Is There “Work” Value in Volunteering?

Do you consider your volunteer hours “work?” How is value measured in your family?

Recently, I had an encounter with someone who has the opinion that a military spouse who is a stay-at-home parent and volunteers doesn’t “work.”

Now, we all know where I stand on this issue. Not only has my family chosen for me to “stay home” with my daughter because of my husband’s career choice and the journey we have chosen in which to create our “life,” but I am also an active volunteer.

Yes, I have chosen to work from home as well as being a parent, but that was my own choice for my personal values and goals, not a choice I had to make or one made out of necessity. I can honestly tell you, without a shadow of a doubt, that what I do all day is work.

I am one of the busiest people I know.

Am I one of the richest? Not monetarily. Not at all. So, does that mean that I don’t work because I don’t have a consistent paycheck?

Does that mean that any spouse who stays home isn’t “valuable” or doesn’t “work” because they don’t have a monetary income?

I suppose there is no general right or wrong answer to that question because it is opinion based. It depends on where you choose your value to be and what you consider “work.”

I, personally, know that you can “work” and never go to a 9-5, but you can also go to a 9-5 and never “work.”

How do you define work? Is volunteering and managing a home not work? Share your thoughts!