We do this because we know that being a mum is no easy task. Yet while we commemorate their sacrifices for just a single day in the year, mothers balance a list of lifelong responsibilities to provide better lives for their children, even through adulthood, all at no cost.
But what if we were to pay our mothers to raise us? Even as a financially-stable and working adult, could you afford all the jobs your mother juggles 24/7? Below are a list of basic careers most mothers have to take on, and the minimum average monthly salaries* that come with them.
*All figures are based off Jobstreet’s 2017 Salary Report under the Central Region Junior Executive position and the minimum average salary for each category.
1. Chef (RM1,979)
Nothing beats mum’s home-cooked meals! The development of our palates usually involves the food that our mothers serve us. Aside from feeding the entire family every single day, mothers are capable of whipping up food fit for any occasion.
Be it rich chocolate birthday cakes, freshly brewed soup for your sick days or that special pot of curry reserved only for family potlucks, mothers are often the best chefs in the house. They’re also capable of remembering the food preferences of every member in the household and tailor their dishes to our needs and cravings.
2. Accountant (RM2,194)
A job she shares with dad but knows she can handle it alone if she has to. Visiting the banks, paying bills and taxes, managing loans and credit card debts, setting the budget for this week’s groceries, giving out your pocket money. The list is never-ending.
A mother keeps tabs of every cash flow in the household, and does so for decades with the efficiency of a well-oiled — or in this era, well-charged — machine.
3. Chauffeur (RM2,129)
Prior to the existence of Uber or GrabCar, we each had our own personal drivers before we got to sit behind the wheel ourselves. Our mothers were the ones who woke us up (with great difficulty) and brought us to school on time.
They also took us to tuition classes, and, if their schedules permitted it, sent us to a friend’s place during the weekend. Who remembers getting lost in a foreign housing area without the use of Waze, and only your classmate’s address as a reference?
4. Nurse (RM2,304)
From the small cuts you’d cry over as a kid, to falling sick as an adult, mum’s always there for you, no matter your age. With hands so gentle and a calming voice, you know that you’d be up and running in no time.
She’s got plasters, lozenges and tissues in every handbag, and enough ingredients for a nice, home-cooked pot of porridge anytime you get a sore throat. She’s also a nutritionist in her own way, providing you with supplements and juices to keep you in the pink of health.
5. Housekeeper (RM1,885)
Even with the luxury of having a maid or part-time helper around, mothers never seem to truly give up their tasks as housekeepers. This may usually involve nagging you for having such a messy room and collecting the dirty clothes from your floor, but we all know that mum does it in for our own good.
After all, who else would be responsible for the brand new decorations and presentable living room every festive season?
6. Judge (RM2,419)
Anyone with brothers or sisters undeniably grew up with daily sibling arguments, all eventually quashed by mum. She’s also a therapist in her own right: listening to your problems and complain, no matter how trivial they may be.
Based on the circumstances, she was — and still is — a fair woman, always serving justice where it is due. Abide by her household rules, or face the ever-memorable whip of a cane on the thigh!
7. Teacher (RM2,275)
Mothers are our first educators. Apart from dad, who else would have taught you something as basic as your name? They’re the reason we’re able to speak coherently (and oftentimes, in more than one language) by the time we attend kindergarten.
Mothers will also be the ones to educate us to differentiate the right from wrong. Even as you grow older, mum’s always got a life lesson to teach, somewhere up her sleeve.
8. Event manager (RM2,257)
Birthday parties, family gatherings, even dinner to celebrate your ROM, a mother is familiar with organising any sort of event that comes her way. Ever-organised and equipped with amazing time management skills, she’s always got the invites, venue and food sorted. Who needs a PR company to do your event planning when you have a mum?
9. Seamstress (RM2,657)
We’re all guilty of losing a button or ripping some part of our backpacks, but that’s where mum comes in to save the day! While not every mother may be a professional seamstress, every one of them knows how to sew name tags onto your uniform, or to fix that hole in your pocket. They also ensure your best shirt is freshly ironed in time for that important job interview!
10. Personal assistant (RM2,095)
Above all the jobs mothers have had to tackle, nothing is more complicated and exhausting than being our personal assistants. They play the role of secretaries, always keeping track of our schedules and our health.
They’re also our personal shopper (“Ma, can you get me a new bottle of shampoo while you’re at the supermarket?”) and delivery person (“Ma, I left my BM homework at home… could you bring it to school during ‘rehat’?”) all in one.
To conclude...
With these 10 basic jobs your mother carries out for you throughout your lifetime, you’d have to pay her RM22,194 A MONTH for her multi-tasking expertise and experiences. That totals to RM266,328 a year, minus any bonuses!
Yet with the amount of money she could be earning for herself, she has given it all up to raise you and love you unconditionally, without any sick days, increments or vacations. So alongside this article comes a friendly reminder: you’ve got a few days left to prepare something special for your mum, remember to never take your mother for granted (she went through months of pain to give you life), and sacrificed many years after to better it.
From all of us at Loanstreet, we wish everyone a Happy Mother’s Day!
