Can we value what parents do without monetizing it?

There is this article from MSN today. I am sure most of you have heard this one before about the 'real' salary that a mom would make. Imagine her as a driver, cook, CEO, psychologist etc... I don't know why this bothers me so much, but it does. First, why do we feel the need to monetize everything? I don't think that makes us value moms more, I think it cheapens the whole thing. The fact is that parenting is a money losing proposition. You become a parent because other more deep seated desires. You take care of children because of love and caring.

Next, the whole logic of this is crazy. By this logic, I would have my regular job and I would be a landscaper, apprentice electrician, apprentice plumber, veterinary assistant, personal chef to my wife and CEO of my media empire (A Democrats Lament, LLC). I should be making at least two or three hundred thousand a year.

Before you write me with complaints, I get the point of the whole thing, moms are important. Well here is what I think, parents are important and we should value their work as a society, if for no other reason than self interest. Children that are not raised properly are very expensive for society(yes, I know I just monetized children). Notice I said parents because all parents are important for their kids. If our society valued children like we claim or parenting for that matter, we would have policies in place to help raise children. I also have a quaint notion of corporate responsibility. We should not have to force companies to do the right thing all of the time. Good policies make good economic sense. By the same token we should value people that decide to not have children because children are expensive to society as well... Just my two cents.