In honour of Mother's Day, my five things this week are all mom related. A mom salary, SAHM moms versus working moms, moms who rock, charitable events and a great mom ad for Mother's Day.
1. Being a mom isn't always glamorous, despite the popularity of celeb moms we see daily in the news. Perhaps everyone knows that, as indicated by a press release I read this week claiming that Canadians would pay their moms an average salary of $161,287 a year for all their hard work. This number came from a survey conducted by Leger Marketing on behalf of Walmart Canada, who is launching their second annual Mom of the Year Award. When asked what qualities a Mom of the Year should possess, the answers were several -- being loving, compassionate, hard working, fun loving, a mentor, sacrificing and charitable. All that for $160,000 a year.
2. So there is a bit of pressure to be the perfect mom, we all know that. But does that mean we should stay at home and care for our kids full time, go to work or find the perfect blend of both? These are the questions that will plague us forever. But one thing is clear -- whatever path we choose, moms want to be recognized for that choice and path. One of our SavvyStories bloggers, Rebecca Cuneo Keenan of Playground Confidential, was recently misrepresented in a mainstream media article as being a stay at home mom (SAHM). Here is how she reacted to that. Read it with interest, but remember not to judge your fellow moms.
3. I like the way Canadian Living celebrated moms by publishing a list of Canadian Moms Who Rock. Although we all know many moms who are not famous that rock (ahem, ourselves included), I was pleased to see some of our friends and writers on that list--notably Kathy Buckworth, Ann Douglas and Kirsten Doyle. All three are amazing, inspirational writers and moms.
4. And while we're celebrating moms, an initiative launched by the Children's Aid Foundation called Ignite the Spark caught my attention this week. It speaks to all of us who have mothers that ignited a spark in us -- or allowed us to pursue dreams and interests that may have ignited a spark. The Children's Aid Foundation tells us that over 75,000 children might not have that inspiration, but they are working to change that. Funds raised will go to enrichment programs for youth so they can be sparked. I will be making a donation in honour of my mother who continues to ignite my spark!
5. And because I love to include videos on my list of five things every week, I am sharing this Kobo ad that I think nails it for moms. It's very emotional and reminiscent of the popular P&G ad that went viral during the summer Olympics last year, but I still love it. I especially love the way they focus on paper books to pull on our heartstrings, all while promoting an electronic reading device. It's genius and well done.
Happy Mother's Day -- I hope you get what you want.
This post originally appeared on SavvyMom.ca. Follow Minnow and SavvyMom on Facebook for more savvy tips and solutions.