Or to rephrase this in terms more familiar to many working mothers: “Mum, do you have to go to work?” pitched in a suitably plaintive, guilt-inducing tone just as you reach the front door. “Yes, I do. How else could we afford (delete as necessary) piano lessons, pony club, birthday trip to Disneyland Paris and a car for the au pair?” Which is, of course, the wrong answer.

“If you say I have to go out to work to pay for your stuff, it instantly throws the guilt straight back to your child,” says Denise Tylor, the author of Working Mothers - The Essential Guide. “You could say, ‘I have ambitions, which is why I enjoy work, but it also means that I can be a better mummy and we can enjoy the times we have together much more'. It's important to let them know that work doesn't detract from your relationship with them.”

If you really feel that it doesn't, then chances are, they won't either. Otherwise this is one of those out-of-the-mouth-of- babes questions that will inevitably stir up some awkward feelings. “Why, indeed, do you go to work? Is it purely to pay the bills; would you go to work if you didn't need the money? Wouldn't you prefer to spend more time with your children? Questions like this can be a wake-up call,” says Susan Quilliam, a relationship psychologist.

It's also worth remembering that a child will be more likely to ask such a question if they sense any negativity you have about your job. In which case, it is better to keep work-balance issues to yourself. “The first point to get across is that work is necessary and it can be enjoyable, too,” says Quilliam. “You want to give your daughter a sense that a career is useful and essential and that she can control her life through the medium of work. Think about what message you want to give to your child about independence, money and fulfilment.”

Or you can assure them that happier mothers make for happier children and then quote this handy bit of research; according to a report from the Institute of Social and Economic Research (at the end of last year), working mothers are far more content than those who don't work. Even mothers who work more than 45 hours a week reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction than those full-time mothers who spend their hours baking fairy cakes. Repeating this may not impress your daughter, but it will make you feel a lot better.