Being a Homemaker, Not a Kept Woman. There is a Difference.

I love being a homemaker, and it strikes me as odd that so many people have no idea what that means.  Some believe it means I sit home and do nothing all day.  Some say they could never be just a homemaker because they'd get bored.  Others say they want to have my life but they'd 'never' put up with having to cook and clean without their husband splitting it 50/50.  Wait, what?

It has come to my attention that women these days don't actually know what a homemaker is, or they don't know what it takes to be a homemaker. 

First off being a homemaker is a JOB.  It could, and should, be a job you love, but like with any job it won't always have perfectly happy days. 

Sure I have days when I just don't want to do anything, but I get up and shower and do it anyway. The same way my husband doesn't want to leave on Sunday or get up some mornings out on the road, but he does it anyway because it's his job. That's how he supports our family.  The way I support our family is keeping it running as smoothly as possible by running errands, paying bills etc ...   

Women often ask me how I can stay home every day and not get bored.  Well that's simple.  I have plenty to do. Not only for myself but for my husband and family.  Some days I may spend hours on the phone with my hubs, who happens to be a truck driver.  He may need me to look up an address or he may just feel the need to vent or talk about anything and everything.  It could be random calls throughout the day or it could be one long call.  He wears a headset, so he's completely hands free!  So am I, as a matter of fact.  I have the same headset he does and it works amazingly well for when I want to keep doing things while being on the phone with someone.    You can see the headsets we use here {affiliate link}  They come in so handy and the best part is they're noise cancelling, so I can be running the vacuum or just bout anything and it doesn't interfere with my call. 

Other days I may be working on a quilt, cleaning, organizing, tending my flowers, working on my herb garden, watching the grands, visiting with my adult children or my parents. 
Don't get me wrong, I spend many hours alone most days, which is fine and not that uncommon.  I don't get lonely because I like my own company, well I have our mini Dachshund, Turbo, (I'll introduce him in another post) here to keep me company, when he's awake, but my human company would be when someone calls or texts or if I look at social media.  I have thoughts on social media which I will be sharing soon also.        
I have the option to go and do whatever I may want every day, but I enjoy my home.  I enjoy the time I have tending to my own.  I enjoy my own thoughts and time to just be.  I think we all need more time alone with our own thoughts, talking to God.    

My husband supports our household, which I am very thankful for. I know some women have husbands who expect or demand that their wife work outside of the home, but sometimes that's because the wife doesn't really want to be a homemaker.  She wants to be a kept woman.  

The two are not synonymous.  

They are in no way the same.  A kept woman does what she wants and expects the man to pay for anything and everything without giving any thought to what it may cost.  A kept woman can still be a wife, but she is not a homemaker.   A homemaker is a partner to her husband. She knows where the money comes from and is careful in how she spends it, she doesn't just have her hand out without working for it.  

Being a homemaker is WORK. 

You cannot claim to be a homemaker and not expect to do things that your husband needs, like make him a doctors appointment or make him a glass of tea. 

So many people act like it's treating a woman like a servant if a man asks her to get him a drink.  

Seriously? 

Is it treating a man like a servant (or just a paycheck) when you expect him to go to work even if he's tired or sick?  

There's two ways to look at both situations.  

No, I do not think it's going to kill a man to walk into the kitchen and get himself a glass of tea or make a snack.  But I also don't think it's going to kill a homemaker to do her job. 

Homemaking takes skill, often it's a learned skill because everyone's homes and budgets are different.  

If you want to stay home and be a homemaker then you have to realize that your job is to take care of your home, children (when and if you have them) and your husband.  Remember he's the one busting his butt every day to make the money that supports your household.  

And don't think I'm saying husbands shouldn't help with children. They absolutely should help and be part of their children's lives.  But if you don't have kids at home you can't expect your husband to help around the house like a dad would, because excuse me, but what did you do that he didn't all day while at work if you don't have kiddo's underfoot? 

It all comes down to respect and appreciation.  Two things that couples need to go overboard on, in my opinion.   Yes sometimes it just needs to be understood, but sometimes you need to voice it or show it.  

Well I need to run to the post office and ship a cute bear rug I made my cousin for her new baby boy who will be arriving in a few weeks. <3    I'll post a picture once she receives it. 

I would love to hear from you in the comments below!