Thinking of becoming a homemaker? If so then you must be wondering how you can prepare for homemaking. And what some of the duties of a homemaker are.
Deciding to become a homemaker can be very stressful, especially if you don’t have anyone in your life who has taken on this role.
Here’s an article that might help you decide if homemaking is for you: Should I Become A Stay-at-Home Mom? (Questions to ask yourself + quiz included)
In this article, I’ll describe some of the duties of a homemaker, and describe some things you can start doing today to prepare for homemaking.
Let’s jump in!
Who is a homemaker (definition)
A homemaker is anyone whose primary responsibility is managing everything inside the home. This includes caring for the children and doing domestic duties like cleaning and cooking. Some homemakers do side gigs to earn extra money to support the family.
Let’s break down some of the duties of a homemaker below
What are the duties of a homemaker?
Keeping the home clean
One of your primary duties as a stay-at-home mom is to keep your house in order. That means cleaning the whole house when needed, taking out the trash, and doing the laundry.
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Raising children
Another duty of a homemaker is to raise children. This is your primary responsibility. You need to teach your kids how to become responsible and productive adults in society.
This means teaching them morals, life skills, responsibility, kindness, etc. It also involves providing the appropriate discipline for their behaviors. For you to provide the right discipline, you’ll need to work on yourself and discover what parenting style you want to raise your children with.
Doing chores and helping around the house is another skill you’ll have to teach your children. According to MSU, chores help children learn self-control. It also helps them feel like a contributing member of the household.
Cooking and cleaning
Cooking and cleaning are the primary responsibilities of a homemaker. Cleaning involves taking out the trash, doing laundry, vacuuming, mopping, etc.
In some households, the husband does help with cooking and some aspects of cleaning. That is something you’ll have to discuss with your husband if you want him to take on part of the responsibility.
Managing the bills
Managing the family finances is another part of being a homemaker. Since your spouse spends most of their time working, you will be responsible for paying the bills on time.
You’ll also be responsible for making sure all your insurances are up to date.
It’s also your job as a homemaker to keep track of all spending and deposits in your bank account. This will enable you to make adjustments to your family budget if you’re spending more than your husband makes.
The best way to keep track of your spending and finances is to have joint checking and savings account with your spouse. This way, you both will know what each other is spending every month.
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Scheduling appointments
Another duty of a homemaker is to schedule appointments for the whole family. Your spouse might not be able to make a doctor’s appointment due to his work schedule. This task will have to fall on you.
It’s also your job to make sure the children see their doctors when needed.
Appointments aren’t limited to doctor visits. Taking the kids to afterschool activities, planning playdates, sleepovers, and planning visits with relatives are all part of your duties.
Shop for essentials for the household
Homemakers are responsible for making sure the household is fully stocked with essentials. Some essential items are groceries and cleaning products. Others include up-to-date clothes, shoes, and school supplies for the kids.
Educating the kids
Some stay-at-home moms choose to homeschool their kids. This is a huge responsibility that involves learning the curriculum of your state, planning appropriate activities, and making sure your kids have enough socialization time.
Homemakers who don’t homeschool still have to prioritize their children’s education when they’re younger. Most kids begin kindergarten at 6 years old. This means that it’s your sole responsibility before that age to prepare them for school.
They’ll need to know their ABCs, their colors, numbers, etc. to be ready.
Homework help
Helping school-aged children with homework is another of your job as a homemaker. Kids this young need supervision when doing homework to ensure they understand everything correctly.
Attending parent-teacher conferences
In addition to supervising homework, you also have to keep in contact with their teachers. This involves weekly check-in to ask about classroom behaviors. It also involves attending parent-teacher conferences.
Let’s take a look at some of the things you can start doing today to prepare for homemaking.
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How do I prepare for homemaking? (Things you should do before you become a homemaker)
Here are some things you should learn before you become a homemaker.
Understand the type of parenting style you’ll use to raise your kids
The most important reason we become homemakers is to raise our kids the way we want, without the influence of babysitters. So it is extremely important that we learn which type of parenting style we’ll be using to raise our kids.
There are four types of parenting styles.
They are authoritarian, democratic, uninvolved, and permissive parenting. According to CNBC, the democratic (also called authoritative) parenting style is the best one for raising children.
