Growing up in a time in which women working outside the home was the norm, “homemaking” was not a term that I often heard. In fact, it seemed almost archaic to me. It carried the connotation of 50’s housewives who wore pearls while they vacuumed.
Women have fought so hard to be seen as a valuable asset in the workforce that now I feel as though responsibilities at home – those not accompanied by paychecks or prestige- are seen as trifling. While my own mother was an excellent homemaker (while also juggling a career, I might add!), in general, society taught me that being a homemaker was not a noble aspiration.
It became a role that I, at best, regarded too lightly, and, more truthfully, scorned. It conjured up images of Cinderella, on her hands and knees scrubbing the floors while the rest of her family carried on jolly and carefree. I considered it menial and laborious. (And let’s be honest, at times it can be!)
If you find housework to be terribly monotonous, read my post about How to Survive the Monotony.
The biggest problem, though, was that I simply failed to recognize the significance of the role. To me, homemaking simply equaled cleaning, and lots of it.
But I’m learning that there is a lot more to homemaking than cleaning. Homemaking is just that – making a home.
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But what does that mean?
Other words for “making” include:
- forming
- preparing
- producing
- constructing
- framing
- molding
- securing
- dreaming up
- bringing about
- putting together
From these other words, we get a clearer picture of the personal responsibility, the direct cause and effect, and the productivity of “making.” What we are creating is a direct result of our own hands – we are producing something where there was nothing, and we are directly responsible for the resulting product.
And what is the final product? A home – the place our family regroups at day’s end. Our gathering place, our home base, our hub. A shelter from the outside world. It is the source of the largest influence on our children’s success, and the place that will either refuel or drain our families’ strength to face life.
What kind of home do you want? What visions do you have for your home? Do you want it to be a place of tension, strife, and chaos, or do you want it to be a place of refuge, peace, love, and comfort? What I’m learning about homemaking is that the choice is mine. As the maker of the home, I am the visionary for the home, the framer of its construction, the preparer of its atmosphere, and the securer of its character.
I am the one who sets the tone for the home, the one who molds its values, and the one who puts together the pieces that result in the quality my family desires. My hands, my words, and my actions build the home – whether that is a place of solace, comfort, and strength or one of discord, disorder, and disaster.
When I start appreciating all it entails, suddenly “homemaker” doesn’t sound like a trifling job at all, but one that is vital to the success and development of my family.
If this was an encouragement to you as you settle into your role as “homemaker,” please consider sharing with others!
Recommended Reading:
- Why I Love Menu Planning, and Why You Should, Too!
- How to Survive the Monotony
- How to Clean Your Microwave Like Magic
- 12 Unique Ways to Enjoy Housework (Even When You Hate It!)
- My Vision for Motherhood
This rang so true with me. As a mama to two little’s, I really pride myself on making our home a place they will have strong, happy memories, and I hope they always feel most “like themselves” here.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Good for you, Meredith! We can encourage each other as we build our homes! 🙂
I agree with you in that we as the mother and wife do set the tone for the home. And the more organized and cleaned up it is, the more peaceful the home feels. Thanks for the words and encouragement, Lisa!
Yes, I definitely feel more peaceful when my home is picked up and organized. It might not always be spic & span, but I at least try to keep it tidy. Sometimes that’s enough of a challenge! 🙂
I agree completely. A well cared for house makes for a well cared for family. It also helps everyone stay calm. A messy house agitates everyone whether they realize it or not.
So true! It took me awhile to recognize that and develop the necessary discipline, but I’m so glad I did!
This is so true! I fully believe that being a mother/wife is a full time calling, noble and God-chosen.
That it is!
As a single young woman seeking hard after God, this resonates so deeply with me. It is such an encouragement, thank you for posting!
Thank you! I love that you have a heart that seeks the Lord!
A great reminder of what a wonderful gift we can give our family by being a homemaker! It’s sad that this term can bring up so many negative connotations but glad you helped explain it’s importance!
It is a wonderful gift! That helps me so much to think of it that way. Thank you for reading!
Thanks – I needed the reminder 🙂
You’re welcome, Andi!
So true. I am a stay at home mom that does everything in the house (except mow the law). People say oh you’re just a stay at home mom. No, I’m not just a stay at home mom. I keep my house and home going everyday without time off.
Dicia – itsmymommylifenow.com
I definitely have a new appreciation for SAHMs that I never had before! It’s like being a manager of a small company, and like you said, it’s a 24/7 job with no time off!
Yes yes yes!!!! So agree!!
I love this!! I have always felt this way. I went to college, got a degree, but my real desire was to be a homemaker. Not just a stay at home mom, but a homemaker. Someone who cares for her home and her family. To me it was more than just cleaning and cooking. It was building, tending and cultivating. Sometime it can be difficult because we think or feel insufficient in our roles as home. But we play such a pivotal role in the lives of our children and husbands. Once we come to this realization, and understand that God made us perfectly for this role we tend to appreciate and whole heartedly take on our commitment as “homemaker.”
It took me awhile to grasp the importance of being a homemaker. I’m so glad you had the wisdom to recognize it so early!
Thank you for this post! It’s so easy to get drawn into the “what’s the point?” mindset when trying to keep a house clean with a messy toddler, but this put it back into perspective for me.
Oh yes, I have definitely thought, “What’s the point,” more than a few times! I have to readjust my thinking on a regular basis.
I love the other words associating with “making”; I had not thought of many of those before. I especially like thinking about homemaking in terms of “dreaming up”; as if to cast a vision, and teach our children how to dream. Thanks for this post!
You’re welcome! Yes, thinking about the “making” aspect put things in a whole new perspective for me.
You are so right. Homemaking involves so much more that most realize. Thanks for sharing this insight.
You’re welcome! It was something I really had to learn for myself.
Great read! It’s a tough job, and one that goes unrecognized too often, by myself included. I needed that reminder 🙂
Oh yes, I have to remind myself on a regular basis!
I never really thought about it that way. Thank you for the enlightenment. It’s nice to know your importance to your own family 🙂
Yes! It’s so easy to overlook our importance, especially when we don’t bring home a very large paycheck or any paycheck at all. But our contributions are just as valuable!!
What I love the most about this is your focus on creation. Homemaking as a positive intentional action, as opposed to what we normally settle into, which is a negative reaction. And it is doubly hard to do when you are overwhelmed…
Thinking about it in terms of creating an ideal environment helped me tremendously in my attitude towards homemaking.
I love this! Most women do not realize the power that comes with homemaking. They have the ability to provide peace and security for their family by controlling what goes on inside the home. Yes, at times, it is mundane. But there is beauty in the mundane if we know where to look.
Yes to everything you said! There is a lot of power in it, you’re right!
This paragraph alone, bravo! It’s so true.
“I am the one who sets the tone for the home, the one who molds its values, and the one who puts together the pieces that result in the quality my family desires. My hands, my words, and my actions build the home – whether that is a place of solace, comfort, and strength or one of discord, disorder, and disaster.”
Thank you Anne!
This post came up in my pinterest feed and I am so glad that it did. It was timely and encouraging to me. Thank you so much for writing it!
I’m so glad it encouraged you! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
I love this post! I especially love that it isn’t just the typical list of all of the many, many responsibilities of a home-maker. Rather, it is a more positive and encouraging perspective on the value of homemaking. Thank you so much for this! I needed this shift in perspective!
Aw, thank you Krysta. I’m so glad it encouraged you!