How Do I Explain the Choice to Be a Homemaker?

I really shouldn't have to defend the fact that I chose to be a homemaker, but I choose to explain my choice to those who wonder. I do realize that this choice is not for all women, but it works for me and my family. With that said, I will tell you why I chose to be a homemaker and why it has benefited me and my family.

First of all, I chose to be home full-time because my husband and I felt that noone could replace me as a mother to our children. I didn't want to hand them over to a babysitter or daycare center, so I decided that we would learn to live and thrive on one income. Easy? No. Do-able? Yes. When we chose to live on one paycheck, we knew that it wouldn't be easy, but we got very creative. There are many hidden costs for working women and when we sat down and figured those out, it simply was not worth working only to have our children raised by someone other than me and my husband.

We opted out of the stress that comes with two working parents. Truly, I don't believe that working outside of the home is easy. Something has to give. There just are not enough hours in a day to do it all well.

We wanted our home to be clean, cozy, and a haven from the outside world. Briefly experimenting with working outside of our home convinced me that there was no way I could have the best of both worlds---the job and the home. When I worked, there was no time for all the things that kept our home running smoothly.

I did not homeschool our children, but I supplemented their education with attention to reading, exploring their interests, pursuing those interests, and spending extra time on the subjects that they were studying in school at the time. As a result, they were able to decide on their interests at an earlier age than most and have been able to pursue education in things that they discovered they were passionate about.

Being at home allowed me to educate myself in many areas that I would otherwise not have the time for. Those skills have, in fact, allowed us to live very easily on one paycheck. I am able to create things that most have to pay for. I am able to grow and preserve much of our food. I can sew, quilt, knit, crochet, weave, paint, wallpaper, landscape, cook, bake, can/freeze, refinish furniture, re-upholster, garden, raise chickens/eggs, and be fairly self-sufficient. I don't have to pay anyone for those types of services and I have been able to decorate and furnish a very large house for very little money.

I have never felt "trapped" at home. There is no place I would rather be than caring for the people I love the most. There is no paycheck that would be worth more to me than the rewards I have reaped from having a stable marriage, happy and respectful children, and an atmosphere that can't be matched.

My heart goes out to those who have no choice but to work outside the home. Single Moms have the toughest job in the world, no doubt.

I don't know when homemakers started to lose respect from the world; perhaps the women's lib movement painted them as lazy, unproductive women. It's a shame because when you look back in history to the days when homes and marriages were strong, you didn't have the divorce rate we have now. It was sad to come from a "broken home". Now those of us who remain married for many years are in the minority. Sad, isn't it?

After 22 years, I can honestly say that I am glad my husband and I made the decision for me to stay home. It works. If you want to make the leap from the workforce to home, do it and don't look back. You won't regret it. Nowdays there are so many resources to learn from. The internet is full of resources to learn from. Blogs, homemaking sites, cooking sites, etc. are there for your education. I was fortunate to have been raised by a Mom who passed her skills on to me, but there is much to be learned from many sources. Your local library is a good start! Never be afraid to ask other homemakers for advice---most of us are more than happy to be a helper and encouragement to novice homemakers.

Let's explore the Home Arts together!