Saturday, February 12, 2011

Homemaking is Hard Work

Where did we get the idea that homemaking is easy?  Or a boring job?  Homemaking is hard work!  I think the idea came from the modern thought that a woman really isn't "working" if she's not being paid.  Do you ever feel like you're not really "doing" anything because you're not being paid?  I know I have had this thought before.  I don't think it helps that in the past I have had several paying jobs outside of the home.  That weasels its way into our minds and changes our thoughts about homemaking.

"It's not really work...I don't have a paycheck to show for it."

Here's a question.  Have you ever slacked on your work at home, taken a couple of days off, or been ill?  What about after you've had a new baby?  What happens to the house?  I know what happens around here!  The hampers are overflowing, the dishes are piled up, payments aren't made for the bills, healthy homemade meals are lacking, there are piles of paper everywhere, the floors look like they haven't been vacuumed in weeks...

Actually, this is what happens after just one day of me not on the job.

Dark Haired Woman with Her Hand on Her Chin Looking Rather Sad

Sometimes our hearts get heavy with things going on in life.  Some women clean like crazy to get their minds off of these things.  Others find it hard to do the day-to-day tasks and keep going.  But our families need us!  If we let things go, they will only pile up, and we will have an overwhelming amount of work to do later. We should try to press on even in the hard times and difficult circumstances.  It soothes the mind to work at something and see the progress we are accomplishing.  We can even pray and speak about our sorrows to God while we work.

Sometimes women at home just get lazy.  We have a lot of distractions these days--TV, computer, and other electronics, books, magazines...Our culture is surrounded by entertainment, and the general thinking is that it's our right to be entertained.  But we should work first and play later.  Some think that they will never get to spend time with their children if they keep doing all the housework that needs to be done.  But we can work with our children and teach them valuable lessons at the same time.  They will also become our helpers as they get older, and you will be surprised at how much they can do!  My 8 year old loves to help me make food in the kitchen.  One of the meals we often repeat with the candida diet she is on is a certain meatloaf recipe.  She could practically make it by herself now if it weren't for the vegetables needing to be cut up and the heavy bowl and pan to be lifted.  She measures and stirs, evens out the ingredients in the baking dish and spreads the sauce all by herself.  I love hearing "It's ready, Mom" from my precious little helper.

It is also good to have goals for getting the house work done.  Some women cannot wait for their children to go to bed at night so they can be left alone to their own pleasures.  But may it not be so...let our goals be unselfish--like spending more time with our children or husbands when the housework is done.  Having a goal in mind can help you push forward to achieve it.


Young Woman Attending to Her Housework by Dusting Off Her Television Set




If you are so buried in housework that you don't know where to start, do not despair.  Don't stand around, heave a big sigh, and do nothing.  Remember "In all labour there is profit..." (Proverbs 14:23).  Do something.  Do something, and you will have something done.  Make a short list, maybe five things, that you see that need to get done, and then do it.  Then you could write down some more things that need doing.  Or set a timer for 15 minutes or so and get to work on something that needs to be done, and then step back to look at your progress.  Then do it again for another 15 minutes.  In these ways, you will be getting something done.  If you are completely overwhelmed and have no idea where to start, some people have found Flylady helpful.

But if you sit around and do nothing, don't be surprised when you have nothing to show for it!

{This post is part of the online magazine, The Christian Home at the Legacy of Home.}

Love and blessings.

8 comments:

  1. Love this post and yes it is work, but if we work for the Lord our hands will keep busy and our heart cheerful :-)

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  2. Yes, Mrs. Stam, it is work, but it is so rewarding!

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  3. Ahhh, the bon bon munching women! My husband and I have a joke about that! Thanks for your visit!

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  4. i'm going to print this out and keep it in my household notebook as a reminder :)

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  5. Well said.
    I have a similar post on my blog that I titled, "Of Course It's Not Easy - It's WORK!" heh.

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  6. Mrs. Q thank you for this post. I needed to hear this today. I am inspired and uplifted. I am off to make up a list of 5 things and work on those!

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  7. AWESOME post - so many good thoughts! Thank you for this... Blessings!

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  8. Wow! You have a lot of interesting read & insightful stuff in your blog; I’ll be definitely back for more. This is a good blog to spend time. Keep sharing.

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