Let’s travel back in time, shall we? Do you remember in grade school when teachers and well-meaning loved ones asked you that infamous question, “What do you want to do with your life?” I remember those moments with absolute clarity; there isn’t even a hint of haziness to them. It seemed like all my friends knew exactly what they wanted. They were going off to college to become teachers, or nurses, or lawyers, or business majors. I never had those desires. Not even once. All I ever wanted was to be a wife and homemaker.
Homemaking supports your family
I realize that in the modern world, so many families rely on two incomes to survive. The price of everyday items can far outreach the income of one person’s income. But what it has taken me years to understand is that my worth is not based on my salary. In fact, I’ve learned so well that homemaking actually supports my family.
When our children were small, it offset the cost of child care. Homemaking also offsets food costs because you can eat nutritious meals from home instead of relying on take out or convenience-based options. It offsets the cost of having to hire in a housekeeper, a groundskeeper, or lawn service. Homemaking can also offset the cost of repairs if you are handy with basic tools.
Being a homemaker is a blessing
There is something intrinsically satisfying about being a homemaker. Seeing progress in your children’s school work, teaching them basic skills like laundry, cooking, and cleaning, being a supportive spouse…all of these things are an enormous blessing to the family.
There are still moments in my day when I simply stop and savor the moment I’m in. Whether I’m peeling potatoes, or preparing a meal to take to a friend, cleaning the bathroom, or organizing the laundry room (again), I am often overcome with gratitude for the time I have to bless my family. “How are these things a blessing?”, you may ask. I suppose I consider it a blessing in that anytime I can make a task, a chore, or even a single moment simpler or less stressful for someone else, it is a blessing.
So while having the towels neatly folded, or the pet supplies organized in a basket, or the bathrooms clean and swept may not seem to be a big deal to some, not having to think about those things is a blessing to those with whom I live. My husband works hard at his job and my son works a full-time job as well. Simply caring for their needs blesses them in ways they may not even recognize…but it is still a blessing nonetheless.
Homemaking supplies a fundamental need
Being a homemaker may feel like a thankless task some days, and it can certainly come with its own stressors, but being a homemaker supplies a fundamental need. As a homemaker, you get to support your family, feed your family, teach and train your children, and bless your husband.
There is something so profound in moments when the music is playing softly, the candles are flickering, the dishes are done, and homework is completed for the night. There is a peace that comes in knowing you have given even a few moments of rest, a few moments of support, or a few moments of respite from a weary world.
Everyone has their limits, and being able to provide even a small amount of comfort or reprieve from daily stressors is something that can’t that can’t be bought or sold.
Being a homemaker is a learning process
While I am currently a full time homemaker (as well as a writer and author), becoming a homemaker was a learning process. There are a million and one cleaning lists, food preparation tutorials, and chore sheets you can find and download online to help you if you struggle with the whole concept of making or keeping home. However, learning the routines and the level of excellence that works for you or family is an individual path.
I know many women who swear by doing one load of launder per day. That is what keeps them on track. Others say that shining their sink every night before bed is what keeps them motivated. Some have weekly routines like Monday is bathroom cleaning day, Tuesday is dusting and vacuuming day, Wednesday is errands day, etc… Homemaking is not one size fits all.
Homemaking is not one size fits all
With that said, homemaking is a full-time job, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up your career. I know so many women who juggle being a wife, a mother, a homemaker and a professional. I never want to make anyone feel as if it is one or the other. You have to find the right balance for yourself.
Some women enjoy tasks like laundry, grocery shopping, and meal prep. If those tasks are the ones they enjoy and can manage while maintaining their career, then that is the right balance for them. Maybe that means they hire someone to do the cleaning twice a month.
Some women enjoy yard work and gardening. If their career has them in an office or dealing with clients and patients on a daily basis, maybe the tactile work of having their hands in dirt is where that balance lies. Growing your own herbs and veggies is very rewarding and blesses your family with nutritious food that can’t be substituted.
The point is, find the balance that works for you and then embrace every single blessed moment you are given.
