
Unpaid work - identifying tasks
How much work is it to raise children? The following list can help us think about tasks, time, and priorities.
Caregiving
Feeding
· Breastfeeding and/or holding and feeding your baby
· Meal planning (considering nutrition and cost)
· Grocery shopping
· Cooking
· Serving/helping youngsters eat
· Cleaning up after meals
Health and safety
· Scheduling and attending regular medical checkups (including well-child checkups, adult checkups, dental and vision for family members)
· Nursing/caregiving through crisis or chronic medical conditions
· Attending to special needs (extra medical or developmental needs)
· Taking time to monitor, teach and supervise skill-building physical activities (bike riding, skating, climbing, etc.)
· Encouraging active play (outdoor time, park time)
· Bathing
· Diaper-changing
Dressing
· Shopping for clothes (retail? sales? consignment? thrift store?)
· Laundry
Nurturing interactions with child(ren)
· playing with children
· emotional connectedness - availability to children throughout the day
· maintaining routines (bath time, story time, etc.)
Education
· Learning about child development
· Seeking resources for children’s interests
· Providing instruction in special areas – either parent provided or paid instruction (music, dance, gymnastics, etc.)
Transportation
Other caregiving-related tasks:
· Transportation (to school, to extracurricular activities)
· Introducing your children to your spiritual beliefs and/or religious practices; participating in services and related activities
· Creating/maintaining family rituals, guardian of family history (photos, videos, etc.)
· Screening the messages from our culture (advertisements, television, internet, etc.)
Caring for physical environment
· Home (cleaning, maintenance, interior decorating, home improvements)
· Yard (mowing, yardwork), gardening
· Car (cleaning, maintenance)
Family finances
· paying bills, managing charitable contributions
· financial record keeping, tax returns
· monitoring/record keeping of medical bills & medical insurance
· long-term planning (retirement, insurance)
· money saving strategies: shopping sales, consignment stores; growing food; do-it-yourself home projects; swapping services with friends, neighbors
Other tasks
· Recreation/travel planning
· Volunteering (school, community)
· Special events (holidays, birthdays…)
· Extended family caregiving responsibilities
· Caring for pets (food, exercise, grooming, vet care)