No matter what anyone tells you, being a homemaker is the most noble profession you can choose. It becomes your life – your identity and is all-consuming as you craft a home and love and care for your family. But in case you haven’t figured it out yet, homemaking is not a job.
Let me explain.
Why Homemaking is Not a Job
A job is something you show up for at eight or nine in the morning and leave at five. A job is you working for other people you might not love or even like. Your job ultimately has one objective in mind: the bottom line.
Financially, your place of employment has to make all of their decisions based on earning more money and keeping the doors open.
A job has an end goal in mind of getting people out of there: finishing a project, clocking out, discharging a patient.
Usually, employees or business owners are eager to end work for their job so they can go live their real life; whether that’s the weekend or retirement.
If you aren’t happy with the pay, you find a new job.
If you can’t stand your boss, you find a new job.
If you’re co-workers are rotten, you find a new job.
If you don’t show up, you get fired.
Homemaking is Not a Job – It’s a Lifestyle. A Ministry.
Homemaking is not a job because you don’t have any of those above listed options. In fact, getting fired from homemaking might be downright impossible.
In the end, homemaking is a way of life. You never clock out to go live your real life. You ARE living your real life. So make the best of it! Just listening to my Grandmother’s stories and wisdom, I’m sure she made the best of her homemaker life.
You don’t work for money, but for love. And even if no one is loving towards you in the moment, you have to continue homemaking on the fuel of love from yesterday or the love that will flow again soon.
Essentially, being a homemaker is a ministry. One you get to be in for the long haul with the people you love most.
Now I’m not saying that homemaking is a bed of roses all the time. Let’s look at a few of the cons before digging into the pros of being a homemaker. And if you’re questioning the relevancy of homemaking, read more about why homemaking is important here.
Cons of Being a Homemaker
1. No Money In It
If your life dream is making money and climbing to the top of the professional world, then homemaking is not the job you should pursue.
Unless you have a super sweet and rich husband who can pay you the salaries of a:
~Cook
~Launderer
~Cleaning Lady
~Nanny
~Accountant
~Mental Health Counselor
~Teacher
~Chauffer
Your kids aren’t going to come home after they’ve landed their first real job and throw wads of cash at you in appreciation for your sacrifice to raise them.
2. Little Appreciation
Your husband has a long, stressful day at work so he may not notice or thank you for his favorite meal you prepared.
Children are 100% dependent on you with no giving back for their first year or so of life. Special needs children may not ever be able to give back.
No one will notice you dusted the floor boards.
If you struggle with not being appreciated, read about the one thing that will make you the best homemaker.
3. Never-Ending
Homemaking is not a job because you never get to retire from it. As long as you are able to live on your own, there will be household duties. You will have to eat and manage finances and do laundry.
And then if you have grandkids, you’ll want to be ready to invite them into your home.
4. No Sick Days
Even if you’re puking your guts out, baby’s diaper still needs changing. And your migraine will have to wait til 12:30 for nap time. And the kitchen counters will be your crutches as you hobble around on a sprained ankle fixing lunch.
Unless you have flexible family nearby, it’s difficult to get someone to cover your shift. And certainly no one is going to pay you for being sick.
Read More: How to Keep Your Laundry from Smelling Like Vomit
5. No Vacation Days
At least vacation days are better than sick days. But still no true vacation. And no pay for being gone.
Even when you are on vacation, there is still laundry to manage, fights to break up, booboos that need fixing and snuggles to give. Homemaking is not a job because you don’t leave it behind on vacation.
Unpacking when you get home from vacation is certainly no vacation, either!
6. It Is Your Life
Homemaking is not a job because it is a lifestyle. Day in and day out, 24 hours a day you are a homemaker. It is your full-time profession. Your full-time ministry.
7. EVERYTHING is in Your Job Description
Somebody jammed your hair brush down the toilet? You become a plumber. The neighbor has to leave town for a family emergency? You become a dog sitter. Someone threw up in the van on the way home from school? You become an auto detailer.
Pros of Being a Homemaker
1. No Boss
With no boss to please and quotas to meet, you get to set your own schedule and be your own boss! Yes, there are still deadlines and restraints for you but you get to manage them.
Yes, you may have kids telling you what to do all day, but you are the boss so you choose what you say yes to. Usually, kids are much easier to please and keep happy than a boss.
2. No Set Hours
Short of babies screaming in the middle of the night, you can set your own work hours. You get to sleep when the kids sleep or have quiet time. You chose when you go to town or when you have dentist appointments. Play dates can be as often or few as you like.
Sunny today? Go swimming! Raining tomorrow? Baking day.
3. Heart Based Decisions
Rather than running a household based on the bottom line and profits, you get to run your house on love.
Yes, I know you have to keep budgets and finances in mind. But most homemaking duties cost nothing or very little. Love, stories, laughter, popcorn and games (and laundry) are super simple, cost-effective activities that make your house a home.
4. It Is Your Life
You don’t have to try and be someone you’re not. When homemaking is not a job but your life, you don’t have to perform for anyone.
You just be you. And chose how you keep your home and train your children.
5. Never Unemployed
When my Grandpa was alive he would always tell me, “The good thing about being a farmer is you’ll never be unemployed. You may not get paid! But you’ll never be unemployed.”
I think my Grandpa’s saying applies to being a homemaker as well. Homemaking is not a job because you can’t ever “quit” or be unemployed.
The pay is low, but the work so satisfying.
6. Your Work is for Loved Ones
Whether it’s scrubbing toilets, baking cookies or giving hugs, your work is always for those you love. Yes, even if you have a bad attitude about it. Even if your teen had five rowdy friends over. Even if you don’t feel like you love them at the moment. You do. And that’s what keeps you going.
Read More: Honoring Your Husband with Your Homemaking
7. EVERYTHING is in Your Job Description
Your daughter wants to learn to crochet? You become a craft teacher! The boys are playing pirates? You become the princess to be rescued! A school field trip? You get to be a chaperone! Your kids want to play outside all day? You get to play outside all day! Someone wants to bake cookies? You get to eat cookies!
You get to choose what you fill your days with and make your own job description!
A great homemaking resource I love is Stacy from Humorous Homemaking.
Almost six years into being a homemaker I still have rough days. I struggle to get out of bed when my son cries. The dishes pile on the counter for days. Motivation evades me and I just sit on the couch and read. Supper is frozen pizza. And grocery shopping happens online.
But that’s okay. In this life-long career I’ll have many more struggles and setbacks.
Getting to be a full-time homemaker is my dream career. No matter how hard some days are, I push on. As long as I keep my attitude in check and my perspective pure, I don’t care that homemaking is not a job I can give my two week’s notice on. It’s lifelong ministry. And I love it.
