Homemaking vs. Housekeeping

It seems that over the last 100 years or so, the ART of homemaking has been lost. What used to be something that we coveted as little girls, became somewhat of a burden. We were no longer taught that we should desire to be homemakers – that it was LESS THAN. Instead, we should desire a career only and also wanting to keep a home was beneath us.

“I’m just a homemaker.”

You can be a homemaker and also have a career (if you want). But if you don’t want to have a separate career, that’s totally fine too. Why? Because we’ve gotten our ideas skewed. 

You can be a homemaker even if you work a full time job…even if you’re a single parent…or even if you live alone…or even if you are rarely home.

I think the disconnect came about because folks started thinking that HOMEMAKING and HOUSEKEEPING were the same thing. They are not. 
Don’t get me wrong – housekeeping is very important. If you don’t keep your house up, it will be a dung heap, trash pit, uninhabitable hole before very long. You need to embrace your inner June Cleaver, at least a little bit. But housekeeping isn’t where most people find contentment and fulfillment.

Housekeeping definition: the routine tasks that must be done in order for a system to function or to function efficiently.

Homemaking definition: the establishment or management of a home.

See – housekeeping and homemaking are NOT the same.  Housekeeping is the actual action(s) of keeping your house from looking trashy – cleaning toilets, vacuuming, washing blinds and curtains, taking out the trash, sweeping the floor, dusting the cobwebs. This may also include major tasks like roofing and plumbing repairs. As a homeowner, improving your curb appeal is also your responsibility as it can help improve your home’s resale value.

HOMEMAKING is the art of making your HOUSE a HOME. 

What makes it a home? A welcoming atmosphere. Love. Comfort-ability. Decor. You. I even teach a course on homemaking – or home management, as it is sometimes called – because we (as a society) need to re-learn what it means to truly manage a home well.

Time for some honesty. I don’t get fulfillment from housekeeping. 
None. I don’t like it. I don’t enjoy spending my time cleaning toilets and dusting. Do I do it? Yes, because it has to be done. Do I have a good attitude? Yes, that too. Does it fill a deep need in my soul? ABSOLUTELY NOT. 

But the thing I’ve dreamed about since I was little? Being married, keeping house, running a household, the routine, welcoming in guests That’s homemaking. And that is what brings me fulfillment. 

Housekeeping is just a necessary part of homemaking. While housekeeping CAN bring fulfillment, most folks find that most fulfillment comes from homemaking. 

When you know that homemaking is actually just the process of making your house into a home, you will know you CAN have this fulfillment along with your other duties. <3

And it helps us realize that we don’t have to look down upon it like it’s lesser-than or something we should not desire to have. We can speak of it favorably to our daughters: “One day, you will grow up to be a homemaker!” Homemaking is a noble calling. <3 

We should be proud that we are homemakers – whether that’s our #1 goal or another thing we do.

Hi, my name is Stacy. I am a homemaker. Nice to meet you. 🙂