Here is an argument that plagues
homemakers the world over.
I decided to become a homemaker when my second daughter
was one year old. Juggling work outside the home, caring for two children,
husband and a home was taking a toll on me. Like many working mothers out
there, I found myself not having much quality time for my family. When the
children got sick, I had to deal with the stress from my employer. It felt that
life was pulling me in different directions.
Once I made that decision to become a full-time
homemaker, I found myself being able to have that quality time I craved,
especially with my children. It made every sacrifice worth it when they would
come home with a smile because their Mommy was there for them. If they got
sick, I didn’t have to stress over the fact that I had to miss a day of work.
Best of all, there was more time to do fun things on the weekends instead of
doing housework and chores.
Six years later, I am still a full-time homemaker with
three kids, and I have started my own company working from home. I am still
able to give my children quality time, but now my role has seemed to change. I
m feeling more like a maid than a homemaker these days. I don t have a lot of
the extra time to concentrate on the home like before, since I have a new
responsibility with the company. My two older children, along with my husband,
are old enough to be able to pick up after themselves - but do they? I think
not! It s a never-ending battle.
I'm a mom. I don t ask for much. All I ask is for them to
put things away when they are done with them. But for some reason, they suffer
from some type of cleaning amnesia, because they never remember to pick up
after themselves. If everyone at home made an effort to chip in, then our home
wouldn’t look like a tornado just went through it! I did choose this life,
and I do not regret it for a moment - but who says that being a homemaker means
you have to be constantly picking up after people? I gave up my job to become a
homemaker, not a maid - and that s how I feel. I can spend four hours cleaning
my home, and once the herd comes home all that I have done and worked hard to
accomplish has gone down the drain.
I always use this example with my family: Say you’ve
been working on a project for your employer for days. Next thing you know,
someone comes along and messes it all up, and spills coffee over all your paper
work! How would that make you feel? You would be angry and frustrated. You
spent long hours to accomplish this project, and someone comes along and ruins
it. You have to start all over again. Well, that is exactly how I feel. I'm
sure you can relate.
Your family should not take it for granted that you are
home, and expect you to pick up after every little crumb they drop on the
floor. If that s what they want, then they should hire a maid. I have made my
speeches, I have pleaded with them, I have stomped by feet like a child hoping
that they will realize how much it would mean to me if they can simply pick up
after themselves. Nothing works. I have come to the conclusion that this will
be a never-ending battle. Perhaps I should hire out my services as a maid to
other families and actually get paid for it!
