What is Homemaking? Getting Down to the Basics.

What is homemaking? Whether a beginner or seasoned homemaker, getting to the basics will surely spark the inspiration we all need to enjoy the beautiful art of making our homes.

Homemaking is a lifestyle choice that can affect every aspect, from career, family, health, relationships, and even spirituality. It is a holistic and highly fulfilling calling for those who find themselves pursuing a life of making a home and serving others.

Definition

Homemaking is the intentional creation and management of a home, especially as a pleasant place to live. It is an umbrella term covering all homemakers’ activities to serve their families.

For example, when you’re washing the dog, running errands, hanging curtains, or researching recipes, that can all be considered homemaking! That is, if you’re doing these things to prioritize improving your home or family life.

Is it a Career, Job, or Occupation?

I would consider it a lifestyle choice that can also be your primary career, job, & occupational title if you choose. You can even list “homemaker” as your profession on official paperwork like tax returns.

Being a homemaker is hard work with endless jobs to do and growth opportunities.

Regarding income, many tasks are not income-producing activities. Financing comes from other household members’ pay or additional work outside of Homemaking.

In today’s day and age, there are many opportunities to monetize homemaking activities if you are passionate about it! Examples are hosting a daycare from home or creating content about your favorite recipes (Like what I do while the laundry dries!)

Check out this link for more clarity about homemaking as a profession.

Homemaking vs. Housekeeping

It’s easy to mistake the two because they both have to do with taking care of the home, but the difference is the intention behind each one. Simply put, housekeeping is just doing chores to maintain the house, while homemaking creates a home for the people there.

Modern vs. Traditional

Traditional homemaking is in alignment with old-fashioned values & skills that have worked for generations regardless of social or technological advancements.

Traditional homemakers are usually married women who do not usually work outside the home or young women aspiring to do so.

Learning and executing traditional methods are more time-consuming but have long-term benefits.

Homemaking the old-fashioned way is more sustainable, natural, and frugal than modern methods. In addition, creating a slower-paced, seasonal lifestyle at home is more appealing for some women.

Modern homemaking takes advantage of modern tools and resources for faster results based on technological & social conveniences.

Current resources allow modern homemakers more time to work outside of the home if they outsource homemaking tasks to technology, other people, companies, or businesses.

The modern homemaker can create time freedom at the cost of less control over the quality, a home more dependent on outside forces, & a busier, more complex lifestyle.

For example, a traditional homemaker may make sourdough bread from scratch, while a modern homemaker will buy bread from the store. Making bread from scratch is time-consuming, less expensive, and higher quality than buying everyday bread at a convenience store.

Regarding traditional vs. modern homemaking, one style is not inherently better than the other. Most homemakers in today’s age have a combination of modern and traditional practices depending on their families needs, goals, & lifestyles.

Here on the Hill Country Honey Blog, we dive into all things homemaking, simple country living & holistic femininity from a more simple & traditional perspective.

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What are Homemaking skills?

Homemaking skills are any activities that involve nurturing your home & family life.

These skills include cooking, cleaning, relationship development, childcare, budgeting, shopping, gardening, decorating, planning, mending, preserving, organizing, etc.

Each homemaker creates a unique skill set dependent on their lifestyle & values.

As a homemaker, you have your whole life to cultivate these skills, but it’s best to start now!

It’s a misconception that you have to have your own house, husband, or children to begin learning these skills. Traditionally, many of these skills were taught to young girls by their mothers before becoming adults but now it’s becoming a lost skill set.

Common myths about homemaking

Now that we know what homemaking is, let’s go over what homemaking is NOT:

Who is a homemaker?

If you have a home to make, a family to care for, and the aspiration to be one, then you are a homemaker!

The difference between a homemaker and a housewife or stay-at-home mom is that being a homemaker is not limited to a particular phase of life or relationship status.

You can become a homemaker when single, dating, engaged, married, a mother, empty-nester, or a grandmother. 

Caring for your household members is not limited to just your husband and children, although that is usually a considerable part of a homemaker’s life. 

Taking care of a household regardless of the members (pets, roommates, siblings, parents, grandparents, or other relatives) is still of significant value in the homemaking journey.

Can a Homemaker Work outside of the Home?

Homemaking is an endeavor that exceeds other employment statuses as long as your household remains your primary focus. 

A homemaker’s overarching priority is her household. Depending on the season of life and unique situation, a homemaker may work from home, part-time, full-time, or volunteer outside of homemaking. 

There are various reasons for homemakers to work in addition to pursuing homemaking. Every family can’t financially support themselves off other household members’ income without the homemakers’ contribution through every season of life. 

Homemakers may have other passions, gifts, and values to exchange with their community outside of the home. It should be encouraged as long as it is not self-serving and for the betterment of her household.

Yes, you can be a homemaker and have a career. Ideally, working in a flexible, low-stress field with an excellent work-life balance is best. Bonus points if you can also work your career from home hand-in-hand with homemaking!

ADDITIONAL CAREER IDEAS FOR HOMEMAKERS

1. Teaching
2. Nursing
3. Retail/Sales
4. Marketing
5. Customer Service
6. Cyber Security/Technology
7. Child Care
8. Beauty & Cosmetics
9. Interior Design
10. Real Estate & Property Management
11. Office Administration
12. Health & Fitness
13. Fashion Design
14. Culinary Arts
15. Creative Arts

For additional career ideas, check out my post about 50 ideas to make money as a homemaker.

Usually, traditionally masculine careers don’t go well with homemaking due to the lack of flexibility, high stress, and demanding schedule. Not to say women generally cannot or should not work in masculine careers. It’s essential to recognize why these careers are traditionally performed by men and not women because these careers interfere with homemaking & family life.

EXAMPLES OF CAREER PATHS TO AVOID FOR HOMEMAKERS

1. CEO of a major corporation
2. Physician/ Surgeon
3. Lawyer
4. First Responders
5. Construction

If you choose to work in a field that requires you to invest in specialized education, be sure to be mindful of going into debt for the sake of a career if you aren’t planning to work to pay off that debt. It could become a financial burden on your household or prevent you from having the freedom to be a homemaker down the road.