Hingham's not working for me anymore... (Boston, Wellesley: good schools, organic, shop)

[pennyone]

Originally Posted by Partial Observer

No kidding, man. My wife is a bereavement counselor and works with the families of children on hospice or with severe medical problems. Her job requires a Master's degree and yearly continuing education credits and licensing fees. She makes less than $30/hour, pre-tax, with no health, retirement, or tuition benefits. I guess society has decided that she adds significantly less value than a babysitter or house cleaner, and it would take between 30 and 40 of her to equal one investment banker, law firm partner, or health care executive.


I guess that makes sense, because only a handful of wealthy people need a bereavement counselor, but every wealthy person needs a cleaning lady and child care, whether a stay-at-home parent or otherwise.


God bless America!

The tyranny of the market. This is why a master teacher of kids, our country's future, makes 1/100 or 1/1000 of what a famous NBA basketball (an athlete-entertainer) makes. American is seriously dysfunctional.

[MrLinderman]

Originally Posted by pennyone

The tyranny of the market. This is why a master teacher of kids, our country's future, makes 1/100 or 1/1000 of what a famous NBA basketball (an athlete-entertainer) makes. American is seriously dysfunctional.

Well if teacher salaries increase, how the hell are we going to pay all those "administrators?"

Don't you understand that the bureaucracy is expanding to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy?

[xo_kizzy_xo]

Originally Posted by pennyone

Actually, I live in Quincy and we have to have a cleaning crew here because both of us work pretty long hours and no one has the time or the energy to "clean" a big house. We pay $45/hr but the folks who do the cleaning do a great job and they do windows too (which I hate doing myself). Once they get through the place, it looks, smell and feel really clean. And we have dogs too.

We've discussed this here and there a few times for the same reason (we don't have kids either and yes, we also have dogs ) For now we're putting the money paying off bills. Once we get some wiggle room, we'll reconsider it. In the meantime I do what's possibly the bare minimum to look presentable, which includes vacuuming every day because the dogs are currently in the middle of a shedding cycle.

We have cleaning ladies in my modest neighborhood. Some are obvious from the company logo on their cars. Others are people I see every week while walking the dogs.

[Whatsnext75]

My husband is very good at cleaning and he enjoys doing it from laundry to swiffering the floors-and he's good at it.

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by Whatsnext75

My husband is very good at cleaning and he enjoys doing it from laundry to swiffering the floors-and he's good at it.

How many 24 hour shifts a week does he work? Someone who goes to work 5 days a week for 8 hours and spends another 3 hours a day commuting usually isn't as enthusiastic about cleaning.

[xo_kizzy_xo]

Originally Posted by Whatsnext75

My husband is very good at cleaning and he enjoys doing it from laundry to swiffering the floors-and he's good at it.

You're very very lucky. Cherish him

[Whatsnext75]

He only gets 2 days off, sometimes less with the OT he does. He's a rare find. OCD probably

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by Whatsnext75

He only gets 2 days off, sometimes less with the OT he does. He's a rare find. OCD probably

He works 100 hours a week?

[Whatsnext75]

No dm84. How many hours a week do you work since you seem to be so interested in how much my husband works? Would you like to know how many hours a week I work as well?

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by Whatsnext75

No dm84. How many hours a week do you work since you seem to be so interested in how much my husband works? Would you like to know how many hours a week I work as well?

Technically I work 35 hours a week (lunch isn't paid).

Standard scheduling practice for firefighters in most of the country is 24 hour shifts. 5 of those a week seems abnormal to say the least.

Of course the relevance of this to me is nil. I was just pointing out that if I worked fewer days per week I'd have more time to clean (if I enjoyed doing so).