That's Ms.Homemaker to you

Apr 27, 2008 at 3:10 PM
20 comments

I had a conversation with our auto insurance agent last week that went something like this....

Insurance Agent - So, you still work for Company X, correct?
Me - No, I don't work there anymore. I'm home with my daughter.
Insurance Agent - So, you're a Homemaker.
Me - Well, I also work part-time, and will probably go back to school, but yes, I suppose that's technically what I am.

Why is it that I couldn't just own up to the fact that my primary occupation currently is to manage the home? Why does the word Homemaker conjure up images like this ?

Housework rules!

....which, I can assure you looks nothing like me as I've forsaken dry-clean-only fabrics and most forms of make-up in favor of cotton t-shirts and a beauty regime that mainly consists of pulling my hair into a ponytail.

I believe we need to come up with another title entirely for Homemaker. I'd prefer to be called Woman with a Thousand Roles or House Goddess. And if you could see my kitchen floor - which I swear I just swept yesterday - you would NOT want to eat off it, thus, my title of Maker of the Home doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Or perhaps that just makes me a Bad Homemaker?

P.S. I don't iron.

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LOL! I don't iron either, unless as a last resort (when steaming it in the bathroom didn't work), in which case I usually pull some Three Stooges routine like trying to iron my blouse while I'm wearing it.

I just want you to know that I, for one, do NOT get that Betty Crocker-ish 1950's image when I hear the word "homemaker". I know the infinite, selfless, thankless tasks that go into that job. If the corporate world had to hire a "homemaker" they would end up starting an entire department of 6-10 people because it IS such a wide reaching range of jobs and skills.

What's important is how YOU feel about the term....Just know that there are people out there who look upon that role with the utmost respect. It's more than a real job. It's a gazillion!

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I vote for House Goddess!

House Goddess reminds me of House Elf, though, for some reason. There is "stay-at-home mom" which is unwieldy but changes the focus from the home to the (likely) reason that you're in the home, i.e., the kid. I know that's why I'm home, anyway--I don't mean to make assumptions about you. I just decided to use "housewife," because I figure I know what it means to me. And I like the idea of just throwing that in someone's face. Yes, I'm a housewife...is there some kind of problem with that? The truth is I'm a crappy housekeeper, I'm only a housewife because I'm home with my son, and I actually work from home, too, but I like "housewife."

Oh, on a somewhat related subject, I don't know if I told you, but a while back I went to eat in a dim sum restaurant and had occasion to think of you because the owners (who are from "Burma") kept referring to various menu items as "Oriental." As in, "Do you like Oriental food?" and "The noodles are served with a spicy Oriental sauce." Part of me kept snickering inside.

Labels are always so vexing.

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Oh Lord...I'm forever cringing when someone asks what I do. I'm acually a photographer and could probably work more if I wanted but I'm pretty content being a stay-at-home-mom. I can't say housewife because I'm a lousy house keeper but I'll cook you a meal that'll knock your socks off and I spend almost as much time at school as my son.

You know what I really love? When I hear people talking about housewives and saying "she'll never have to work a day in her life." Yeah right!

I don't iron anymore either, I used to when we were young and broke (I used to do it for a living in my early twenties so I got pretty good at it.), but that's why God invented dry cleaners, so people like me wouldn't have to iron cotton shirts.

oh, lawd. i hate ironing. i never do it. unless i'm desperate.

i wish i could just be "lady of leisure" but mia doesn't let me be that.

"house goddess" works, though :D hehe.

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How about "baby or baby assistant"? :)

oops..I meant "baby" or "child" assistant.

Oh, I think that "homemaker" is a title to be proud of because it's the role you've chosen for this season of your life. It sounds way better than "housewife" anyway.

Haha! and so what's the difference between housemaker and housewife?. I love it when they invent this so called new terms just to make them sound more sophisticated.

I don't iron, I don't mind doing it, I just don't really need to. Although I know I should because my shirts would probably look a lot smarter!

I always wanted to be a home-maker - and sadly exactly in that 50's housewife way - how backwards am I?!

There is a new title for "homemaker": The Boss. Tell that to the insurance agent next time. Poor guy won't know which box to tick.

I prefer domestic goddess but that's just me :)

Oh my - if I had a dollar for every time I tripped over the word, homemaker or housewife...well, I could take the two of us out for a really nice lunch!

Your comment is very sweet (as usual)...unfortunately I still have Betty Crocker on the brain when the particular word is used, so I just cringed a little when I owned up that I am one :)

Yes, I get hung-up on labels. Thank you for distilling it down to that basic issue. And absolutely, the kid is my main reason for being at home presently. Though, I think what's been surprising is how I do like to have a hot dinner ready for my family and how much easier it is to stay on top of laundry when you're not working full-time. These are things (however small) that would cause me to consider staying home even when said child is in school. But, I suppose I'm also working part-time, writing, and doing a lot of other things in addition to taking care of our "home". In the end it's a fab job, but I just don't know if "housewife" fits for me.

I am ALL about the dry cleaners. The couple of dollars it takes per shirt is so worth all the time I would have put in to ironing and re-ironing, then hearing my husband say, "this still has wrinkles". No thank you :)