Ladies,
Our culture does not often admit we “should” do something. People do not want to draw hard lines but it’s sometimes at the cost of not being helpful. Go into any job and there is a job description to fulfill. The same is for homemaking. While you can homemake in a variety of ways, such as tailoring your work to the household’s preferences, you still need to meet certain needs of a household. This is not negotiable. If I were to tell a woman she can be a homemaker but not fulfill the duties of a homemaker, she would not be learning how to be a homemaker.
A Competent Homemaker
There is a standard to work by that allows you to become accomplished in the field of domesticity. If there are no measurements of what we do in any occupation there is no distinction between someone who is highly skilled in their work and one who is not. We base this assessment on whether the person is competent by their methods and their results. Year 15 in my homemaking is very different than when I was in year two. I worked to get better at household management, cleaning, organizing, beautifying, cooking, baking, etc. But let’s say I still put 15 years in without improvement, it would be because I did not work at it based on a standard that I knew to achieve. Competency comes by having a standard by which to measure your methods and results.
What is the Standard for Homemaking?
1) Keep a hygienic home. Toilets, sinks, showers, bedding, countertops/tabletops, and the floor. These are the hotspots for gunk, bacteria and smell that need to be addressed often. How often? All of these items listed need to be cleaned at least once per week. Feel free to clean these items more often. But a homemaker should keep these items sanitized at least once per week.
2) Clean Properly. To keep a hygienic home, you must know how to properly clean and sanitize different surfaces and materials. For instance, you must learn how to do laundry correctly. You will ruin everything you own without cleaning knowledge. Tile, ceramic, stainless steel, plastic, leather, different fabrics, the list goes on of the different materials in your home that all need specific products and cleaning methods to clean them without ruining them. The standard for cleaning well is to clean correctly. Research how to do everything correctly and purchase the right tools to get the job done well.
3) Tidy Daily. Make the beds, pick up trash, fluff pillows, arrange things nicely. Tidying is something that must be done daily, maybe several times a day. This is not meant to be stressful but a learned behavior of observation and willingness to just quickly pick up. Do this peacefully as you walk through a room or before you leave it. If everything has a place it is not difficult to notice something is out of place and to simply put it right.
4) Feed your family. Cooking is not an option. Even if you are not enthusiastic about cooking, we must train a willingness to prepare and offer meals, even if they are not from scratch. Being a homemaker means taking on the role of the person who gives the meals. Even if you use boxed items, purchase pre-made, or do basic cooking. It is your job. This involves constant observation and list making of grocery items, making sure they are bought and stored properly.
5) Beautify it! Declutter, organize and even shop for your home! Beautifying your home is your job. Even if you need help from a friend with an eye for design, or hire a decorator, this is still your job to make it happen however you do that. Decluttering and organizing is a part of beautifying your home as well as buying furniture and art. Be aware of what your house looks like and always aim to make it cozier, more inviting, and more comforting to the senses.
There is so much more that a homemaker can do. But at the very base level, these are the things she should do. This list will help you become an accomplished homemaker.
WHATEVERLOVELY.com
CHRISTIAN LIVING – FASHION – HOME
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