I have taken and taught a lot of economics courses, and I have had opportunities to be part of a lot of really cool economics research in the last decade. But, the last month has provided me with one of the greatest economics lessons of my life. Two kids moved into my house.
This is not a permanent situation. They are just hanging out with me for a little while. But, oh my goodness! Kids change everything, not least of which is a household budget!
Groceries! So many groceries! I am very single. I am used to cooking one or two meals per week and just eating the leftovers until they are gone. But kids demand variety. And snacks. And drinks besides water. Groceries are not cheap, y’all. My household grocery budget more than doubled overnight with the addition of two kids.
And laundry. Can we talk about laundry?! My usual was one or two loads of laundry every two or three weeks. (I know — seasoned moms burst into laughter at this thought.) We are now washing one or two loads a day. My electricity usage increased from an average of 14 kWh in the week prior to the kids’ arrival to an average of 26 kWh in their first week with me.
I know this is not news to many of you. Those who have been parents for a while will probably find my experiences of the last few weeks familiar and perhaps will think it cute that I am just learning what you have known so well for so long. Bless my heart, right?
In fact, the story of my last few weeks is all too familiar and not at all cute to more than a third of Brunswick’s families, which are headed by single moms with children below age 18 according to the 2016 American Community Survey. Of those moms, 23 percent have children under age 5. Over half of single-mom families in Brunswick have incomes below the poverty level, and that statistic grows to two-thirds for single moms with children under 5.
For these moms, perhaps the most significant cost of raising children is one I have felt strongest this month — opportunity cost. Opportunity cost is the value of what we give up to do or experience something else. For me and for many single moms, the opportunity cost of parenting is a thriving career.
The kids came along two weeks before the deadline on a project I began working on four years ago. Crunch time. I had to call on family and friends to help with the kids so I could work on weekends to even have a shot at getting the thing submitted.
I had only been parenting a few days before I began to understand why mothers —particularly single mothers — often struggle to get ahead in their careers. Thank goodness I have such an amazing and supportive network of family, friends and coworkers. I was able to meet that deadline, and I have been able to adjust pretty well to the daily role switches from parent to professor and back to parent.
I cannot imagine how difficult this must be for moms without that sort of support system. Hug a single mom for me this week. Given the statistics cited above for Brunswick, it won’t be hard to find one.
Reg Murphy Center