What is the definition of a homemaker?

Have you ever wondered what exactly a full-time homemaker does? 

This is a high-level overview of some of the “pillars” of homemaking. If you’re a homemaker looking to hone a few skills, don’t let this post overwhelm you! Simply choose one area at a time to work on improving.

Growth is the goal, not perfection.

Homemaking… as we see it now.

There has been a recent resurgence of young women baking sourdough in long linen dresses in their farmhouse among the chickens. I’m all about this, and I heartily encourage those women and aspire to be more like that. 

But can I be a “homemaker” in an apartment in the suburbs?

Can I be a homemaker if I work full time outside the home?  

Should we even try making our home cozy in any season that we’re in?

The answer is emphatically Yes! 

The definition of a homemaker is the person who has the pivotal role of caring for the home and those who live in it.

Good homemakers have so many different occupations to master.

Are we truly our own boss?

It can be really tempting to not even try to make our homes beautiful until we get our “forever home”. 

I want to talk about the parable of the talents. I will give a brief overview, but I highly encourage you to set aside some time to read this passage on your own. Find the whole passage in Matthew 25:14-30.

In this parable, Jesus teaches about three servants who each received talents (a form of currency). 

One received 5, one received 2, and one received only one talent. The one with 5 immediately went out and used the talents to earn 5 more. The one with 2 talents also doubled the talents.

But the one with one talent simply buried it in the ground. 

When the Master returned and asked for an account of their talents, he praised the first two for using their talents to turn a profit.

The last servant that buried his talent in the ground was strongly chastised and his only talent was taken from him.

We are each entrusted with different “talents” and we are responsible with what we do with them.

If we look around and see other people that have “more talents” in our opinion, it can be easy for us to feel justified not stewarding our “talent” well. 

Let us faithfully serve our homes right where we are.

Some of us will be blessed with a farmhouse on 40 acres. Others of us will live in a mobile home in a city. No matter what our home looks like (or how happy we are to be in it) we are tasked to care for it well.

 I know I’ve caught myself thinking I’ll clean better when I have a nicer (fill in the blank). But the real challenge is to create those habits in the here and now. 

Perhaps, we need to show ourselves faithful over little, so we can be faithful over much.

We can be grow in thankfulness toward our blessings the Lord has chosen to gift us. 

Your home is a tremendous blessing. 

Homemaking creates a supportive environment.

The home should be a comfortable environment… no matter what our home is.

A dwelling can either be a sweet cozy respite or cold and lifeless pit-stop.  A home can either inspire us and invite us into a place of warm refreshment, or it can leave us feeling depleted and lonely.

Have you ever felt the difference?

This will affect our quality of life.

For more inspiration on making a home cozy (despite the craziness of the world) check out my post here.

So, what should homemakers actually be doing all day?

A home won’t make itself clean (wouldn’t that be something!)  A home won’t make itself beautiful. Healthy meals don’t happen without some forethought and planning. 

This is really important work but can often go unnoticed. 

But it’s noticeable when it’s not done well. 

Our families can tell when they can’t find any clean shorts because the laundry hasn’t been done in weeks. 

Our health will suffer if we are always deferring to the convenience foods instead of thoughtfully preparing nourishing meals. 

If we want our family members (and ourselves) to flourish, then we have to create a home environment that will foster growth and rest.

It’s hard work. But it’s worthy work.

That means we need to make our homes with intentionality or they will be dissolving into chaos.

I don’t mean to sound dramatic, but we all know how quickly things can fall into disarray. 

This is a crucial role!

A care plan for the home.

Starting with a clean slate is the the best place to start.

You can’t make a healthy meal in a messy kitchen. You can’t do laundry if the washer is heaped with clutter. 

We have to work to keep the home clean!

 I once heard a wonderful quote and I’ve always loved it.

“My home is clean enough to be healthy, but messy enough to be comfortable.”

This is so true! If our homes are neglected long enough they can start to accumulate mold, mildew, and even bugs in extreme cases.

If you neglect something long enough, then you have to work twice as hard to get it clean again. And this can actually cause health problems.

We all know we need to keep our homes clean and tidy. This isn’t news to anyone. Finding a system that works well for you is the trick. 

Cleaning routine inspiration

 Some people break their homes into 6 zones and do one zone a day making it part of daily activities (reserve a day for a rest day.)

Some will save it all for one big afternoon of “weekend warrior” cleaning with the whole family with loud music. (Music optional, but highly encouraged.) 

Some people encourage you to never leave a room unless it’s in order. Sounds lovely doesn’t it! 

*This obviously won’t work if you have young kids because of the often urgent needs that they have. Those urgent needs can get really really messy if you don’t attend to them quickly. 

Some cleaning schedules break the jobs up by days. Monday: laundry day. Tuesday: errand day. Wednesday: floors. etc.

