What Is A Homemaker?

What is a homemaker? Or, more accurately: Who is a homemaker? The answer really is quite simple.

According to Dictionary.com, a homemaker is "a person who manages the household of his or her own family, especially as a principal occupation." Simply put, a homemaker is one who manages a home.

Homemaking is the organized management of the day-to-day operations, and other domestic concerns, of a home.

I personally believe being a homemaker is like being a parent, who can't clock-out. Taking on the responsibilities of being a homemaker is a 24/7/365 job. Regardless of whether or not you work outside the home, if you are the homemaker, that's a job you are always doing. You are always working to making sure your home runs smoothly and your family is taken care of.

In today's society, we can no longer hold on to the images of a homemaker we once had. The stereotypical 1950s housewife is no longer the norm when it comes to homemakers. With so many nontraditional families in today's world, our image of a homemaker needs to shift to encompass all who wear that hat.

I am a nontraditional homemaker. I work outside of the home. I am an adjunct dance instructor at a local community college. I work Monday through Friday in the mornings, and Wednesday and Sunday evenings. This doesn't mean I can't be a homemaker, or call myself a homemaker. I manage my home. I am in charge of the day-to-day operations of my home. Working outside the home simply means I need to have routines in place to make sure I can get done everything I need to get done within my day. In fact, homemakers who don't work outside the home need to have routines as well. Routines help your day run more smoothly.

I use a planner to help keep me on track, I have morning and evening routines, I menu plan, and I delegate tasks to help me get them all done. And, yes, sometimes I make sacrifices so I can spend more time with my family, get one more cuddle from my daughter, snuggle just a little longer with my husband. However, I do like to make sure my home runs smoothly and with some semblance of order, even though it may not seem that way to others. It works for us, and that's all that matters.

Enjoy life with faith, love, and joy.

Are you a homemaker? What is homemaking to you?