How much does a mum actually earn?

“So what did your last slave die of!?” Sound familiar?

Perhaps you’ve had that said to the younger you, or maybe even used it yourself with any of your kids.

Yes it’s great to joke about it but we all know that being a parent involves simultaneously operating as a chauffeur, chef, personal assistant, nurse, counsellor, tutor, bodyguard, coach magistrate (particularly with 2 or more children) and more. Let’s not forget that when taking our little cherubs to their clubs and social activities how often are you required to sit and watch or wait in the car? Yes our own social lives are a mere reflection of where are children need taking to next.

Do our kids ever realise this? Are they aware that you’re sat there trying to make the most of it, killing time by chatting to other parents in the same boat as you, missing Corrie perhaps or worse still, being the one parent who doesn’t live within a 5 minute drive so you have to stay and wait in the car, alone, without wifi and that link to the friendly tones of social media to keep you company.

How about your other half?  Is his idea of what a mum’s life entails a true reflection of your daily life?

It can be a laborious job sometimes being a taxi driver, with no hint of a tip. Ever. But then throw into the mix the world-ending woes of a preteen’s friendships and yet another falling out story being sobbed in the car on the way home… enter the role of counsellor. Get home and the chef hat goes on, followed by the maths tutor, (possibly aided by google) followed storyteller depending on your child’s age of course then night manager!

So just for fun, this interactive test from SunLife will tell you how much you’re *actually* worth, maybe you should print it off and put it on the fridge so your family can see your value, perhaps with a sign: “all donations including chocolate and tea gratefully received” 🙂