$5000 cash offered for country's super mum

By PENNY MILES
What does it take to be a top mum?
Does it mean standing in the rain cheering on your child's sports team?
Ferrying you to music lessons in rush hour traffic?
Or helping out with a tough school project?
Now thanks to Tauranga entrepreneur Kerry Burridge, mums across the country have the chance to be publicly applauded for their efforts.
In the lead-up to Mother's Day this weekend, Mrs Burridge has launched a Mother of the Year competition - and one lucky mum will be awarded the $5000 cash prize.
"There are lots of mums out there doing a fantastic job for their kids and it is important to recognise their contribution," she said.
The winner will receive $5000 in a Kiwibank account, and a day's worth of work around the home from Green Acres. Prizes for the 10 finalists include a one-month gym membership and a skincare package, while three semifinalists will enjoy a year's gym membership (worth up to $1000), a hair makeover worth $250 and a luxury skincare package.
Prizes are thanks to Kiwibank and other companies.
Hundreds of proud kids and dads have already retold their favourite anecdotes about mum in a bid to win the top prize.
A panel of judges will meet this week to select the best stories and the competition then switches to an online vote between 10 selected finalists.
As a mother to Abby, 7, Liam, 6, and Sam, 4, Ms Burridge knows that there is fantastic work being put in by parents and she can't wait to unveil the latest positive role model.
The mother of the year competition is run through Ms Burridge's website www.kiwifamilies.co.nz which caters to the demand for practical information to help parents cope with their tough job.
Last month 25,000 visitors logged on to the site.
"Motherhood is such a complex job, filled with both light and dark at times," Ms Burridge said.
"The highs of love, of bonding, of laughter, of a million special moments as you watch your children grow and develop and discover who they are - and the lows, the unending commitment that is needed, the having to carry on even when you are exhausted and burnt out, being the one support person who never goes away and who has to carry enough belief in yourself and your child when they are flagging," the website says.
"Most mothers wouldn't swap their role for the world but a bit of appreciation at times never goes amiss."
As a working mother, Ms Burridge thinks she is succeeding as a parent, "although I am conscious I could spend more time with them," she said.
Her busy schedule involves two days as the Smart Economy consultant at the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce and the rest of the week at home working as editor for the website which employs a staff of nine, and also caring for her family.
With all this activity, it sounds like Ms Burridge should be competing for the super-mum award herself. But that's exactly the issue this competition hopes to raise awareness about - that within every modest mum is an unrecognised super-mum.