Homemakers have a career that is oftentimes looked down upon. And most people don’t even consider it a real career or at least one that is worthwhile. I am here to say that is is a wonderful career and lifestyle.
I don’t want to bring politics into this, because that always makes things ugly. But radical feminism has been raging for the last few decades and has done a number on women.
We are told we have choices and can choose to be homemakers, but no one really wants us to be at home with our families and kids.
The Choice of Homemaking
Starting at a young age, home, school, and society has pelted it in my head that my worth comes from working outside of the home. That my career is only valid if I’m out in the world making a check so I can buy things and pay taxes.
I believed it for so long, and it hurt me and stunted my growth as a woman and as a Christian.
Now, I don’t think every single woman should be a homemaker as God has a plan for everyone. However, I think more of us should be home, at least for a while.
Which may seem hard, because every family can’t survive on a single family income. But there are so many things we can do to help bring extra money into the home.
I’m not talking about pyramid schemes or anything like that, but rather the Proverbs 31 woman comes to mind, but we’ll talk about that more in a bit.
What Is A Homemaker?
When you think of a homemaker you probably imagine a lazy woman, with a messy house, wild kids, frumpy, or perhaps you think of the trophy wife who does nothing but spend money.
Unfortunately stereotypes do have some truth to them. There are some women like this, BUT real, intentional, Biblical homemakers are often overlooked, because the society would rather run with the narrative that homemakers are worthless so we get out of the house.
And don’t get me wrong, not 1 homemaker is perfect. We can’t be because we can’t even be perfect human beings, so we all at times have been on the hot mess express.
Merriam Webster defines a homemaker as:
“One who manages a household especially as a spouse and parent.”
Okay, well, they’re not wrong, but it is so much more.
Homemakers, who may or may not have kids, turn a house into a home. It isn’t just cooking and cleaning, but turning a home into a safe haven for their families, friends, and strangers.
It is using old fashioned and forgotten skills to:
- Create
- Budget
- Save money
- Repair
- Survive
It’s not only taking care of the home, but the family. We take care of our children and our husbands to ensure their health and happiness.
Why Is Homemaking Important?
You may be wondering why homemaking is important, you could just hire someone to cook and clean, right? That’s what daycare and schools are for, right?
No, to joyfully take pride in your home and your family is important. Not just for the immediate purposes, but also for your community and society.
Generally families with a wife and mother who is at home are happier. The family is nurtured and has more support. Homemakers are happier, less stressed, and have more to give.
I’m not saying that women who work outside of their home can’t nurture and support their loved ones. But studies show they are less happy and more stressed.
Less happy, more stressed, working all day, coming home and working, it gives you very little to give.
I can vouch for this, because when I was working very long hour I would come home and cook, clean, take care of everyone and I was cranky and exhausted.
I couldn’t give my best, because I no longer was at my best…the world got everything I had to give.
Kids At Home Vs Kids At Daycare
But why is it that important? As long as a mom and dad are there it shouldn’t matter right?
Well it does, studies show that kids in daycare hurt the child parent relationship and can teach them bad behaviors and instill other behaviors like not being able to cope as well, tantrums, neediness, because they are not able to get the attention they need without these types of behaviors.
There are only a couple teachers trying to give a lot of kids the attention they need. We all can agree that young kids need a lot of attention and daycare unfortunately cannot provide it as well as a mother can.
I know there are studies refuting this, but look at who are doing the studies. How they word things and do some digging at information they omitted and why. You’ll be surprised. I was.
Anyway, these behaviors can stick throughout life causing what we see today. A lot of adults who can’t handle adult life because they had very little guidance from mom and dad who didn’t teach them how to be good and righteous men and women.
Or really how to adult and many times their parents struggled because they were not taught any of this.
What About Husbands?
Husbands also benefit from wives being at home and being intentional homemakers. We never think of the stress men are under. For some reason we as a society have minimized men’s emotions and stresses and have demonized men and all they are.
Not to mention, men oftentimes come home to help in the home when both spouses are working, or are berated and nagged at until they do, and still have things demanded of them whether by work or by us.
We like to talk about women never having a break, but most men don’t either and it comes from all sides.
Having a happy wife to come home to, happy children, a warm and cozy home, relieves stress, makes them want to do better and to do more, and makes them happier. If you’re lighting up for them and they will light up for you.
And we know from studies done….happier people are more successful.
That’s the beauty of homemaking. We aren’t just cooking, cleaning, or whatever other skills we as homemakers possess, rather, we are creating better people who are more successful in life.
Homemaking In Society
So homemaking is something that generally is done at home, but as I said it spills out into society. Because homemakers don’t have to work out in the public sector, they have time to volunteer in their community.
We can help at the school, church, the soup kitchen, we can help put together food drives. We can help put together fundraisers for someone or for good causes. We can help take care of the lonely, the elderly, the sick, the hurt, because we have time.
It used to be the homemakers who helped build close-knit communities.
Now, most of us don’t even know our neighbors and try our hardest to avoid them at all costs. And I am also guilty of this and have been trying harder to make differences where I can.
In short, making a happy family and putting time into them builds strong families, and strong families build a strong and happier community and strong, happy, healthy communities creates a strong society.
The attack on women being “just a wife, just a mom, just a homemaker” and the attack on the nuclear family as a whole has created weak families, communities, and society.
And no matter how many laws you put into place, or how much money you throw into social programs, it can’t fix it in the long run, it’s a band aid to a much deeper problem.
Biblical Homemaking: A Noble Career
It’s time to talk to girls and women about homemaking and how important it actually is and the joy and satisfaction we get from it. This is what we were built for, not the only thing, but a big part of our biology.
Biblical homemaking, a home where Christ is first, then our husbands and ourselves, then our children is an amazing career that has been disappearing for decades. But recently, people have gotten a taste of it since they were forced to be at home, and so many people are having their minds blown at how much happier their families are.
Not all, I understand.
Being a homemaker also doesn’t just mean you have to stay home. You can still work..outside the home or at home, as long as your focus is the home first only after God.
The Proverbs 31 Woman
Look at the Proverbs 31 woman!
Everything she does, she does for her family and home. She sews, she sells, she buys, she works hard at making money for her family, but her focus is her family and ensuring they have all they need.
A big argument is that the Proverb 31 woman is too busy and isn’t a good example, but I think it is a great example.
She works hard enough to provide and her focus is her home. She works from the time she wakes up until she goes to bed which is what we should be doing .
You know what I have found when we are lazier during the day? I find we don’t feel as well, we are more likely to sin, we get behind on things, and our mental health seems to fluctuate.
It Is Noble to Love and Care
I’m not saying don’t take a break. Take some time for you and resting on the Sabbath is a must, but work for God. Work for your family, work for your community and share your wonderful skills, your love and nurturing ways, and you will see a difference in people’s lives and yours, I promise you.
It is a noble purpose to love your home and family and to take care of them. It is noble to be a wife and mother.
These are things to take pride in and the fact you are living a traditional lifestyle that creates beauty and strong people and families is a joy and amazing. It is indeed a worthy cause, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
The voice of the enemy likes to make us feel like we aren’t enough, steal our joy, destroy our families, but you are a daughter of the one True Living God, and this is your battle for your God, your family, yourself, and those around you.
