Posted on 01/01/2009 1:05:40 PM PST by CE2949BB
She sews, cooks, knits, gardens and raises chooks. The housewife is back – with younger women embracing traditional domestic crafts in droves, new figures show.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
Being a ‘stay-at-home’ wife and mother doesn’t not mean not having a life beyond the kitchen and laundry room. I was fortunate that I could stay home with my kids — (all a year apart in age) But, also I was publicity chair for several local groups, ran school projects, library volunteer in all the schools over the years and all that sort of fun stuff. It gave me a life outside the house, but being involved with school goings-on, I also knew who my kids associated with and my contact with their teachers and friends kept me aware of the pressures of the times. It was all worth it.
Being at home and not being active outside the family is not easy, tho — no matter how much you love cooking and sewing and all. “A man may work from sun to sun -— but a woman’s work is never done” always comes to mind.
But it is the Mother who has no choice but to run a family AND work outside the home that gets my respect. Well-raised children, in that situation, means one phenomenal person. I bow to her.
Disagree. Particularly after the kids go to school. I did the stay at home dad thing for about 6 months. It was easy.
You got to choose the volunteer work you did right? No one held a gun to your head to do that stuff. I found when I did a 6 months stint as a stay at home dad I got the house and yardwork done by noon. The rest was gravy.
Yes — my choice. Before the kids were school age, I was the lawn-mower and the picker-up of fallen apples from 23 apple trees. I guess I just like to be busy.
When I went to a Nursing Reunion, all my former classmates each stood and mentioned the work they were doing, the advanced degrees and the high positions they had attained. Very few of them were stay-at-home Mom’s. When my turn came, I stood and said that while they were doing their life’s calling, I was their kid’s den mother, brownie leader and class mom and all the other stuff associated with kids. (plus — substitute school nurse) HeeHee! I was the one to get the standing applause!
I’m making myself tired reading all I did then! But old habits stay with you. All the kids are grown and gone and there are grand’kiddies now -— but I’m still busy!!
Does my wife miss her career? Not really. She says she traded her classroom of 22 kids for a classroom of 3. You couldn't get her to work outside the home (for now) if you put a gun to her head. And she has my total, unwavering, unconditional support.
Big Truck
My 13 year old is a great cook. A big slob but a great cook and a very intelligent student. I believe she will be the one cooking for her friends in college when the time comes.
As hard as it is to find a woman like that, it’s even harder to deserve her. ;-)
My daugter is involved wth a young man and they were sorting out their future. Many young men expect to have all the toys and a wife to support the toy lifestyle.
This young man expects to support a wife and family and is positioning himself for that responsiblility. It is rare and that adds points.
You definitely need a plan. It should be in writing!!
Some men think stay-at-home moms are lazy and sit around all day and when the marriage ends they should not get any of the assets accumulated during the marriage.
BTTT
BTTT!
I loved the sewing, cooking, raising the kids, making crafts, etc., part of it, but the appreciation for mopped and waxed floors, and sparkling windows has never surpassed the hard work it takes to get it done, and keep it that way. It doesn’t get any easier the older I get. lol.
marriage should be a partnership. But the stay-at-home mom is helping with the family finances when she takes care of the children, housekeeping, cooking, shopping, laundry, chores, errands, and the myriad other functions that keep a family running. The family then doesn’t have to pay to have someone cut the grass, or supervise the children, or tutor them in their homework, or wallpaper the bathroom. This is her contribution, and it’s very valuable and would be quite costly to replace. Running a family is a full-time job, and if the woman is working outside the house she has two jobs to do.
I TOTALLY AGREE!!!
You hit the nail on the head. Most of my friends either are divorced from their husbands or getting a divorce. Fact is, after a few years they all realize that if they can earn a paycheck, do all the house work and raising of the kids, what the hell do they need a man for?
Men are becoming obsolete and i have to say i think its something that these younger men are asking for. Most of them have the attitude that women should work outside the house and contribute financially 50/50 but the men aren’t offering to help 50/50 with the house work.
In 2010, housewife is a full time job . . . for a chicken or a person living in a mud hut. Can a woman find enough meaningless crap to do to fill a day? Sure, but why.
Really? And how many times per day were you breastfeeding, Mr. Stay-at-Home Dad? How big was the house and yard? How many sets of window treatments did you make for your home? How many of the kids did you homeschool? Did you renovate the house, paint the exterior, lay a brick patio, refinish the floors, remodel the basement, maintain a vegetable garden, make clothes for the kids, and can your produce? I have yet to see the proud stay-at-home fathers do any canning or sewing.
Everybody has different standards for housekeeping and childrearing. I would say that even though I'm an efficient and organized person, with preschoolers in the house I could not get all the cleaning, shopping, laundry, errands, storytelling, planting, canning, done before 4:30, when it was time to start Mr. OTTB's dinner.
I’v noticed that most of these working moms tend to over schedule their childrens lives in all sorts of sports and activities yet they shove the responsibility for baking for bake sales, car pooling, and other parent responsibilites to the non working moms.
THEY are too busy. Their kids will never come home from school to fresh baked cookies or home cooked meals every night.
Come over to my house, smart guy, and I'll show you enough work to occupy you from 6 a.m. to midnight. And none of it is meaningless, unless, perhaps, your definitions of "meaning" are quite materialistic.
My niece had a college degree and a very good job. She decided to stay at home with her first child. She’s still at home and now has four children... and she’s happy as a lark.
I’m very proud of her, and so is her husband. They have a wonderful family, and I know as the years go by she will always be glad she stayed at home for her kids.
That is time well spent...in fact, nothing compares to it.
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