“Home is woman’s world, as well as her empire”

I recently read an article on Victorian housekeeping. A Victorian housewife had to wake up before sunrise and worked until night cooking and cleaning. She had to light the fire in the morning before cooking breakfast. Monday was laundry day, Tuesday was ironing day, Wednesday and Saturday were baking days, Thursday and Friday were general housekeeping days. One of those days also doubled as a market day. These chores were all done without the technology we have today. Many women had servants to help them complete the chores, especially the laundry, ironing and the dishes.

Instead of servants, we have technology. We have the washing machine, clothes that do not need ironing, and dishwashers. We no longer need to bake from scratch though many families prefer home made bread from time to time. Laundry is still a huge task, though no longer back breaking. We simply have more clothes today than the average Victorian. Our days are filled with errands for we no longer have delivery men to deliver milk to our doors. We still have to live frugally. We also have to educate our children in order for them to succeed in the modern world.The labor of a modern housewife may not be as physically demanding as our ancestors, but it is still difficult and never ending. The stress put on a modern day housewife is different from her ancestors. We do not enjoy the respect as the Victorian or even 1950s housewife had. It is shocking to the world that we choose not to have careers and make our home and family our career. It is more of a challenge to organize social parties or teas for most women in the neighborhood are working. Being a housewife today can be more lonely than it was for my grandmothers who regularly volunteered in the community with other housewives or joined bridge clubs. A housewife today has to be aggressive in order to find another housewife hidden in her community. Most housewives in America today gather at churches or at playgroups.

The homemaking part of being a housewife is pushed to the side as the feminist movement has made being proud to do housework an embarrassing topic of conversation. In response to the feminist movement, many women instead focus on their duties of childcare and call themselves “stay-at-home moms” rather than housewife or homemaker.

I prefer the term homemaker because in encompasses a larger group. Not only stay-at-home moms, but empty nesters and even women who have to work in special circumstances. I call theses women homemakers because they are still putting family first. In their case putting family first requires them to work. They still prefer to be at home, and as soon as they are able, choose to be a full time homemaker.

Proud homemakers reject feminist critique. They do not see themselves as oppressed but rather blessed to be doing their role. Homemakers exist all over the world and rule over the domestic sphere. That does not mean that the life of a homemaker is always easy, but what role in society is?? A proud housewife is not all about cooking and cleaning, but because she is not working on a career is able to educate herself at home. A homemaker should be proud about what she does and not forced into it.

My grandmother and mother are both lifetime homemakers. Neither of them even went to college. Yet I am able to have the most interesting conversations with them. Between the cooking, cleaning, and sewing they find time to read and volunteer. My mother has volunteered at a genealogical library for years. They will also do research on issues and subjects that interest them. Because they continue to better themselves, they pass on their learnings to their children. I learned British history from my mother for example. She also taught me how to read and how to love reading. No professional caregiver could replace the education given to me from by my mother.

I am proud of the legacy of homemakers that has passed from generation to generation. Some had to work because they lived during the depression, but still did all of the cooking and cleaning without electricity or running water. Others had servants to do the difficult work, but spent their extra time doing volunteer work for their community and organizing socials and parties for churches and social clubs. All are loved and respected by me.

I had the opportunity to live with housewives in other nations. The Japanese and Korean housewife is still honored to this day. Uzbek housewives that I know refuse to use modern day appliances. WE can learn from each other. Unfortunately, the international housewives think American women are feminist and aren’t even able to wash dishes or cook. Many international men think American women are only good for pleasure. I hope I can help break that stereotype.

The homemaker is still needed in modern day society and is still an honored role. The feminists were wrong. Homemakers are not desperate and can be happy. I know that I am a happy homemaker!!