HerWorkCounts

project cover

Inspiration

HerWorkCounts: Valuing the Unseen Labor of Homemaking

This project, named HerWorkCounts, is a web app designed to calculate the economic value of unpaid housework. It's inspired by the countless hours and dedication stay-at-home parents, particularly mothers, contribute to maintaining a household.

What it does

HerWorkCounts allows users to input information about the housework they perform, such as cooking, cleaning, and childcare. Using a combination of AI tools and regional data, the app estimates the economic value of these tasks. This helps users quantify the immense effort behind maintaining a home and fosters a conversation about the importance of recognizing unpaid labor.

How we built it

The app utilizes Next.js for its user-friendly interface and ease of use. AI tools are leveraged to streamline the data collection process. Also AI will generate a summary with some suggest idea to help you save some time on Housework

Challenges we ran into

Measuring the value of diverse housework tasks within a single app proved challenging. Cooking, laundry, and childcare all carry distinct economic equivalents, making it difficult to find a one-size-fits-all solution. Additionally, ensuring accurate regional data became a hurdle. Also acquiring accurate data for regional variations is a huge challenge . The cost of services like childcare can differ significantly across locations. HerWorkCounts addresses this by incorporating regional data points to offer the most relevant estimates.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Despite the challenges, HerWorkCounts has received heartwarming responses. One user commented on the potential impact it could have had on their marriage years ago, highlighting the importance of recognizing the unseen labor involved in maintaining a home. This feedback reinforces the project's value in fostering conversations about fair division of labor within families. ("Wish I had had this tool a decade ago when my daughter was younger. This exact issue was a huge sore spot in our marriage for many years, as I am 100% certain it is for many others. ")

What we learned

The challenges of measuring housework value revealed the need for a more comprehensive approach. This led to the exciting next step: transforming HerWorkCounts into a counter app.

What's next for HerWorkCounts

The future of HerWorkCounts involves evolving it into a counter app that allows users to track their housework tasks. The app will offer tips and suggestions on streamlining these tasks, empowering users to save time and improve efficiency. This expansion aims to support stay-at-home parents by not only valuing their work but also offering practical tools to help them manage their workload.