Stay-At-Home-Mom bills husband weekly for house work, says it’s time women stopped working for free

The work of stay-at-home parents is a full-time job. Between physical labor and mental load, the hours add up, but the value rarely gets measured. One TikTok creator decided to put a number to it, and the response was immediate. Amber Egan, who goes by @amberaudrey_96 on TikTok, posted a satirical video listing the weekly cost of her labor as a stay-at-home mom, reported People. The video began with Egan saying, "This is everything I charge my husband for my stay-at-home mom services."

She went on to break it down item by item: $20 per load of dishes, two to three times a day, five days a week; $35 per load of laundry, four times a week; $60 per bathroom cleaned, twice a week; $100 for sweeping and mopping all floors, done two to three times a week. She added $800 per week in homeschool tuition for their children, $150 for weekly car shuttle services, $75 for grocery shopping, and $500 for cooking ten meals a week. She also included a $200 breastfeeding fee and a $10 daily sweeping charge. At the end, she said, "The total that I charge my husband every week for all of my stay-at-home services is about $2700. If he wants to save money, he can help me do any of these tasks and save money."

She also says, "It doesn't leave much for him at the end of the month, but it does give me enough to pay my mortgage. So ultimately, it does kind of make me the breadwinner in my household." While Egan made clear the video was meant as a joke, she told People the idea came from a desire to bring attention to the real value of unpaid household labor. She said, "I wanted to make it so stay-at-home moms could feel seen and then also know that just because you're not bringing home a paycheck, that doesn't mean that you're not doing work that's valuable at the same time."

Egan, a mother of three, gave birth to her youngest child only three months ago. She spoke openly about the weight of the mental load, saying, "It's possible that you're not just postpartum for a couple of months, you're postpartum for years afterward. Just that plays a huge part, especially in losing a sense of self." She also acknowledged how isolating the experience can be, adding, "You lose a piece of who you are. I suggest other moms find something that grounds them." Though she emphasized that her own husband is supportive, Egan said she made the video to speak to those who might not feel seen. Viewers on TikTok saw past the humor and connected with the message.

@amandaschwartz730 wrote, "This may be satire, but it 100% puts into perspective how much sahms actually do and that it’s actually a full-time job." @lmcclure93 said, "I died when you said that he could save money by helping out." @shylaperez2150 added, "Don’t forget bookkeeping, escort, medic and psychology." @services.coolandcalm4 said, "You have to sit at the park. That alone is torture and you should be paid. Doctors' visit, taking care of sick kids, etc. You need more money." @windy_whit joked, "Sent it to my husband ASAP so he knows what he is paying from now on."

You can follow Amber Egan (@amberaudrey_96) on TikTok for more parenting and relationship content.