Homemaking Shouldn’t Be Complicated – So Why Does It Feel So Overwhelming?
In recent years, homemaking has become quite a popular idea. Homemaking and traditional living is having its moment, as they say. For me, homemaking and the traditional ways of life have always seemed appealing. Despite its appeal, it can be overwhelming. There are so many aspects to homemaking, even if a lot of the world views it as a “simple” role in life it is actually a lot to balance. If you are a homemaker or would like to become one and are struggling with how to juggle it all then fear not. Homemaking made easy is possible.
What Is Homemaking?
Homemaking seems pretty basic, right? You’re home and you make it, but what on earth does that really mean? With the multitude of online homemakers increasing in popularity it can even be hard not to feel completely overwhelmed by the idea of homemaking after seeing everything they do and wondering how you’ll ever be able to do it all too.
If you want to simplify homemaking and are unsure where to begin on that first day of being home then let’s start with why you are home.
Know Your Reason
There are a multitude of reasons why someone may choose to become or may find themselves a homemaker. Perhaps it was your dream to be a homemaker and you finally have the opportunity, maybe someone in your family is sick or injured and needs 24/7 care, or you just had a baby and have made the decision to stay at home. There are a number of other reasons why someone may become a homemaker along with other factors of each individual situation, but knowing why you are now a homemaker is step one.
If you choose to leave your 9 to 5 to stay at home with your children, for instance, then your primary job is to care for those children. This already gives you a good starting point for what to do all day while at home (and believe me caring for children or even just one child can be a full-time job!).
The Basics
In almost all circumstances of what led you to become a homemaker most basic needs of a household are the same no matter each member’s status. Everyone needs to have their basic needs met – food, sleep, and safety. Food and sleep are pretty self-explanatory but can be more simplistic or complex depending on preferences. Safety is getting people through the day mostly intact. This can be anything from a roof over their heads, to making sure everyone has clothes for the day, to ensuring that no one does anything too crazy to end up mortally wounded, and trust me your toddler will likely try to end up in the emergency room if given the opportunity.
This means that at the end of each day, to have performed successfully the basics of homemaking all you really need to do is ensure that everyone has had dinner and all heads hit their pillows comfortably in their beds.
Is it Really That Simple?
The next question you likely have is probably wondering if that’s really it. You’ve seen the homemakers online, and maybe even have homemaking friends who handmade all the curtains in their home, garden and utilize canning for all the food they eat, care for chickens and livestock, and somehow manage to make a fresh loaf of sourdough bread and have a scratch-made meal on the table each day, so how can homemaking really be just making sure that everyone just had clean socks for the day (and maybe not even that!).
Let’s rework this thought process. It’s rare that one person can do ALL of those things and especially do them flawlessly. Sure, some people have an uncanny way about them that allows them to do pretty spectacular things, but your average homemaker doesn’t have the time, budget, or wherewithal. Most homemakers online who have seen a good deal of success usually have a team behind them helping to get everything done.
While maybe it’s not realistic to do it all, we can do some extra things outside of the basics aforementioned, but it’s important to set realistic goals and expectations for yourself and your family.
Realistic Expectations
Cleaning
When we think of homemaking often this means cleaning and cooking are part of the job duties. If these are areas you are reasonably responsible for there are things you can do to simplify these jobs and make more of your time at home.
I always recommend a good cleaning routine or cleaning habits if a routine isn’t your thing. Little things throughout the day can add up to a tidy and more organized home like putting something away that’s out of place before you leave a room, for instance. If you are looking for how I keep a clean home you may find this post helpful. I also offer a free downloadable Cleaning Schedule that you can receive by signing up for the Hummingbird Homestead Hilltop email list which you can find links for on the homepage, or you will find it offered throughout my website.
Cooking
Cooking is another area that often falls to the homemaker. I personally enjoy weekly meal planning, but some people are skilled at throwing things together with ease each night without much thought and others like to meal plan a whole month in advance. There’s no right or wrong here, it just depends on your comfort level, skill set, and circumstances. For example, the reason I like weekly meal planning is that we live pretty far from the grocery store and haven’t started our garden yet so buying items and planning meals that utilize foods that meet the parameters I need for weekly shopping is ideal. For insight into the way I meal plan I share my tips here.
Finances
Finances are something that many homemakers who are leaving their 9 to 5 probably think and perhaps even worry about. While earning money isn’t necessarily your responsibility anymore, being financially savvy is. It’s important to do what you can to save money. This can look different in each household.
Some homemakers still earn money through passive income streams or perhaps by selling handmade goods. Finding good deals at the store or even making more things at home versus buying them can oftentimes save money, although not always. I began making yeast bread for my family because we could make about four loaves of bread for the cost of one store-bought loaf, but be careful with this as it isn’t always a money saver. For example, making your own peanut butter can be easy and great to do but actually can cost more because raw peanuts seem to be pricier than buying premade peanut butter.
All The Extras
Honestly, everything else is extra credit. You don’t have to make bread for your family each week or sew everyone’s clothing. Sometimes it’s fun to have projects that keep you busy but also benefit the family and break up the monotony of the day-to-day, but it isn’t required.
For instance, my husband and I initially bought land and have plans to start a moderately sized homestead because we like to plan for the worst and hope for the best. It feels good to know that if the proverbial poo hit the fan we could survive at least for a time on our own and aren’t dependent on others, but learning those sets of skills needed and creating that type of homestead isn’t a necessity, at least right now. But, if we can learn the skills without interfering in our day-to-day life, and maybe even improving it, then why not?
Keep It Simple
Don’t bite off more than you can chew though. If caring for your newborn is making you feel drained and you are in survival mode then just focus on that and don’t add or feel pressured into adding anything else onto your plate. You’ll know when you’re ready to add more things to life when you start feeling bored or needing an outlet and don’t feel completely overwhelmed by the idea.
At The End Of The Day
There are so many facets to homemaking. There is interior decorating, organizing, home improvement, homeschooling, and many other categories of things one can do. At the end of the day meeting your household’s base needs fulfills your role and can take a lot. Everything else is a nicety and that’s important to remember. Happy homemaking homemakers!
