Isn’t Taking Care of Your Home a Career?

I grew up as the youngest of four girls in a home that had both a mom and a dad. Mom didn’t work until I was in eighth grade. Before she entered into the workforce, everyday she did the ‘June Cleaver’ type of chores. She would keep the house in order, run errands, cook dinner each night, and somehow stay relatively calm with four kids.

Even after she began working, these types of obligations never were put on the back burner. We were far from the ‘perfect’ family, but looking back, we did alright. My parents have always had a certain respect towards one another. I don’t remember them ever calling eachother names or one demanding anything from the other. It was a partnership.

I went to college because that’s what girls of my generation were expected to do. I taught middle school for six years and really didn’t enjoy it. I have always had a longing to be a ‘housewife’. Somehow, my generation has been taught that to stay home and take care of the house,husband, or kids is a bad thing. Am I a bad person because I enjoy those things?

I am almost embarrassed to tell my friends that I want to be a housewife. I truly enjoy keeping the house clean,running errands, and cooking dinner each night. If my man needs something when he gets home, I get it. He doesn’t ask, I just do. It never fails that I get a ‘Thank you’ or a kiss on the cheek for my efforts. Mutual respect, partnership. I feel that now that I am not out in the working world, taking care of him and our home is my job and I love it.

I have found that since I have been home everyday and able to keep our homelife running smoothly, our relationship has flourished. I am no longer stressed about work issues or too tired to do the dishes. I now can listen to the troubles of his day instead of immediately spouting off about mine.

There are many women out there who say that they can be a good wife, good mother, and a good career oriented individual. That’s great for them if that is true. I am just not cut out for the stress levels of all of those roles. It’s not for me.

As an educator, I was instructed to ‘adjust to all types of individuals’. I was to take one concept and redesign it for each indvidual’s comfort level. Well, what about all of the different types of women out there today? Surely I am not the only June Cleaver ‘wanna be’ out there. What about our comfort levels?

Some people may say that catering to your husband is ‘submission’. I whole heartedly disagree. I am not standing there with a plate of food when he walks in the door or jumping at his every need. I am simply aware of what needs done. Making someone that I love happy is a fulltime job. I am happy in return because of his appreciation. Mutual respect, partnership.

I am going to continue my efforts to start a career from home as I continue to care for my homelife on a daily basis, eventhough this may make some of my generation shudder at the thought. I am taking a big risk by laying down my viewpoints here for the world to see. Yes world, I am educated and I want to stay home! OK ladies who’s with me? All of you closet housewives can come out now and join me.