Whatever you choose to do, just do something!

Are the household chores still overwhelming you?

If you feel like you can never get caught up, then I’d encourage you to consider decluttering. 

In previous decades, there wasn’t nearly the amount of household items that we have today. They didn’t quite have the same struggle we do. 

“How can minimalism change your life for the better?”

If you find yourself thinking any area of your home is impossible to get clean without taking a few hours to tackle it… then you should consider decluttering that area. We want to set ourselves up for success.

Having a home that is void of obvious clutter will give us the best chance to keep the home as clean as possible (within reason).

We’re not aiming for perfection here, just consistency.

And If you wish you could declutter but you know your family isn’t on board with it, check out my post on “How to declutter when your family won’t let you.“

Loving the activities of daily living.

A tidy home is not our god. If there’s a magnet tile mansion on the table during lunch, I’m going to just note how magnificent it is. 

When we actually live in our homes, then life is going to be evident! This is good.

If we aren’t intentional, we could idolize a spotless home at the expense of your family’s joy. 

We want our homes to be clean enough to be healthy, but messy enough to feel comfortable. 

Homemaking by thoughtfully preparing nutritious meals.

This is a huge topic, and will look vastly different for each family. But the heart behind it stays the same.

We want to care for our families (and ourselves) by providing proper nutrition for our bodies and souls. 

Between the grocery shopping, meal planning, and meal preparation, the homemaker has a vital role for the nourishment for the household members. 

Food preparation is one of the most important roles of a homemaker.

Is it nutritious food that’s being served? Are the meals affordable? Is it simple enough to make any day of the week? 

Oh yeah… and is it delicious enough for everyone to enjoy it without grumbling?!

There is so much more to this than meets the eye! 

*One quick tip I have on this topic: make a recipe binder that ONLY includes recipes you have actually made and your family enjoys.

Having a recipe binder stuffed full of new recipes to try will only add to the overwhelm. Don’t be afraid to make a few things on repeat. 

Meal planning

Meal planning is another awesome way to have less stress around dinner time. I like to write down a plan for the month ahead, then actually go back and write out what we ended up eating (and how we liked it).

This has made the biggest difference for me. Plans can change, people invite us over for meals, sometimes we have more leftovers than we anticipate.

It’s great to have a plan, but it’s super helpful to document how things actually play out.

Our seasons are very distinct where I live, so we eat vastly different meals for each season. It’s so handy to see what meals we enjoyed last year during each month.

 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been reminded of a meal we enjoyed that I hadn’t made in a while! 

Shop your pantry and freezers first!

When you’re planning out your meals, make sure you start by digging through your pantry and freezers to be certain you’re using what you already have so you can save money on groceries.

No one wants to spend more than we have to on food! 

Then, you can purchase what you find on sale to stock your pantry and freezers for future meal planning. This way you are hardly ever paying full price for things. 

Related: 9 easy ways to make mealtime more enjoyable with kids.

There are so many more responsibilities of a homemaker.

We are tasked with caring for our immediate family members’ health. There are times when we have to seek professional help but for the skinned knees and simple colds, we are the primary caretakers. 

We will be the ones scheduling medical appointments and making sure everyone gets the vitamins they need. 

This is no small task.

The homemaker caregiver will need to have all of the important information that’s necessary as well (insurance information, allergy lists, schedule conflicts).

There is a lot that goes along with the medical care of our loved ones. As we get to be older adults, we will have older parents (by God’s grace) to also help care for. What a gift.

From young children to the elderly parent, this is an essential role.

I would like to encourage mothers (and fathers) to learn to do as much at home as possible for our own family. We can acquire an ear scope to check for ear infections.  We can learn how to use a pulse oximeter, and blood pressure monitor. 

*I’m not advocating withholding professional care for your loved ones. Take them in when there’s a serious need.

Related: Homemakers taking dominion in the home.

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Final encouragement for homemakers and caretakers

The household management is such a vast assortment of common tasks that all collide into the essential role of “Homemaker”. As a homeschool mom, I know how all-consuming the homemaking can feel. 

Home care is a never-ending responsibility. 

But it is so rich and fulfilling! 

I really want you to hear that again…. Being a homemaker is so rich and fulfilling. It’s a hard job, but it’s the best job (in my humble opinion).

The homemaker is the one who will work to bring beauty from the chaos of the world. 

We will be the gatekeepers of the home, providing emotional support for our precious loved ones. 

And within the walls of our home our families will be nurtured as they grow into who God is calling them to be.

Could there be a more worthy occupation? 

I think not. ♥️

If you’re a busy homemaker, then I want to encourage you in your personal care. “Self-care for homemakers” Our self care starts with a vibrant spiritual life.  God loves you and wants to be in your life!