Acknowledging Stay-at-home-Moms’ amazing contributions in a Marriage

By Lilian Chudey Pride

Acknowledging stay-at-home-moms amazing contribution in a marriage is important for equity, success and harmony of marital relationships.

Unrecognized contribution of stay-at-home-moms may cause fracas. In many traditions of the world, people usually perceive marriages as model where one partner and cares for the family.

The arrangements within the relationship looks like a business partnership, while, the financial aspects of this arrangements are usually clear-cut.

But the emotional and physical labour undertaken by the stay-at-home mom, seem habitually undervalued and most often, overlooked.

Decades ago, women took on the role of homemakers, dedicating their time in ensuring that their family ran smoothly.

Some women sold their valuables to help maintain peace and tranquility at home. Today, we see the same tradition repeating itself, but with a twit.

Women managing household chores, school-runs, finances, taking care of children and other adults in the house and providing emotional support.

Their responsibilities are varied and quite demanding, despite their significant workload for their family’s well-being, they often go unrewarded.

Therefore, the concept of marriage as a business relationship becomes evident when we consider division of labour within the household.

Acknowledging the amazing contributions of stay-at-home-moms in a marriage paves way for smooth running of the home front.

While breadwinners provide financial resources, the stay-at home moms handles the day-to-day operations that keep the household functioning efficiently.

This division of labour resembles a business partnership where each partner contributes to the overall success of the business.

This understanding aims to help the family function better, but often, one partner carries a heavier workload than the other.

One partner receives a salary, while the other may never knows how much it is.

The stay-at-home mom does not earn a salary and when her partner gives her a stipend, it is “pocket-money”.  What happens to equity?

Acknowledging stay-at-home Moms amazing contributions in marriage can foster satisfaction and feeling of self-value and recognition.

Acknowledging the amazing contribution of stay-at-home moms in a marriage will help boost her personal identity and sense of self-worth. The reason is simple, transitioning from a career-focused individual to a stay-at-home mom is a big shift.

Their financial independence, decision-making power and personal time are all gone, contributing to feeling of dis-empowerment, and diminished self-worth.

Feeling of isolation and inadequacy join forces, creating a significant impact on their mental health, leading to stress and anxiety

This unfortunate disparity often becomes a significant issue during disputes and divorce cases, where people overlook or downplay their contributions.

In other to address this issue, it is important to recognize the immense value of stay-at-home moms.

Stay-at-home-moms have awesome multitasking abilities, organizational skills, their emotional and their care-giving responsibilities are invaluable.

1. Financial Consideration: setting aside a portion of the family income for the stay-at-home mom will restoring self-confidence while boosting fulfillment.
2. Emotional Support: This will help them thrive in their role, and benefit their mental health and overall well-being. This could include regular checking, appreciation for their efforts and opportunity for self-care.
3. Skills Acquisition/Professional Development: encourage stay-at-home moms to engage in personal and professional development opportunities.
4. To enhance their skills and access further knowledge should they decide to start a business or pursue a passion project. The online world has made it possible to reach heights no matter where we are.
5. Fair Division of labour: Partners Should share responsibilities and work together to create a harmonious and equitable living environment.

By acknowledging stay-at-home-moms amazing contributions in a marriage, we can create a more equitable, sustainable, supportive and healthier society.