I had a dream that you did something special to your house and you loved it now! I didn't know you weren't moving but my dream kinda did. I bet you do something fun to it this summer!I take that as an affirmation. So, I did a little research tonight. My sources are not in depth, but really, homemaking is a little subjective. But one thing can be sure: Homemakers are always in demand and the pay is zip. (Unless you count kisses and stickers and an occasional bouquet- sometimes dandelions, sometimes roses, and sometimes your own flowers from the backyard).
This is Wikipedia's list of responsibilities:
The job of a homemaker is to take care of a family and the place where the family lives. The usual things that a homemaker does are:
- Planning meals
- Buying food
- Preparing and cooking food
- Serving food
- Washing-up after meals
- Cleaning the house
- Doing seasonal cleaning like washing all the curtains
- Decorating (arranging the furniture and ornaments, and choosing the colours of things)
- Washing clothes
- Ironing clothes
- Mending clothes (and sometimes making them)
- Shopping for new clothes and other family needs
- Getting children and partners ready for school and work
- Preparing lunches
- Volunteering for school canteen and other jobs
- Bathing and dressing children
- Feeding babies
- Wiping noses and bottoms
- Playing with children
- Comforting babies, children and partners
- Doing first aid
- Caring for sick people
- Caring for pets
- Listening to people's stories of their day
- Giving good advice
- Entertaining guests
- Remembering everybody's birthday.
- Driving the kids to school, sport etc.
- Helping with homework
- Supervising music practice
- Reading storybooks
- Stopping fights
- Finding lost things
- Fixing everything that goes wrong
- Remembering everything that everyone else has forgotten
- Putting people to bed
- Kissing people goodnight
- Cleaning out the garage
Here is Proverbs 31:10-31
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
18She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
When I think of a well kept home, I think of a refuge. Safety, comfort, health, encouragement, and peace. I also think there needs to be room for personal growth and developing skills in a positive environment. There needs grace for failure and adequate resources.
Overwhelming...yep. I learn best when I teach, so I will share as I learn, not pretending that I have achieved success. I'm not sure how to measure success, and I tend to be hard on myself. If I post something about cleaning, that does not mean my house is clean. It is just something that I learned about cleaning.
I will be on the lookout for good examples and ideas. And like any good homeschool mom, I will use Laura Ingalls Wilder as a reference because currently Mrs. Wilder (Almonzo's mother) is my hero.
These are the categories I came up with:
1. Food (health, recipes, menus, utensils, kitchen)
2. Gardening
3. Money Management (budget, shopping, earning, investing, saving)
4. Clothing (purchase, make, care)
5. Teaching (pretty much anything)
6. Serving and Giving
7. Cleaning and Decorating (homemade supplies/decorations, time, assigning chores)
8. Strength and Honor (self care, spiritual strength, honorable decisions, encouragement)
9. Building up family (words, memories, husbands, children)
10. Fitness (fun activities, health)
And I'll leave you with our story of tonight's bedtime:
Brooke: Mom, I have a problem. Anna (stuffed wolf) is MISSING!
Me: She's downstairs. Remember? You were being naughty and I told you to go downstairs and instead of obeying right away, you went to get Anna and then stomped all the way downstairs.
Brooke: Yes but what you don't know is that after that I brought her back upstairs and what I was eating supper SHE WAS WITH ME!
Me: Oh. So...where did you put her after supper?
Brooke: I don't know.
Me: So do you think she ran away and is hiding from you?
(Conversation going on at the exact same time while dressing Max for bed)
Me: Max, I need to find a shirt for you.
Max: Wite dere.
Me: No. That is a pair of pants.
Max: Wite here? Dis is not pants. Dis is a shirt. (giggle)
Brooke: Mom! Don't you know that Anna is a stuffed animal. That means she cannot walk unless YOU hold her and make her do it. Just like talking. She doesn't really talk but you have to talk for her.
Me: Really? Bear talks to me.
Max: No, no, no. Dis is a hat. (puts his pants on top of his head and cracks up.)
(Enter Savannah and Summer)
Me: Girls, we have an emergency.
Girls: What?
Me: Anna is missing. We must find her immediately and I expect everyone to help.
Summer: (waves her harmonica that she found in her junk downstairs) THIS is an emergency call. (plays harmonica very badly).
(feet scamper)
Savannah: I. Have. A. Surprise. See???? (She holds up Anna)
Summer: (plays her harmonica a little better) This is a song saying that the emergency is over.
(Everyone is happy. Mama orders the brushing of teeth, tucks everyone in bed, listens to one last story, says prayers, gives medicine that she forgot to give earlier, gets a drink for someone, gives kisses. One more story. Bandages a bleeding scratch. Another kiss. Another tuck. Lights out. Silence.)
Good night.
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