BROKE, EXHAUSTED AND MINUS A SEX LIFE - IT'S THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD.

Byline: By Lisa Adams 

BEING a mum is definitely the toughest job on the planet. The conditions break every European working directive. In fact, if it appeared in a recruitment advert, then no-one in their right mind would ever apply. It's an exhaustinglife-long commitment with no days off for good behaviour and no pay.

For at least 18 years, you consign huge chunks of your bank balance to a black hole. If you attempt to juggle child care with a paid job, heaven help you. On bad days, it feels like you're failing at both. And forget a racy sex life. What mums secretly want most in bed is eight hours sleep.

So why do we do it? You'll forgive me if I'm a little smug. As the mother of the most beautiful 15-month-old girl in Scotland, I've every reason to be. No-one prepares you for that blind love.Very early on, you know you'd do anything for this little person.

It's fiercely primeval. If someone tried to hurt them, you'd kill them with your bare hands. As your child grows, this indescribable bond develops. The best sound in the world is hearing your child laughYou love the way they feel, the way they smell, what they say and what they do. You think about them all the time.

And you get that love back. You're their number-one woman every day, no question. It's a lot like holding up a mirror. Staring back is a tiny slice of yourself. They grow up to be nobody but themselves. But you have the awesome responsibility of helping shape how another person turns out. Reason enough to get out of bed in the morning.

And a perfect excuse to be a kid all over again, as you see the world through fresh eyes. Of course, there's no prospect of promotion no matter how hard you work at being a mum.

But sometimes it pays just to bite the bullet and go for it. It marks the start of a daring adventure with no guarantees.

Isn't that what life is all about

CAPTION(S):

MOTHER'S PRIDE: Lisa; with Rebecca