A Mere Housewife In This Generation
Mommy @yen had posted this article about her being not a typical housewife and it triggered me to also create my take on this. Check her article on her account!
I agree with her that in this generation, wives are not the same as those who were ahead of us for many years. There are so many things that had changed our way of living especially our way of being mothers or housewives.
In this time and generation, women are given equal rights to men although there are exceptions to the rule, it is a general thing that we, women can do almost all the things that men can do and vice versa.
Our society had been too attached to the old ways of how a “stay-at-home” wife should be. I am not in favor of this. Anyone who would be telling us to be this and that without knowing our situation should just zip their mouths.
I agree that a wife must be there to take care of the house, but not to the extremities. I remember my mother who had taught me how to clean the house, taught me how to prepare meals, especially breakfast, she taught me to wash our clothes, sweep the floor, keep the house tidy, and be out of dust.
She’d be very angry when she sees some dirt or cobwebs still hanging on the counter or the ceiling. I grew up having this fear whenever my mother is around, I had to make sure the floor has been polished well and the dishes must be sparkling clean as well as the sink, it has to be extra clean before I could sit and watch television or else I'll get a good whole day of nagging and it will ruin my chill time.
So when I went to college, it felt free! It was at that time that I don’t have to really think so much about cleaning, I had time to do my favorite things like making art. And when I got married, I was told by my mother to always be there for our house and she’d comment a lot of times whenever we are at home and I don’t clean up our room. She’d go nagging and tell me that it is not how she had raised me.
Anyway, I love my mother but I am unlike her. She freaks out when the house is untidy. I clean the house but not every single day. Yes, I sweep the floor but not to the point where I’d go every single corner.
Before giving birth, my husband and I both were working, I get tired, he is also tired and so when at home, we usually just rest. We don’t even cook our food, we just buy it from the neighbor’s cafeteria or order food online. It was when I got pregnant when I started cooking or whenever I feel like eating such food that I go to the kitchen and cook with the help of YouTube and online sites.
As for washing clothes, I’d surely do that but only those which are light. Denim pants, comforters, bedsheets, towels, and the rest of those which are heavy are sent to laundry shops. And folding clothes is another separate topic. We all know what happens to newly dried clean clothes right? They might actually stay in the corner for a week!
As for our comfort room, I only spray bleaching liquid and wait for it to do the wonders. I rarely scrub as spraying bleach can help a lot in taking away the dirt and even making the bowl and the floor become white and clean.
I can distinguish the difference between my mother and me, I don’t stress myself with the cleaning part while my mother who labels herself as a typical housewife nags while cleaning, nags when someone is making a mess. My mother and I are the total opposite, I must say when it comes to house chores and it is okay, I feel fine with this but I am not sure if she's okay with my own. Again, the leave and cleave thing here is very important that is why my husband and I have been thinking about this matter of living separately while in Bohol.
I am glad that my husband is not very particular as well with these things. Perhaps because we are of the same generation. When I clean, he keeps his distance, sometimes he washes the dishes, he cooks too, he even washes his own undergarments which I greatly appreciate. As for massage, he is already satisfied with my inexperienced way of massage.
Living in this generation where both the husband and wife hustle, I label myself as not the typical housewife as well. I believe that a lot of us who are in readcash are not typical housewives, we find ways to hustle and with the knowledge of our husbands, they support us, they don’t ask too much of our presence in the entire household because they know that we exert as much effort as we needed to generate income for the family too.
We are thankful for husbands who understand and who support us. Our society must not label a housewife as someone whose life only revolves on taking care of the household. We as mothers and wives have our personal lives too and we want to help as well in generating income for our family. More importantly, we have our own dreams to fulfill.
The people outside our home have the tendency to really react right away, perhaps judge us but it’s okay. We don’t have to prove to them anything. As long as the people who matter in our lives are aware of what we are doing and they know why we are doing this, that’s the only important thing, that's what matters most.
Hugs to all stay-at-home mommies out there! Let's do what we do without being harsh to ourselves!
xoxo,
momentswithmatti
Mother | Boholana | Cebu | Philippines | Travel | Photography Enthusiast | Calligraphy | Art | Crypto Noob
Times have changed, and everyone has been breaking this stereotype and it is very evident these days. Most women tend to work like their husbands, and it is quite understood these days as our needs has changed and it is their way of helping in raising the family. In fact, there are even women who are higher paying than most men.