Pay up kids. Mom's worth a lot more than you think
Moms deserve a big paycheque, says one survey, and now they're often the breadwinner of the household too
On Mother’s Day we don’t think of how much moms are worth. More often it’s moms who are the breadwinners of the household, and those who stay home and hold down the fort are worth a lot more than you think. If only being a stay-at-home mom came with the paycheque it deserved!</br>Maciej Korzekwa/Getty Images/iStockphoto
<b>Time to pay up</b></br> Canadians believe mom is worth a lot. It is one of the most important jobs on the planet, right? </br></br>According to a recent survey conducted by Leger Marketing on behalf of Walmart Canada, Canadians would pay their mom an average annual salary of $161,287 for all her hard work. If only that was a real cash! For now it will be have to be paid for with love and respect.</br></br> The survey was commissioned for the second annual Walmart Mom of the Year Award. Nominations for the award can be submitted at www.momoftheyear.ca and close on June 16.</br>PIKSEL/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Walmart’s survey also asked Canadians who they thought embodied the quintessential TV mom; <i>The Cosby Show’s</i> Clair Huxtable led the poll with 21 per cent.</br></br> Here, in a 1985 photo is the Huxtable family from the NBC series. From top row left are: Tempest Bledsoe, Sabrina Le Beauf and Malcolm-Jamal Warner. From bottom row left are: Lisa Bonet, Bill Cosby, Keshia Knight Pulliam and Phylicia Rashad.</br>NBC/The Associated Press
Marge Simpson of <i>The Simpsons</i> came in second at 17 per cent.</br>
When asked who their mom would be if she was a superhero, 43 per cent said Wonder Woman.</br>
The Bionic Woman was next at 23 per cent.</br></br> In this picture Lee Majors and Lindsay Wagner reprise their roles as The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman in The Bionic Reunion, an NBC World Premiere action-adventure movie telecast on May 17, 1987.</br>
The vast majority of Canadians (79 per cent), however, feel that they do not thank their mom enough for everything she does and believe she deserves to be named Mom of the Year.</br>Yarruta/Getty Images/iStockphoto
While moms often stayed home to care for the kids and keep their household running smoothly, that’s not necessarily the case today.</br></br> A recent study by CareerBuilder found that many working moms in the United States shoulder the full financial burden of their households, closing in on the number of men who carry this responsibility.</br></br> Thirty-four per cent of working moms said they are the sole financial provider for their families, not far from the 39 per cent of working dads who currently report that they are the sole breadwinner.</br>Jupiterimages/Getty Images
For working moms, that means balancing professional and personal obligations is an ongoing challenge.</br></br> More than one in four working moms (28 per cent) said their children have asked them to work less. </br></br>And 24 per cent said they spend two hours or less with their kids each day during the workweek.</br> – 17 per cent of working moms said their jobs have negatively impacted their relationship with their children.</br> – 12 per cent said their jobs have negatively impacted their relationship with their spouse or partner.</br></br> “The household dynamic has changed over the years with women reshaping traditional roles,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice-president of human resources at CareerBuilder – and working mom. “Women account for more than half of the U.S. work force and are often the breadwinners for their households. While many women successfully manage careers and families, the quest for more quality time at home will always be top of mind.”</br>
But there are ways for women to find a bit better work-life balance. Here’s some suggestions from CareerBuilder:</br></br> <b>Explore other work arrangements</b></br></br> Six-in-ten working moms (60 per cent) said they’ve made flexible work arrangements, and most say it hasn’t hurt their careers. </br></br>To do this, discuss options with your manager or with human resources. Come armed with a game plan for how you can manage your workload and responsibilities.</br>Comstock Images
<b>Learn to say No</b></br></br> To make sure you have time for the things that are important to you, you need to set boundaries, choose the activities that are the biggest priority for you and forget about the guilt, the study says.</br>Jonathan Larsen/Getty Images/iStockphoto
<b>Get organized</b></br></br> Keep one calendar for business and family commitments to avoid double-booking. Set up a schedule for chores, homework, dates with your spouse and family activities. Then stick to it.</br>Stockbyte/Getty Images
<b>Remember quality over quantity</b></br></br> If you’re only able to spend a few hours with your children each day, make the most of that time. Play. Have fun. And forget about work. Wait until your children go to bed before checking e-mail or completing any unfinished work.</br>Catherine Yeulet/Getty Images/iStockphoto
<b>Carve out “me time”</b></br></br> Moms need a break too. Schedule time for yourself to relax and recharge.</br>Comstock Images