wants well adjusted children in their classrooms, as neighbors, and in public. How do people think such children become well adjusted-- if not for the stay at home mom in who society undervalues. 


Here is a chapter from Crittenden's book. This chapter is entitled The Truly Invisible Hand. 
https://blackboard.uncg.edu/bbcswebdav/library/eReserves/BLS-385-01D-SPRING2012/The_truly_invisible_hand.pdf