Do You Enjoy Homemaking?

**staceyy** · 09-10-2006, 02:15 PM

My mom was an excellent homemaker and a SAHM. I admired and emulated her and wanted to live the same type of life, but it was not in the cards for me. Still I enjoy cooking, baking, interior design, cleaning, practicing frugality etc. I think a lot of women want to be SAHM's because they think it is going to be an easy lifestyle. There have been short periods in my life when I was a SAHM and it definitely was not easy,especially childcare, being a single parent, but it was rewarding.I am pretty talented in some areas of homemaking and I enjoy it, but still I say its not easy if you're doing a good job of it. Its just as hard as any other job. I'm curious to know if you enjoy homemaking and if you feel it is easy. Are there some aspects you like more than others? Are there some aspects you dislike?

**Daisygirl** · 09-10-2006, 05:15 PM

I love homemaking -- really I always wanted to stay home with my kids and be a writer. When I became a single mom, there was no option except to work outside the home. During that time I really didn't like doing things at home that much, I was always so tired I tended to just let things fall where they may.

Now I am trying really hard to make a go of being a Work at Home Mom. Not the easiest thing when you are single, but I am practicing hardcore, blackbelt frugality, and if there is a way to make it happen, I will find it.

I love cooking and decorating -- those are my favorite. Aside from a couple of chores (like mopping - ugh) I really don't mind cleaning either. I truly hate yard work, which is evidenced by my sad looking yard, lol.

**pita1213** · 09-10-2006, 08:14 PM

i enjoyed it when i was a SAHM. i had more time and energy to do the cleaning so it wasn't something i dreaded. cleaning isn't my favorite thing to do, but i could do things spread out through out the day if i wanted. the other aspects of homemaking i really enjoyed: cooking, decorating, taking care of the kids, though there were some bad days. that was also when i got into couponing more seriously and took more time planning meals.
now i don't really enjoy it because i feel like i have 2 jobs, one working outside the house, and then working in the house. thankfully we are in a townhouse so i don't have a lot of house to keep clean, and i really only get worked up over the downstairs since that is what most people will see. the kids are responsible for their own rooms so if they want to have friends in their rooms, they have to clean them up before the friend comes over.

i do miss having more time and energy to do the things i really enjoyed though like baking.

**miss_thrifty** · 09-10-2006, 08:18 PM

Im a sahm for the last 15 years. Ther was lots of times i wished iw as at work, heloing paying the bills, and getting out more with adults then staying every day 7 days week with the, (hubby was always working-seasonal work). Then in the winter we'd end of fighting with a samll pogey check and him all the time, drove me nuts lol
No curcimstances are ever easy in any situation , if they were we wouldnt learn from it. I did without alot of normal luxuries at the time when both boys were small, so i could stay home.
being a homemaker isnt easy with kids, its work!!! But you get to pick certain times during certain days to get things done or try too.
I loved it that i seen all the things my parents missed in life for me and my sister, and that made up for all the materialistic things my mom had and said she needed.

**Droppedonmyhead** · 09-10-2006, 08:40 PM

I love homemaking, but since I've always had to work full time, it's sort of limited. But after I retire, it's what I plan to do. A friend of mine said that when her husband was alive, she would work in the home all day and then when he came home, she was finished. The evening time was for her family. She may have cleaned up the kitchen after dinner, but that was it. She said that she treated it like a job and had a quitting time. It made so much sense to me. I wondered why I had never thought of it like that. Her home was always immaculate, but she was not a slave to it.

**cheappearls** · 09-10-2006, 09:03 PM

If anyone thinks being a SAHM is easy they are insane. haha.

I love being at home with my boys. With my husband in the Army being at home allows for me to be the constant in their lives. We do have loads of fun during the day but at the end of the day I'm just totally wiped out. Wouldn't trade the sloppy kisses and I love yous for anything though.

**frugalfarmwife** · 09-10-2006, 11:37 PM

I love being at home, my home is far from immaculate but I'm the one in charge of the house, barns, fields and animals. I wouldn't trade it for the world. Hubby always comes home to clean clothes, a semi clean house, home cooked meals and well cared for animals, that what I live for.

kj

**Lady_V** · 09-11-2006, 01:29 AM

The hours are endless, there are no sick days, no paid holidays...

I wouldn't trade being a SAHM with my DD for ANYTHING!!!

**Neeley** · 09-11-2006, 04:03 AM

Being at home with my kids and animals is great. I have no desire to have a job outside of my home. My kids are 11 and 13 and I think they need me home just as much now, if not more, than ever before. Besides all that, it would be hard to homeschool them if I was not at home and I refuse to quit homeschooling.

**Laurie in Bradenton** · 09-11-2006, 08:45 AM

One of the joys of owning our own business has allowed me the freedom to be at home with the kids and with DH all day. I love cooking, baking, cleaning and making each day a celebration. DH and I enjoy our buisness and the time together both at work and at home. We find a great deal of joy in our yard and home.

Laurie in BRadenton

**Paquita** · 09-12-2006, 05:39 PM

DH and I never had any children, but I always said if we did, HE could be a SAHD and I would work. I don't like to cook, clean, sew, or anything else "domestic". I think my 'homemaker' gene got mixed up with a 'powertool' gene!
I always wanted to play with tools as a kid, dad said "Girls can't use tools."
Ann

**Sari** · 09-12-2006, 09:13 PM

I want nothing more right now than to be a wife and mother. Got the wife part down, LOL. I really don't know a lot, don't have a lot of experience with cooking, sewing, even housekeeping (eek!), so I'm picking it up as I go, and trying to get rid of a lot of bad habits.

**bevjean** · 09-13-2006, 12:58 AM

I always thought I wanted to be a sahm. 5 years ago I was able to quit my job and stay home. I suck at it. There's no other way to put it. I like to bake, hate to cook. I hate cleaning. My house stays picked up, and not disgusting, but not really spotless either. I love my boys but there are days (weeks)I just don't want to be around them or really anyone.. Some of it is probably caused by my depression. I am seriously lacking in motivation these days. I am going to school, my grades are good. I put little effort and a lot of stress into that. I don't know what degree I'm going for and I'm not thrilled about the thought of getting a job either (my last job was hell and I'm afraid of getting stuck in another job like it). I'm 30++++ and still haven't found out what I want to do when I grow up.

**frugalnana** · 09-13-2006, 01:55 AM

I enjoy staying home. Its not easy being home all day, but I enjoy all the other perks of not having to go out each day deal with the weather in the winter time if I worked. I enjoy the time I get to spend with my grown kids and grandkids and especially when dh is off. I do miss the people I worked with and just having an adult to talk to.

**cspp04** · 09-13-2006, 06:39 AM

i was a sahm for several years when the kids were young but didn't enjoy the homemaking as much as i thought i would. at the time i had my nose in books all the time and had a strong social pull that took me away from home to visit people. i think i spent less than half my time homemaking than the average sahm.
now that i am a single mother and working, i appreciate homemaking more. i've slowed down a lot since my kids were little, too. i take great pride in a having a clean and organized home. after i realized i didn't have to have every room perfectly clean all the time, coming home after work and looking after things was a breeze.
my home is comfortable, clean and a haven from the hectic world outside its doors.

kuddos to the sahm's and working gals for all the effort they put into their family life!