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If you think nurses and paramedics are exploited and underpaid, wait til you find out how long it takes a carer to earn what they do (spoiler alert, a lot, lot longer than you think).

Sixteen-hour shifts aren’t uncommon and it’s not unknown for them to pay for their own fuel to get to their appointments, more often than not to see an elderly and vulnerable person, and sometimes they’ll be the only human they talk to that day.

So, no pressure then.

This column has a new found respect for carers after yours truly became the de facto primary short-term caregiver for the boss after her big surgery two weeks ago.

I have a new found respect for carers. Photo: Frederick Florin/AFP/Getty Images)

The kids have flown the nest, the pets see her comfortable bed with her in it as nothing more than a premium nesting opportunity, so it’s down to me to fetch, carry, wash, dry, cook and clean. Yes, I truly am a prince among men, looking after my own wife of 25 years for a few weeks while she gets back on her feet.

That was sarcasm, by the way.

Real carers, paid or not, get a free pass into heaven. What I’m doing for the next couple of weeks is CareLITE at best. My client (she’ll love being called that) will get better pretty quickly and thanks to the high protein, fibre-rich meals and her positive attitude, she’ll be out jogging by the middle of next month and trampolining again by Easter.

It’s pretty much a full-time job, on top of an actual full-time job. Recovery so far has been excellent. I’d call her attitude determined where others might say stubborn. But whatever it is, it’s working.

Journalists have many qualities, patience and empathy are not two of them. But thanks to some judicious tongue-biting and counting to 10, the boss is cutting me some much appreciated slack.

With recovery, it’s all about the little victories. Showering, washing and blow-drying your hair, getting dressed, sitting at a table to eat dinner, walking around the block and staying awake past 10pm. And eventually all on the same day.

Every achievement should be applauded, but don’t do that, they’ll think you’re taking the mick. And if there’s only two of you in the house, if you fall out then it’s going to get quiet and awkward quickly.

Anyway, I hope you didn’t find this week’s column too funny. The boss says it only hurts when she laughs.

To read more Who’s The Daddy click here

Who's The Daddy: ​Chief cook and bottle washer and counting to 10 helps...

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