Call me ‘domestic engineer’
By By Michelle Blaylock, Mom’s Corner
Housewife, domestic engineer, homemaker? What’s in a name, or this case title? Nothing more than a concept or what the name implies.
I am not a housewife. I never married this house or any of the other houses we have lived in…which is a good thing considering we have lived in six other houses. Can you imagine the money I would have had to spend on divorce costs? I am not committed to being “faithful” to a house or to love and honor a house. Housewife also doesn’t even begin to describe all the other things I do.
Domestic engineer is a better descriptive title. I feel it does convey concept of the actual running of the family. Things like juggling the schedule of eight people, making sure there is enough food and clean clothes, and seeing that things in general run smoothly. Domestic engineer also implies how difficult and challenging this job can be at times. However, for me it just doesn’t explain how I feel about my job. I guess in part because I feel “domestic engineer” implies the job has definite hours. I don’t know about all the other domestic engineers, but I don’t have set hours!
By now you have guessed I prefer the term “homemaker.” Yes, I am a homemaker. I make our house a home, and my children and husband a family. I juggle schedules, cooking, cleaning, sewing, homework, school projects, and more. I stay up until all hours of the night when the computer crashes and a one of my children is panicking because her project is due the next day. (By the way that child learned a lesson: save all work on a separate flash drive and print work off as you go!)
Homemaker also implies that my first desire is to make a home, not “keep” house, not engineer anything, but make everything work together for a home. What does that mean? It means sometimes the dishes wait while I sew a costume, dress, or fix a toy. It means I leave the laundry in the basket while I have lunch with my kindergartener. I have been known to ignore the dirty floor while playing a game with my children. I want my children to feel comfortable and enjoy being at home. Does that mean I don’t discipline? Absolutely not, I just pick my battles.
I love what I do. Will I ever work outside our home? Probably, we have considered it and the extra money could help to support my children’s sports habits, increasing car insurance with teenage drivers, college tuition and the other costs of children growing up. (Also, my husband would be really happy if I could “use” the college degree I have!) Could I do both? Yes! I have many friends who do. Being a homemaker is not an exclusive term for women who stay at home. It is for parents who work to make their house a home.
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