Homemaking is often confused with just cleaning and it’s so much more than that. So what is homemaking? It’s everything that goes into making a house a home.
When I used to play house as a little girl I didn’t just play that I was cleaning all day. I was a rather messy kid so that would not have been high on my list. In my mind being a homemaker was more about making the house look pretty, having people over, and making yummy food.
I think this is likely true for a lot of people but somewhere along the way, we seem to start associating homemaking with cleaning. Sure that is a big part of it but if that’s all we focus on it will be easy to be burned out and resentful of homemaking.
No matter if you work away from home full time, part time, work from home or are a full-time homemaker, what you are doing matters. And it’s so much more than just cleaning. Depending on your situation you may do all of these things or share responsibility with others in your family. This is just a reminder that homemaking can be vastly more than just cleaning.
What is Homemaking?
Creating a welcoming and happy space.
Part of homemaking is making your house a home. This is one of my favorite parts of homemaking. Finding things to add to my home to make it more welcoming and a happier place for my family is something I really enjoy. During the spring I love picking fresh flowers from the yard to put in vases around the house, it’s a small touch but I find it really helps make your home welcoming. I also like to decorate my home with things that bring happiness to my family. Sometimes the small touches can make a big impact.
Providing your family with food.
A lot goes into feeding a family; meal planning, shopping, and preparing the food. While some days are likely more simple than others you are still helping your family by making sure they have food.
Keeping an organized home.
Organizing your home is also important. This is not a skill that comes naturally to me but is one I’m working on. Having our house organized makes cleaning easier and also makes it easier for others in the home to help. If you are the only one that knows where the cleaning supplies are or where things go no one can help out. However, if your home is organized and everyone knows where things are they can help.
Being a hospitable host.
Hospitality is another part of homemaking. It’s nice to have a home that is welcoming to guests and being a good host also makes people feel welcomed. I’ve talked before about ways to be hospitable and sure having a neat house is nice but that’s not the biggest thing people care about when they visit your home. Making people feel welcomed and at home in your home is what’s important.
Helping your family save money.
We may not get paid for homemaking but we can use homemaking to save money. It will depend on your situation what frugal things you do but we can all do something to help. It may be saving money on groceries by using coupons or meal planning. Maybe it’s by making sure you aren’t wasting electricity, or by line drying your clothes. There are so many ways we can live more frugally through homemaking.
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- Meal Planning That Saves You Time and Money
- 11 Ways to Lower Your Energy Bill
- Apps That Help You Save Money on Groceries
- 10 Benefits of Line Drying
Helping the environment.
On the same note as frugal living, homemaking can also help us be greener. Making our own natural laundry detergent, having a garden, recycling, ditching a lot of disposable products, the ways we can use homemaking to be green are basically endless.
Homemaking may not be something we place a lot of value on these days but it’s still important. Homemaking can also be done by anyone. It doesn’t matter if you are married or single, male or female, a housewife or working full time, have children or not, anyone can use homemaking skills. And those skills matter and help a house become a home.
What a great reminder of the hard and important work we do to make a home. I always think of it as nest making, but people don’t know what I’m talking about when I say that! It’s so much more than cleaning. Some days I feel like it’s all I do, but then I remind myself why I clean… its to create that happy environment for my family.
Yes! It’s so easy to get caught up in the cleaning and not thing beyond that! What a great reminder! <3
I LOVE your outlook! I constantly fantasize I’m in the 50s. This, to me, was a time women were expected to make a house a home. Men were expected to financially support the family. It’s all backwards now. Seems women are expected to work a 40+ hour week and also be the homemaker. All the while the husband may work a 40 hour week but nothing more is expected.
I love this! I could have written it myself haha! I always feel successful as a homemaker when we have guests who come over and can really enjoy themselves and can relax…and that means sooo much more than just keeping things clean. It’s about the whole environment we set up for our families and friends. It’s a big job and deserves a lot of respect!
Lovely post. What a great reminder of the WHY!
So glad you enjoyed it!