Why Stay-at-Home Moms Need LOTS of Life Insurance

I am a big advocate of men and women both having careers. However, I am a bigger advocate of children getting the parenting they need. That is why I applaud those households in which Mom can stay home with the kids. Or Dad! Whatever works for them. I have seen families in which both Mom and Dad manage to split the chores. This takes some creativity in getting the right jobs and managing time, but the effort is well worth it. Everybody wins – especially the kids.

You can read any number of studies that prove children flourish under consistent and stable parental influence. They develop emotional resilience and a deep sense of security. They form a strong identity and a healthy personality. They learn how to behave. They are given the basics for succeeding in life and love. And for weathering the storm when life gets rough.

Death is quite a blow to kids

Perhaps the most severe storm to weather is the death of a parent. Maybe you have tragically experienced that yourself, or are close to someone who has. Talk about the proverbial rug being pulled out from under you! It’s hard to imagine something as devastating to a child’s world, as losing one of the pillars of that world – Mom or Dad.

People buy life insurance to secure themselves again such a fate. The question is: what exactly should they do with that insurance money, should a claim unfortunately have to be paid? I think a lot of people jump to rash conclusions when planning for such a possibility. They don’t think through the process their family survivors would need to go through, to move forward from such a tragic loss. It takes time, lots of time. Lots of crying. Lots of family togetherness, hugs, supporting one another. People need to heal. Healing won’t erase the sorrow; just make it manageable.

Kids can’t afford to lose Dad, too

But if Dad has to work his 40 or 50 hours a week, then he will really not have the time to be there for his kids. If he has to scramble to get the household chores done, he will be too busy to be with them. Even if he has the money to hire a nanny or full-time housekeeper, these folks will be poor substitutes for Mom. His kids will need him more than ever, and he really should make himself available as much as humanly possible. For their sake. They will have already lost one parent to an untimely death; why should they lose their only other parent to the job?

For this reason, I believe stay-at home-Moms need tons of life insurance. With a sufficient amount of coverage in place, Dad could afford to work less and stay home more. He could take the time needed to lead his family through this tremendously difficult transition, into the next stage of their lives.