Most people have adapted this parenting style into what is now known as gentle parenting today. To learn more about using the democratic parenting style, check out 13 Stay-at-Home Mom Books You Should Add To Your Reading List Today
Learn to enjoy your own company
Homemakers spend the majority of their day with their kids. They don’t have a lot of adult interactions. So learning to enjoy your own company will help you become a good homemaker. This way, you won’t get depressed when you’re alone most of the day.
Have a hobby that makes you happy
A good homemaker is someone who has a hobby that keeps them busy. Hobbies are good for your mental health because it helps you preserve your individual identity.
A lot of stay-at-home moms lose themselves in raising their kids until they forget their own identities. Don’t let that be you. Please find a hobby that you can do in between the stresses of raising children.
You may also like: 29 Fun Stay-at-Home Mom Hobby Ideas (money-making hobbies included)
Learn good communication skills
One important thing you’ll have to learn to be a good homemaker is effective communication. That’s the foundation on which your marriage will be built.
To prepare for homemaking, you’ll need to sit with your spouse to determine what your duties in the home will be.
Both of you should agree on what you’re responsible for and how he can help you at home in his free time. If your duties are not defined, it’ll create conflict in the future when you begin to feel like you do all the work.
At some point in your homemaking journey, you may start to feel resentful toward your spouse for not helping as much as you think they should. The stress of raising kids and caring for the home will become overwhelming.
This is something you’ll have to communicate with him in a positive manner so that you both can come to a solution that works for everyone.
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Get your finances in order
One thing you should do to prepare for homemaking is pay off as much debt as you can. You don’t want to bring the burden of owing debt into this new phase of your life. Remember that you’ll be living on one income.
Another way to prepare for homemaking is to build your credit. Having a good credit score will help you secure loans in the future should you need them.
Learn how to be frugal
To be a good homemaker, you should learn how to be frugal. Try shopping for only items on sale. Learn to live within your means. Find ways to save money around the house. You will need these skills when your income is cut in half.
You may also like: How Can A Homemaker Stretch The Family Food Budget? (11 easy ways)
Work on your self-confidence
Another way to prepare for homemaking is to work on your self-confidence. At certain points in the life of a stay-at-home mom, we start to feel insecure.
Part of that insecurity comes from the fact that we’re no longer earning money. The loss of financial independence can be stressful.
You may also feel insecure when around working moms. You might feel that your job as a stay-at-home mom is somehow less important than those who work.
Whatever the cause of the insecurity may be, it’s best to learn skills to cope with it before you become a homemaker. It’ll make life much easier for you.
Accept that you’ll be doing the majority of the housework and childcare
This is one of the biggest hurdles most homemakers face. They come into this lifestyle with an unrealistic expectation that their husbands will share in the housework 50/50. The truth is that marriage is never 50/50.
If your spouse works a full-time job outside the home, then expect to do the majority of the housework. That is what you signed up for as a stay-at-home mom.
There are times when you will need help. When that time comes, make sure to communicate your needs with your spouse and hold him accountable for helping.
Having this mindset that you’ll be doing the majority of the work at home is one of the best ways to prepare for homemaking.
Find friends that are homemakers to share your experience with
No one will understand your lifestyle like another stay-at-home mom. So find friends in your neighborhood who are homemakers just like yourself.
They will be there when you need to vent about your life. They’ll also be there when you need another adult to talk to. This article is how I found most of my stay-at-home mom friends.
Practice good self-care
There is no better way to prepare for homemaking than to practice good self-care. Self-care simply refers to whatever you do that helps relax you after a busy day.
It can be taking a candlelit bath, doing your nails, reading a book, or watching a TV show. Whatever you choose, make sure to build it into your daily routine.
This will make it easier to continue when you’re stressed out with your kids and home life.
Learn good organization skills
Learning how to organize your time will save you a lot of headaches when you become a homemaker. Some of the ways that stay-at-home moms manage their time include using a schedule, using a to-do list, and a timer.
Having great organization skills will also help you be more efficient with cleaning, cooking, and other aspects of maintaining a home. Check out How To Be A More Organized Stay-at-Home Mom: 17+ Practical Tips for tips on how you can become more organized today.
Conclusion
There are so many things you can do to prepare for homemaking. To recap, you need to find a hobby, make new stay-at-home mom friends, get your finances in order, and learn to enjoy your own company.
You also need to learn to speak up and communicate effectively. That will be critical in your relationship.
I’ve also included in this post some of the duties of a homemaker. This will help you determine your work responsibilities at home.
I hope that this article will be useful in helping you prepare for homemaking.
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