homemakers, plural
1.A person, esp. a housewife, who manages a home.
Web definitions:
housewife: a wife who manages a household while her husband earns the family income.
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
(homemaking) the management of a household.
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
A homemaker handles household responsibilities as his or her main daily activity. While not a paid occupation in the traditional sense, as it is not usually undertaken for monetary remuneration, a homemaker may work full-time to maintain the home environment....
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homemaker
(Homemakers (magazine)) Homemakers is a Canadian magazine that covers women's lifestyles, published nine times a year. It offers recipes and articles on food, health, style, home and living.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homemakers_(magazine)
(Homemaking) Housewife is a term used to describe a married female who is not employed outside of the home. Merriam Webster describes a housewife as a married woman who is in charge of her household. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homemaking
(homemaking) One of three areas of emphasis in the Relief Society of the Church.
www.lightplanet.com/mormons/daily/vocabulary_eom.htm
Occupation often listed on campaign finance reports for wives of major contributors who give through their spouses (and other family members) as a legal way of getting around individual contribution limits.
www.uta.fi/FAST/GC/cfinglos.html
An individual who has the skills and abilities to maintain a home and actively functions in that capacity as a result of substantial Vocational Rehabilitation service provision to improve the individual’s homemaking abilities....
info.dhhs.state.nc.us/olm/manuals/dsb/VR/man/Definitions.htm
General term referring to a variety of non-skilled at-home services which may include some minor hands on care such as assistance with dressing and personal care, but also includes shopping, meal preparation, laundry services, housekeeping and similar activities....
www.deha.org/Glossary/GlossaryH.htm
A person who assists in the home with homemaking activities such as preparing meals, cleaning, laundry, shopping.
www.caregivers.utah.gov/glossary.htm
A trained personnel working under agency supervision. Activities are limited to shopping, menu planning, meal preparation, light housekeeping, and laundry for the client.
www.esmv.org/caregiversglossary.asp
Trained homemakers offer light housekeeping, grocery shopping, errands, laundry, and simple personal care.
www.thehomecarecouncil.org/displaycommon.cfm
means a person who performs household chores that include housekeeping, meal planning and preparation, shopping assistance, and routine household activities for an elderly, handicapped, or convalescent individual. A homemaker is non-medical.
www.justcheckinginmom.com/index.php
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I registered my children for school today. I noticed the online form(s) had my job description already filled in. 'Homemaker', the form(s) stated, is what I do. Homemaker. I have always disliked the word. As I stared at the prefilled form(s), I realized today that I actually detest the word. Homemaker. Just a Homemaker. Too damn stupid to check the 'Homemaker' box myself, so they (whomever they are) did it for me. Yet smart enough to fill out the remainder of the form(s). Also on the form(s) were our phone numbers, which were also prefilled. Note this: my husband's cell phone number was listed first. Then, our home phone. Third, my cell phone. Now wait a minute. My husband works outside the home. I'm just a 'Homemaker'. Yet he's listed first? Does that make any sense? Could it be because on paper, he looks a little smarter than I? Or is it because they just didn't pay that much attention when filling out the form(s) & typed in the numbers in no particular order? I wonder if my job had been, oh, 'Account Executive', would my number had been listed first? For what it's worth, I transposed the order.
I do more than manage a home. I have four little people God entrusted me to raise. What they know is what they learn from me. I'm not a home manager. That comes automatically with the blessing of a family. Therefore, instead of managing a home, I build people. Character. Including honesty, beauty, emotion, personalities, morals, ethics, happiness, contentment, hearts full of love. In addition to - the knowledge I have in finances is commendable. The responsibility & dedication I demonstrate daily is unmatchable. My determination & perseverance cannot be outdone. I'm more than a maid. I'm more than a cook. I do more than grocery shop & clean toilets. I'm also a person. A person whose label and/or title should be listed first, not last. I don't get paid monetarily, though I should. My hours are long. The sick pay sucks. The vacation time certainly is no vacation. There is no overtime. Very few breaks. Rarely a lunch break. No getting off at 5:00. No nice dinners & no Christmas parties. No insurance, dental or vision coverage.
Did you read the degrading italized paragraph? "General term referring to a variety of non-skilled at-home services which may include some minor hands on care such as assistance with dressing and personal care, but also includes shopping, meal preparation, laundry services, housekeeping and similar activities...."
"Non-skilled". Really? Non-skilled? I beg to differ. It is a true talent & takes great skill to work from home, raising a family. My occupation description is lengthy & detailed. And if I screw up (& I do), I have some little people who I disappoint. That's not an easy load to carry. It's tough one.
There has to be a better term. I know there is. A term that we, as devoted wives & mothers, would be proud & honored to accept. A term that builds us up, defines as us as strong, intelligent, gifted women, equally as important as other occupations/titles that work outside the home. A term that makes us proud to x that box.
So please don't call me a "Homemaker". I take my occupation seriously. Though I reap amazing benefits & wouldn't trade my daily occupation for the world, I don't make a home. I build life. A beautiful, challenging, difficult at times, life. I'm a Lifebuilder, not a Homemaker. Let's put an x by that.
1 comment:
I love the word homemaker as much as I love housewife. Ha. They're just outdated terms. The one of our generation is stay at home mom. Just labels. You do what you do well, and it brings blessings to your beautiful family and glorifies our Father.
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