Moms and Money

A working mom combines a career with the responsibility of raising a family. But working moms aren't just those who participate in the labor force. Working moms are the stay-at-home mothers who work in the home and the women who work outside the home while managing family responsibilities. For all moms, there is a balancing act of work, finances and raising children.

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Aside from the financial implications of motherhood, we've put together some facts and widely known truths to illustrate how invaluable mothers are and why we love them so much.

• Known truth: A mother is the very first person we meet. Her smile is the very first reason we have to believe that we are loved. Why is a mother special? Because to a small child, she's what makes the world go round.

• Fact: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2017, 75.7% of moms with children age 6 to 17 participated in the work force.

• Known truth: Average annual amount of money spent per child by a middle income family in 2015 was $12,980!¹ Number of cups of coffee consumed while still hot: exactly three.

• Fact: Pew Research says that even though moms today spend more time with their kids than their mothers' generation did, one in four feel it's not enough.

• Known truth: Mothers may seem superhuman, but actually, they're regular people. Which means that whatever moms have inside that enables them to work so hard and give so much, it's right there inside of you, too. Make your mom happy: when things get tough, reach down deep and show her that you care.

• Fact: 73 percent of mothers with children under the age of 18 say they are doing an “excellent” or “very good” job as parents, according to Pew Research.

• Known truth: Mothers are masters of resilience. They don't have the luxury of moping. Even in the face of life-altering disappointments or genuinely insurmountable problems, most moms come up with a way to try again, reinvent hope, and make something good out of what seems irredeemable.

When you examine all the facts and known truths about moms, there's no denying the reality that most moms are amazingly awesome. How can we repay all of their goodness? By being the best people we can be.

Want more inspiration? Watch our Advice to New Parents video. Just make sure to grab a few tissues first. And, if you're a parent, never forget this: Parenting is 95 percent intent, 95 percent luck and 0 percent math. Make the best decisions you can … just like your mom did!

^1. https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2017/01/13/cost-raising-child