Jessa Sharp, who posts on Instagram under the username @jessandmissamelia, has drawn attention after sharing a video about an unusual arrangement with her husband. The New York mother decided to turn one of her daughter’s everyday habits into a way to earn some extra money.
Sharp announced that she would charge her husband $1 every time their toddler called her “Mom.” She began tracking the calls throughout the day to see how much money she could collect. “I need money tomorrow, so I’m charging my husband $1 every time I hear the word mom,” Sharp announced in the video.
The rule also covered “Mommy” and “Mama,” meaning each variation added another dollar to the bill. As she went about her day, Sharp recorded interactions with her daughter, including reading and discussing shapes.
The Woman’s Husband Got a Smaller Bill Than Expected
After seven hours, the counter reached 405, leaving Sharp with a $405 invoice. “Okay, 405 moms in seven hours, I would say not bad considering the play date and the quiet time,” she said.
Sharp believed the playdate and quiet time had kept the number lower than she expected. “I would say he got a discount for this because I was expecting about 800 to a thousand dollars,” she added.
She printed the invoice and handed it to her husband, insisting, “I need the payment asap.” Although he paid her, the video did not confirm how much money he gave her. The Instagram video attracted 1.6 million views, with viewers sharing different reactions to the arrangement.
The Comments Raised a Bigger Parenting Issue
Some viewers saw the experiment as reflecting how frequently mothers are called upon throughout the day.
A 2023 Pew Research Center report found that 47 percent of American mothers described parenting as tiring all or most of the time, compared with 34 percent of fathers.
Meanwhile, a 2024 University of Bath study found that mothers handled approximately 71 percent of household mental-load tasks, including managing schedules and anticipating family needs.
These findings do not establish how parenting duties are divided in Sharp’s marriage, but they offer context for the discussion surrounding her video. One commenter wrote, “I really hope this puts things in perspective when moms say we are overstimulated. In no other capacity are we called on this much.”
Others responded with humor. “He’s lucky she’s only charging a dollar per mom,” one person remarked.
Another joked, “Oh how sweet for him to buy you a spa day!”
One viewer questioned whether Sharp had counted every call, writing, “I feel like you missed a few …”
