The Homemaking Reward
Being a stay-at-home wife and mom is the best job ever. Can’t beat the commute! *Smile*
I’m thankful for the gift of time to pursue my interests and ideals, to enjoy my husband and children, to find joy in
making my home into a sanctuary. Every second, minute and hour.
I adore leafing through home-improvement magazines, gleaning ideas for making our abode more cozy. Same thing with cookbooks. Collecting great tried-and-trues from friends and loved ones is a must for my recipe box. And for fun crafts, family games and great themed-room ideas, Family Fun can’t be beat!
With homemaking, you’re never done learning. So many skills and talents to perfect~fantastic things~all in the name of advancing your “career”. My own interests include cooking and baking, sewing, home decor, homeschooling, frugality, nutrition, canning and kitchen gardens. I look forward to learning more in these areas and also in the areas of scrapbooking, budgeting, organizing, landscaping, candle making…
Problem solving your own dilemmas is the best reward for your challenge ratio there is! Depending on the size of your dilemma, it’s also a pretty good way to grow in the faith. Relying on God, dh’s salary and being as creative as I can be when stretching our dollars has made me a better individual, emotionally and spiritually.
I’d much rather be furthering my husband’s career than someone else’s, and thank God my dh feels the same way.
Perhaps most important to my sense of satisfaction is having an appreciative husband. You (one or two) husbands out there might want to read that again and let it sink in. Appreciation. It’s so important. We wives don’t get raises, or incentive plans. We love you, we love our children, but we do sometimes wonder if anyone notices all we do when so much of it all needs done again after a few hours.
Little ways my husband shows his appreciation:
- He thanks God for me and for the food I’ve prepared, in his mealtime prayers.
- He rinses the bathtub out after a bath. Consideration is tantamount to appreciation.
- He almost always thanks me when pulling on a clean white t-shirt, loving the smell of bleached laundry!
- He makes a great fuss over dessert…it’s no wonder I’m always baking around here…
- He hangs out with me in the kitchen, or herds the children off to give me quiet time.
- He tells me he could never do what I do (bless his heart!)
Little ways to make your home a sanctuary:
- Leave your Bible out on an end table, or in the middle of the kitchen table. Someplace within easy reach, and be stretched, comforted, and inspired!
- Books, stacked or on shelves, whisper of leisure
and simplicity, of intelligent pursuits. - Every home needs a pendulum clock. The tick-tocking layers a perception of peace with time well spent.
- Skip the overhead lights. Instead welcome evening by lighting a couple of lamps. This exudes warmth and hospitality, and begs exhausted husbands to kick their feet up and relax.
- Keep tea and hot chocolate nearby, always ready for an impromptu tea party.
- On the back of your stove, simmer orange slices with cinnamon sticks and breathe deeply. Later on, add apple cider mix to it, and call the family around!
- Keep your children’s library books in a basket by the couch and make read-aloud time a priority each day.
- Create an outdoor living area. It can be on your deck,
patio, a corner of your backyard, or in the middle of a small flower garden. Two yard chairs and a table, ta-da!
Now it’s your turn. What makes you feel appreciated? What does “cozy” look like to you? What home project currently engages you?
And to all my working mom friends, you are amazing! Please don’t be discouraged by my stay-at-home-mom ramblings. Hang in there…I know it’s tough to “do it all” and still feel sane. You’re in my prayers!
Comment by Amy
July 22, 2007 @ 10:55 pm
I know that looking back the best years of my life were when my children were all little before they started school. I was able to teach them in a relaxed way in our own environment and even now people comment on how bright they are intellectually. Moms can make a big difference.
Comment by Colleen
July 23, 2007 @ 7:03 am
Reading this post made me feel cozy! I enjoy a good fire, warm blanket and a good book. I love cleaning and organizing stuff
Comment by Mary
July 23, 2007 @ 10:11 am
Amy, I loved those years too. So much time, unfettered by educational demands, etc. I had weekly get-togethers with other mom-friends and their kids, and I really miss having the time for that. Most all of our social outings these days are church or homeschool related, which isn’t bad, I just hated “outgrowing” that time in my life. It’s part of motherhood, I think, to cultivate friendships that mesh with the particular seasons in life. Blogging has filled a void in me, giving me a little daily interaction with other moms just for me.
Thanks, Colleen! I, too, love a fire in the grate and a good book. My spirit has been craving fall lately…I even made pumpkin soup the other day, courtesy of a dear friend’s recipe. It was sooo good! Even on a hot day…
Comment by Andrea
July 23, 2007 @ 4:34 pm
I quiet agree it is very rewarding when your little one finally completes a task that you have been trying to teach them. I also love cuddling in be in the morning before you get the day started.
Comment by Mary
July 23, 2007 @ 7:43 pm
Andrea, some of my favorite memories are of early morning cuddles with my oldest, and it all stopped right after the birth of our third.
She and I still talk about how we kinda miss those early morning back rubs. We’d take turns!
Comment by Trish
August 1, 2007 @ 2:18 pm
I just found this site today and I want to say ‘Thank you!’ It is just what I needed. God is so good! I’ve been so encouraged in mommy-hood and homemaking. It has been a much-welcomed hug for me and has touched many of my heartstrings.
Comment by Mary
August 1, 2007 @ 11:39 pm
And in return He’s blessed me through your sweet comment. Thank you, Trish, and I hope you’ll return!
Hugs,
Mary