The term homemaking is a bit ambiguous. What is a homemaker anyway?
In my ever-present quest to become a better homemaker, I have attempted to answer the question, What is homemaking and what does homemaking encompass? This at first glance seems quite straightforward. I have to tell you that when I googled “homemaker” I was treated to an 8-page definition, my, oh my! That made me a bit nervous as I have been a homemaker for 26 years and compared to the definition of a “homemaker” I am not measuring up.
How about you? Do you ever struggle with your role as a homemaker?
Check out some of the definitions I found for Homemaking…
Homemaking is a mainly American term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping, or household management. It is the act of overseeing the organizational, day-to-day operations of a house or estate, and the managing of other domestic concerns. -Wikipedia
HOMEMAKER: one who manages a household especially as a wife and mother – Webster
Homemaker
noun
1. a person who manages the household of his or her own family, especially as a principal occupation.
2. a person employed to manage a household and do household chores for others, as for the sick or elderly.
We get a glimpse of the importance of homemaking from C. S. Lewis.
“The homemaker has the ultimate career.
All other careers exist for one purpose only –
and that is to support the ultimate career. ”
– C. S. Lewis
I personally like all the definitions for homemaking. I like the C. S. Lewis quote the best. Why? Well, the definitions are filled with facts but Lewis’s quote is filled with possibilities! He casts the vision for homemaking. Homemaking is not just a job…it is a high calling! The moment we add God into the homemaking equation it transforms something mundane into something so beautiful and filled with possibilities it makes you smile!
Even though homemaking is a high calling I still struggle with the rudiments of homemaking. Quite honestly even as a 26-year homemaking veteran I still can lose the vision and find I can easily get off track. When that happens I find it pays to go back to the basics.
What is a Homemaker?
Housekeeping
Cooking and Menu Planning
Laundry
Lawn and Garden Maintenance
Home Organization
De-Cluttering
Budgeting
Scheduling
Household Production
and for some…
Marriage
Parenting
That list makes me tired just looking at it. It takes a lot of time and energy to run a household effectively. The task of homemaker becomes even more difficult when you were never taught the skills needed to manage a household. This problem is facing most women today…we find ourselves in the important role of a homemaker but haven’t got a clue where to start. It is a good thing most people love to learn new things! Homemaking gives every woman the opportunity to be a lifelong learner. I am still learning and expanding the vision of homemaking even though I have been in this position a good long time.
Here are some wonderful resources to inspire and encourage you in your task as a homemaker…
Blogs
Books
Little House Living: The Make-Your-Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, and Self-Sufficient Life
Home Economics: Vintage Advice and Practical Science for the 21st-Century Household
The Christian Homemaker’s Handbook
Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook: The Essential Guide to Caring for Everything in Your Home
The Life Giving Home Creating A Place of Belonging And Becoming
I leave you with these encouraging quotes…
“It is true that all men are created in the image of God, but Christians are supposed to be conscious of that fact, and being conscious of it should recognize the importance of living artistically, aesthetically, and creatively, as creative creatures of the Creator. If we have been created in the image of an Artist, then we should look for expressions of artistry, and be sensitive to beauty, responsive to what has been created for us” (p. 32).”
― Edith Schaeffer, The Hidden Art of Homemaking
“Together my wife and I are building the kingdom of God, exercising dominion, beating back the weeds of stinky diapers, tending the garden God has put us in. This is why my dear wife vacuums the floor, for it is part of the garden she has been called to dress and to keep. But she is doing this not as raw duty, but because she understands that she is exercising dominion over the dust, for the glory of Christ.”
― R.C. Sproul Jr., Bound for Glory: God’s Promise for Your Family
YOUR TURN…
What is the hardest area of homemaking for you?
Blessings,
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This is awesome!
I am so thankful you liked the post!
You have a great blog site here!
Thank you so much, Clarine!