We discovered that the Wikipedia page for “Stay-at-Home Mother” redirected to “Housewife” so we set out to change it (there was already a page for stay-at-home fathers!).  For our 40th anniversary project in 2024, we penned a new Wikipedia entry for Stay-at-Home Mother. Read it on Wikipedia! 

“Stay-at-home mothers are often ignored or stereotyped in cultural and political conversations. Although stay-at-home parents do essential work, they’re not considered part of the workforce and their work is not counted in the GDP,” says Willow Duttge Tepper, member of the Family and Home Network (FAHN) Board of Directors and lead of the project.

“Though homemaking skills should never be denigrated, at-home mothers must not be misidentified as housewives,” says Catherine Myers, Executive Director of FAHN. “Most at-home mothers are focused on their children’s needs and on their own desire to spend time together with their children. Family and Home Network is happy to set the record straight.”

FAHN has four decades of experience listening to and speaking up to dispel misconceptions about at-home mothers, and the team brought that knowledge to the Wikipedia entry. It’s important because all families must be included in family policy, and many families with an at-home parent are economically vulnerable. 

“Care has value, whether it’s done by child care providers or by parents themselves,” says Myers. “At-home mothers, at-home fathers, and other unpaid caregivers must be recognized and their care counted and supported with equitable, inclusive family policies.”

Read about FAHN’s Campaign for Inclusive Family Policies and please support our work with a generous donation!