article: A husband has penned a moving essay celebrating his wife and everything she does for their family as a stay-at-home mother. Steven Nelms writes in the essay's introduction that he can't afford his wife to be a stay-at home. 'I don't at all mean to offend anyone with this post,' he writes. 'I'd like to explain exactly what that means so that no one thinks I'm in any way devaluing Stay-At-Home Moms.' Steven Nelms penned a moving essay celebrating his wife and everything she does for their family as a stay-at-home mother to their two-year-old son Ezra . 'On the contrary, I mean that I quite literally cannot afford my wife to be staying at home.' Nelms told the Independent Journal Review that his wife, Glorianna, stays at home with the couple's two-year-old son Ezra because of high child care costs. But Nelms said working has always been a part of Gloriana's life, who had been employed since she was 14 and was contributing to her family's income when she was 17. 'Getting a paycheck was significant part of feeling valued and appreciated for all the hard work she did to provide for herself and help her family,' he sad. So Nelms, from Plano, Texas, decided to write an essay, which was posted on We Are Glory, in which he would break-down the monetary value of everything his wife does to care for the family. 'Yes, my wife is my son’s mother and it is a natural result of being a parent to love and care for your own child,' he writes. 'There is also a very quantifiable dollar amount that can be attributed to the services rendered.' 'I am in no way trying to simplify, objectify, or devalue the priceless love of a mother for her child,' he wrote. 'But let’s be real. Pay day feels good for a reason. Because you’re seeing your hard work appreciated in a tangible way that lets you “treat yo self”'. In the essay Nelms says he 'can't afford' his wife to be a stay-at-home mother, and then breaks down the monetary value of all that she provides. 'I would have to make over $100k to even begin to be able to cover my living expenses as well as employ my wife as a Stay-At-Home Mom!' he writes . Nelms said that he felt 'ashamed' for every time his wife felt she didn't have 'as much right to our income as I do' and that his income 'doesn't even come close to covering what she does for our family' Nelms estimates that the childcare his wife provides is worth $36,660 a year, the annual-salary for a full-time nanny. He also estimates this his wife does $5,200 worth of cleaning a year, $12,480 of cooking, and $13,520 for buying groceries and running errands. After adding that his wife helps deal with the family's finances and does the laundry, he concludes that his wife's annual salary should be $73,960. 'I would have to make over $100k to even begin to be able to cover my living expenses as well as employ my wife as a Stay-At-Home Mom!' he writes. 'In short, I can’t afford for my wife to stay at home. And I’ve tragically failed to show my wife the appreciation that she deserves.' Nelms admits in the essay that he has felt 'ashamed' every time he has ever made his wife feel guilty of humored when she has bought something for herself. 'I am ashamed that she has ever felt like she doesn't have just as much right to our income as I do. The fact of the matter is that our income doesn't even come close to covering what she does for our family.' 'She loves me, loves our son, and loves our family, so obviously she isn’t doing any of those things for a paycheck or even for recognition.' 'But it certainly doesn’t hurt to know that as a Stay-At-Home Mom her appraised salary is nearly double my actual income.' Nelms concludes the essay by telling his wife 'you are more precious than rubies.' Nelms concludes the essay by telling his wife 'you are more precious than rubies'
highlights: Steven Nelms writes that he 'can't afford' his wife to be stay-at-home mom .
  He calculates the monetary value of what she contributes to the home, including child care, cooking, cleaning and running the finances .
  Nelms concludes that his wife's annual salary should be $73,960 .
  He writes that he was 'ashamed' that his wife ever 'felt like she doesn't have just as much right to our income as I do'
  Nelms said his wife has worked since she was 14 and he wanted to make sure she felt appreciated .
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