If Moms Got Paid for Preparing Christmas, What Would They Earn?
Ah, Christmas is here! A magical time filled with joy, togetherness, and… an overwhelming to-do list. For many families, it’s moms who take on the taste of creating the Christmas spirit and of making the holiday season unforgettable. (Don’t come at me Dad – I said ‘MOST”). But what if moms were compensated for all the work they put into Christmas? Let’s break it down. I’m going to say $30 is our hourly rate though I know a lot of places aren’t paying that right now and I know moms don’t get paid for it and I know everyone deserves to make far more than that but I’m not good at math so let’s keep it at a nice even number!
The Hourly Rate: $30
We’ll use $30 per hour because moms are not just skilled multitaskers we are Christmas CEOs, managing a chaotic but amazingly successful holiday empire. (take your bow)
Let’s break down our tasks and the estimated times:
Planning Meals (6 hours)
- Creating menus for Christmas dinners, breakfasts, and snacks.
- Coordinating dietary restrictions, and grocery lists doing the shopping.
- Total: $180
School Teacher Gifts and Student Gifts (4 hours)
- Brainstorming aka scrolling TikTok and Pinterest for thoughtful gift ideas, shopping for them, and wrapping (bonus points for Pinterest-level presentation).
- Total: $120
Baking Cookies for Santa (3 hours)
- Preparing dough (even if it’s from the Pilbury bag), baking, decorating, and eating half the batch because “quality control” is essential.
- Total: $90
Family Gingerbread Houses (3 hours)
- Purchasing supplies, setting up the activity, and refereeing them fighting over who gets what candy and making sure they don’t eat it all before getting it on the actual house
- Total: $90
Decorating the Tree and House (10 hours)
- Assembling and decorating the Christmas tree.
- Hanging lights, setting up ornaments, going to Michales 8 more times because there is never enough decorations even though you got by with the same amount last year.
- Total: $300
Outfits for Christmas Eve Mass (4 hours)
- Shopping for outfits, listening to them say they don’t like said outfit. Ensuring everyone looks nice and the fit fits.
- Total: $120
Buying and Wrapping Gifts (15 hours)
- Making lists, shopping in stores or online. You know you’ve already asked yourself 3x this year “Why does Amazon say it’s arriving on December 26th?!”, and wrapping gifts with love.
- Total: $450
Total Time and Earnings
Add it all up, and moms are putting in a solid 45 hours during the Christmas season THIS IS ON THE LOW END. At $30 per hour, that’s a well-earned $1,350 for all their hard work. And honestly, that’s a bargain for someone who’s simultaneously a chef, decorator, therapist, and logistics coordinator.
The Real Value
While $1,350 sounds like an ok paycheck, the truth is that moms aren’t just putting in hours; they’re putting in heart. You can’t put a price on the memories made, or the smiles on everyone’s faces when they open that perfect gift (that Santa totally gets credit for).
So this holiday season, as you sip your hot chocolate, or coffee and look at the perfectly wrapped presents under the tree, take a moment to thank the mom in your life (OR THE DAD). She’s the reason Christmas feels like Christmas. And while she probably wouldn’t mind a $1,350 bonus, she’d settle for some extra help, a heartfelt thank-you, and maybe the chance to sit down with a glass (or bottle) of wine.
Because in the end, moms don’t do it for the money. They do it for the love, the laughter, and the memories. If Moms Got Paid for Preparing Christmas, What Would They Earn?
