Being a Homemaker

Hello all!

Today was my first true day back as a Homemaker.

I last worked a job back in July, but even though I’ve been home since then, I’ve been continually looking for ways to make money. I tried all sorts of things through the internet as well as a few physical side hustles. None of it really worked out, and I realized that I would have to work for a long time for anything to take off. And I didn’t enjoy any of it. It was all just a way to make money.

What I really enjoy doing is running my house and being the support system for my husband to bring in funds. And I’m actually pretty good at it. I’m not that great at any one thing (like cooking :I), but I’m good at getting everything done that needs to be done. And I am convinced that my husband is able to bring in more money because I’m home making food and doing laundry. Because I’m taking care of it, my husband isn’t at work thinking about how he has to do laundry when he gets home or how he needs to get his lunch ready for the next day.

Today was a dreamy day. Last night, I had an epiphany about trying to find work and taking care of the home. I decided to finally let go of “needing” to make money myself and just run the household. This morning I got up with my son. We had breakfast and played all day, and he helped me cook and clean. I was able to take care of everyone in the house, and I GOT TO REALLY BE PRESENT WITH MY CHILD!

If you run the numbers, that alone is worth staying at home. I don’t have a degree or live in a place with many career options. If we put my son in daycare, I wouldn’t see him all day, and all of my pay would go to his care. Plus, I definitely wouldn’t get as much sleep or rest doing that since I would need to come home and still take care of the household chores. Monetarily, it doesn’t make sense. And I’ve seen single moms doing that. They may have multiple children, they may work a low-wage job, and they somehow make it work. I have no idea how. More power to parents that work and do not have a partner at home. I’m fortunate to be able to stay at home, but my husband is also fortunate to have me here to support him. I really don’t know how a lot of people/parents manage to work and come home to take care of the house.

But I truly became a homemaker again today. I did this for the first few years of my marriage, but I didn’t see that the home was where I needed to be. I did end up going out to work, and I think it did a lot of damage. I worked for less than a year, but I’ve spent nearly the same amount of time worrying about not “pulling my weight” since I don’t have a job. I didn’t recognize that I do a lot of things as a Homemaker that cannot be replaced. As a Homemaker, I’m able to cook from scratch for my family; we couldn’t buy that. I’m able to provide good childcare FOR FREE, and we couldn’t find that anywhere else. And since I’m a Homemaker, I’m at home when my husband’s at home; no juggling schedules and trying to get time off together. We only have to plan around his schedule.

I’m sure I’ll get burnt out at some point and need a vacation, but I’m really loving this right now. I took this lifestyle for granted previously, but now I’m so enjoying the peace that it’s providing.