Who would pay them anyway? It won’t be me because I am not benefiting from someone else doing their own laundry. Why would the government pay them? They aren’t helping the government in any way. If they need money, they need to work and hire a babysitter.

— Ethan A., Bryant, AR

I believe that stay at home parents should not be paid. Stay at home parents work hard, but for who? Are they benefiting you and our economy or are they just benefitting themselves and their own families? People with careers and jobs work to better our community as a whole. For example, if there were no teachers or educators, how would students get an education? We need teachers, just like we need everyone else! Stay at home parents are not helping the overall economy.

— Natalie Ellis, Locust Grove, GA

Having children is your choice — and your responsibility.

I have always been told you should not be rewarded for things you are supposed to do. For example making my bed — I do not get an allowance because that is a responsibility, not a job with a reward. Being a stay at home parent along with having a child, house or pet all have their responsibilities and financial decisions you must analyze and make. You should not be rewarded for you doing your responsibilities.

— Lilly Smiley, Hoggard High School

Personally, I do not think that Stay-at-home parents should be paid. I certainly have that point of view because my parents are both veterinarians and they work nearly every day. They have always told me that I have to work hard to have a good job; and that after every difficulty, there is a “reward” waiting for us. …

I believe that people who make that choice of staying at home, have to accept that they decide to not work and then accept to not be paid. You can not be paid for just staying at home. I agree that to take care of children can sometimes be difficult and take a lot of time; but it is not a reason to be paid for. It is a natural act to take care of their kids, so why would you be paid for that? People who have a job, who studied and worked hard for it, must be and deserve to be paid for those efforts.

— Margot Devillers, Medford

Paying stay-at-home parents is bad for women.

If we pay stay-at-home parents which are mostly women, this will be approval to sexism. Today’s society isn’t like old times. Women has the same rights as men, and are able to do the same things as them. This pay will lead women not working and will only reduce women’s position. This prejudice will grow a lot more if women continue to stay in the background. They are having the same education as men who succeed but they are obstructed by a wall that has a revolution behind it.

— Ozgun Ibıs, Bryant High School, Ar

Some stay-at-home parents should get paid, but not all of them.

I think in some cases such as a single mother who might be a widow or the other parent is in prison than there could be a form of help given to the parent caring for the child. Maybe the help is money, maybe it is childcare. I am all for creating a “helping hands” foundation type of thing for a parent that is struggling.