Parents staying at home worth €50,000

»»But most value it at €28k »»Lockdown ‘may open eyes’

THE work done by stay-athome parents is worth a salary of almost €50,000, a new survey has found.

However, eight in 10 people polled across Ireland think it is valued at less than €28,000.

New research analyses the average real world worth of the jobs stay-at-home parents do for the family and in the home, such as cooking, cleaning and driving children to and from activities.

The calculations worked out at a value of €47,933 per annum.

But 80% of people surveyed by insurers Royal London underestimate the worth of stay-at-home parents by 60%, putting it at around €28,000 per year.

However, spokeswoman Sarah Murphy said the lockdown has opened many people’s eyes to the reality of how much work is involved in full-time parenting.

She added: “The question was put to respondents before the country went into lockdown, and before thousands of parents became stay-at-home mams and dads as a result – often while trying to juggle the responsibilities of another job as well.

“It would be interesting to see, if we ask the same question next year, if the results are very different as a result.”

While the number of men staying home to mind their kids doubled from 4,900 to 9,200 between 2006 and 2016, women still make up 98% of homemakers.

Unsurprisingly, females estimated the value at €4,000 higher than their male counterparts – €29,000 compared to €25,000. Social Democrats’ spokeswoman for Children Jennifer Whitmore said family State supports need to acknowledge the work done by stay-athome parents.

She told the Irish Mirror: “I’ve been a stay-at-home mum myself and I know first-hand how hard it is.

“As a stay-athome parent you can be invisible.

“Our policy choices need to reflect there are many different types of families and provide support for parents to make the right choices for their families.”