WHOSE JOB IS IT ANYWAY?- THE MODERN WOMEN’S GUIDE TO HOUSEWIFERY Part II
Yesterday, I gave you a few questions to get the conversation about housewifery started. How did that go?
As promised, I want to delve into some scenarios today.
When a husband and wife agree that she will be the keeper of the home or the home administrator, that job needs to be clarified. A home administrator, according to Proverbs 31:
She looks well to how things go in her household,
She is in charge of running the household. She makes the schedule for when things get finished, unless there has been a conversation with her husband and he wants to take responsibility for something. It should be up to her to decide what should be a priority on a day to day basis.
Let me give you an example:
Let’s say Mom is home with the kiddos. They are having a great day playing board games and then the sun comes out. Everyone heads out to enjoy the weather. The lunch dishes are still in the sink when hubby gets home. Should he complain?
In this instance, Mom decided fresh air and some outside time was a priority. She made an executive decision. The dishes can wait. Dad can pitch in if he likes.
Here’s another scenario:
Dad comes home and the project Mom started is still on the floor in pieces. Maybe she didn’t have time to apply the last coat of wax to the desk she painted, so it is still in parts. Maybe something else was a priority that day.
Just to put this in perspective- does dad ever have a day at work when he doesn’t complete everything on his agenda? Does he ever have a bad day? Does everything always work out perfectly at work? Should it at home?
Here’s one last one that I ran into a lot. Hubby would come home and the house was a wreck-
“So, you didn’t do anything today?” he would ask.
Meanwhile, I’m thinking, we had the best day EVER. We hiked on the trail. Read a book aloud. Made cookies. You get the picture.
Another day, he would come home to a sparkling clean house and say:
“Wow, you got a lot done today!”
I would be thinking, I didn’t even crack a school book or play a game. We had a cleaning day. Everyone helped (which is great), but I looked at it a little differently.
This is why conversations about these things are so important. Women tend to be more relationship oriented and men more task oriented. I am a planner. I do love a schedule. But when it comes to being a home administrator, I look at the whole picture- now and the future. A sparking clean kitchen is not what my kids are going to remember. It may be something I teach them to do. It isn’t the first on my mission statement list.
With that said, let’s read some words of wisdom from Sally Clarkson:
Your home is your domain-it is the part of creation that God has uniquely designed and delegated to you to subdue and rule over, especially as a homeschooling mother. However, homes of disorder get in the way of our stewarding this very important place, and creates an environment of stress and anxiety.
Home administration is a serious job. We must have a plan. We must be proactive. Kids can pitch in and help. Once we have a plan in place, it should be a guideline. If we can’t keep it perfectly, we shouldn’t throw it out. Tomorrow, I’ll get into a few more points and questions for you about being the Home Administrator. For now, if you feel as if you aren’t organized by nature, read this post- Schedules are for Unorganized People.