Hello there! I hope you have been staying safe. I have a quick question for you, What is your opinion of full time housewives? How do you view them in relation to working class women?
Okay, I trust the opinion lots of us are guilty of having should have popped up in your mind by now right? That’s what I thought. Well, I have been fortunate enough to experience firsthand what its like to be in full service to a home. I must say that has been the most draining experience I’ve had since I got free from the hinges of academic stress. My goodness! I don’t even have the right words to describe how tedious that stuff is. Oh and get this, I worked 8-5 in my service year so I have experienced the ‘working life’ too. I can say (I am saying this with my full chest) being a full time housewife is more challenging.
People seem to think all you do is lazy around at home, this only works when you’re a lazy person or too insensitive to do what’s right. Unusual chores will call your attention every passing hour. You’ll only get a few hours of rest and even that wouldn’t feel adequate. I swear taking care of kids makes it multiple times harder, just when you think you’re going to get a breather, a little human comes to draw your attention to something and thus begins the cycle of solving whatever his problem is. This gives ‘time’ the perfect opportunity to sneakily pass. When its night, its still that same tired you that will have to help them do loads of homework.
You get so busy taking care of everyone else, that you could become the neglected one. It doesn’t help much even if the people around are kind enough to ask if you’ve eaten or rested because if you’re like me, you can’t even do these things until you’re sure everything is in other and everyone is sorted. It is endless.
I am not trivializing the 8-5 experience I had, it was tasking, draining and a whole lot but honey, staying fully at home all day is hella, hella stressful. There is hardly even time to just breathe, you start with breakfast and before you’ve sat down to have yours, you’ll realize it’s a good time to start preparing lunch. This is a you who possibly has an unfinished book in your computer or the you who has pages left to finish off a really nice book or the you who is eager to catch up on episodes of your favourite soap opera.
It is fulfilling though, especially when kids are involved, seeing that you’ve single handedly prepped and delivered them to school in time makes you want to ask for a medal of honour (actually you deserve it.). At the same time, it takes so much out of you, we don’t appreciate these people enough. Most of them for reasons unknown have had to let go of their dreams. They have put their bodies and mental wellbeing all on the line, certainly not to be looked at like failures. It goes far beyond school days, there is so much to be done at home, you would only know this when you’re always home. You are the one who turns a building in to a sanctuary, a safe haven, a creative den, a prayer house – a home. The managerial role of a housewife has no vacations or weekends, it’s an endless job. Its unfortunate that it doesn’t pay anything close to what professional jobs do, still the home maker role is one of the most important jobs ever, sadly its underrated.
One thing I have to add again is that the managerial role isn't easier for working class women, in fact it's much more challenging. They go to work and return home exhausted just like men but it isn't time to rest just yet. They still have to play the home maker role again till it's time for bed.
This post is dedicated to every hard working homemaker including working class women too, you are super heroes running around without capes. You are incredibly strong and amazing!
Happy International women's day!
xx
