Moms get 10 000 hugs

NOT many mothers need to be told that bringing up their children entails a lot more give than take.

Now, however, a detailed study has tried to quantify exactly how devoted they are when their offspring are aged four to 16.

It revealed that moms will be woken 16 times a year by their children because of a stomach ache or bad dream – and they can also expect more than 10000 cuddles.

They also spend an hour and 39 minutes a week on taxi duty, meaning a total of 47 days behind the wheel in those 12 years. The study also found the average mom spends nearly four hours a week as a spectator as children take part in sports and hobbies. Sitting through school assemblies and plays takes nearly five hours a year. Going to parents’ evenings accounts for twoand-a-half hours a year, according to the research carried out via OnePoll. com. Three-quarters of mothers admit that having a child has made them appreciate their own moms. However, there are many upsides, including being told “I love you” by their children about twice each day – that’s 8788 time from the ages of four to 16. The study of 2000 mums commissioned by Next also revealed that they enjoy 15 cuddles a week, equating to 10140 over a childhood But they also have to endure an average of three conversations a year with teachers about their child’s bad behaviour. More positive interactions are the 221 heart-to-heart chats with their children, roughly 17 each year.

A spokesperson for Next said: “Being a mother is one of the most rewarding but also one of the hardest things you will do. “But it’s so worth it when you hear your child say ‘I love you’ or get given their latest work of art to exhibit on the fridge. Moms do so much for their children, something we only really realise when we become parents, but this does mean we appreciate our own parents more than ever before.”