I am not one of those housewives who wears their badge with some kind of desperate need to be noticed or honoured in some kind of a way. I don't go about telling people I am the Director of Childhood Development and expect them to give me some kind of accolade. Because let's face it - it's not a real job. I know this will not be a popular notion, but before you bring out the stakes and torches, hear me out. It's a choice you have made. Yes it is hard work and monotonous and time consuming but so is cleaning the car or riding a bike up a hill but I wouldn't say that they were my job. We all know that if you want to keep yourself fit and active and healthy then you will drag that bike out and slog it up that hill because you know the benefits are so great. You understand that it will make you feel strong and healthy in yourself and that when you go shopping you will fit "those" jeans and you will have a better quality of life if you keep yourself in shape. You understand that the long-term benefits far outweigh the momentary discomfort you go through to get there. Same goes if you want your kids to grow up secure and happy and valued and feeling important and loved and with consistency and validation, then you will choose to stay at home with your kids, especially for those first five years. Now don't get all mad about that - I understand there are circumstances and situations that don't warrant this - but you and I both know that it is best for your kids to have you home. I'm not being controversial, I'm just calling it as it is. It is something you do because it's a necessity for your kids. Not because it's a real job. I try hard to distance myself from those who put their job status as "domestic engineer" or "household CEO" or the more ridiculous "Residential Coordinator". Instead of spending our time thinking of fancy names, let's call it as it is. Let's stop trying to justify how what we do is a real job and just get on and do it. Spare me the details. I have enough of my own - I don't need to hear yours too. I know what it's like - trust me. I also deal with the stereotypes and the presumptions. All you need to do is google image "housewife" and you will see pages and pages of women in the kitchen and vacuuming. But it's not unkind - it's true. You do all those things. You don't spend your day writing books, designing clothing, schmoozing big fancy pants CEO's or playing practical jokes on your office buddies. No, you spend them vacuuming 5 times, reading a story, making school lunches, wiping bottoms, bathing your kids, cleaning a mess, making dinner, sorting out a fight, cleaning another mess - shall I go on? But don’t try to justify it with posting videos about how amazing Mum's are. No one really cares because it's not very interesting. Just saying. And don't Google "naughty housewife" to find a picture for your blog - trust me, it's a minefield out there.
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