How to Be a Homemaker

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As homemaking continues to become a lost art, I believe it’s more important than ever to elevate the role of the homemaker. Today I’m talking about how to be a homemaker and what that can look like for you today. If you are new homemaker or even if you are a seasoned homemaker, you can give new life to your home and those who dwell there by appreciating your role.

I believe that all women are called to be homemakers. Whether you work outside the home or stay home full time, you are a homemaker. If you have a place you call home, you are a homemaker.

How to Be a Homemaker @ AVirtuousWoman.org

When I became a homemaker, I had no idea what I was doing. Oh, maybe I had some ideas about how to be a homemaker – after all, I had a mom who worked hard to keep our home neat. But I really had no idea how to be a homemaker.

I got married the first time when I was 15 years old. I had a 3 month old baby boy and it was difficult getting in the car after our little wedding in my parents living room to drive away, leaving Pensacola, Florida to go live back in Georgia (where I lived before).

My then husband (he was 18) was getting ready to go to the University of Georgia and after we got married in June 1991, we went to live with his grandparents for a couple months until school started.

His grandmother spent that time teaching me how to be a homemaker. I called her Mrs. Jackson and she was a meticulous homemaker.

I remember her telling me that mothers always took the burnt piece because they wanted their family members to have the best.

I was using cloth diapers at the time and she made sure I knew how to wash them properly. She taught me how to wash the laundry, how to iron, how to clean the bathrooms, how to clean the kitchen… basically all the important stuff.

Mrs. Jean Jackson and her husband, Thomas

I’m very thankful for the wisdom she shared with me.

How to Be a Homemaker

I’ll never forget how every time she went to do a task, her calling my name, “Melissa, come here.” And then she would proceed to teach me each step involved in the task. From cooking to cleaning to washing the laundry, she wanted to make sure I would know how to take care of a house and how to take care of my family.

Looking back, I know I didn’t appreciate her efforts in teaching me how to be a homemaker the way I should have. I wish I had realized the gift she was giving me. I was young and had a lot to learn – a lot of growing up to do!

But her efforts were not wasted. I still clean my house and do many of my chores the way she taught me. And every time I switch the laundry I think of her.

She passed away recently and while I hadn’t seen her much in the last two decades (after my divorce) I cried hard when I learned she had passed away. She invested great care into me, my kids, our family and I look forward to seeing her again when Jesus returns.

So, let’s talk about how to be a homemaker:

#1 Your attitude about homemaking matters.

A homemaker by definition is someone who manages and makes a home. But I want you to understand this: anyone can clean and organize a home. Homemaking is about more than checking off the items on your to do list.

Learning how to be a homemaker means you learn how to make your home feel like haven of peace and love. You seek out ways to make your home feel inviting. You work at it.

There is no easy button for homemaking. There are easier, more efficient ways to do chores, but the chores still have to be done. If you live in a house, you will create the need for the house to be tidied every day and cleaned on a regular basis.

Having the right attitude about homemaking is the first step in learning how to be a homemaker.

“Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,” Philippians 2:14-15

Appreciating your role as a homemaker and having a pleasant attitude about the tasks under your care changes the atmosphere of your home. The goal is to have a pleasant atmosphere in your home.

#2 Take time to learn how to care for your home well.

Just like any job, when you learn how to be a homemaker and do it well, you’ll find the job is easier. Whether it’s learning how to organize, clean different areas of your home, or how to be more efficient, when you have the knowledge to put into practice, you’ll find the tasks aren’t as hard as they were.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,” Colossians 3:23

Take the time to study how to clean, organize, and tidy your home in the most efficient way possible. Read homemaking books. Read homemaking blogs. Women in the past took pride in their homes and they often studied home economics in school.

Home economics is a real thing! There are so many ways you contribute to the health and economy of your family as a homemaker.

  • help save money
  • prepare home cooked meals
  • provide care and nurturing for the family
  • care for children
  • and more!

Homemaking, like any job, has a set of standard operating procedures that make the job more efficient. You can clean your house any number of different ways, but when you have a standard operating procedure, it’s easier.

You can purchase my Homemaking 101 Bundle here.

#3 Take your job as a homemaker seriously.

Old fashioned homemaking of the past meant learning how to be a homemaker was a serious business. You didn’t just go into the role of homemaker without being taught how to do it well by your mother, aunts, and grandmothers.

Remember, Jesus said that when you are faithful in the very little things, he will make you master over even greater things

““One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” Luke 16:10

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” Matthew 25:21

Being a homemaker was viewed as an important role for the life of the family. I know in this day and age, many women work outside the home – and that’s okay! That doesn’t mean they are any less of a homemaker.

Planning for meals, caring for children, tending to the needs of your husband are all worthy and noble activities for the homemaker. I love homemaking. I don’t always love all the chores, but I love making my home a warm and welcoming place for my family. I want my family to know I care and I can demonstrate my care through homemaking.

I’m sure you want that too! The Bible tells us the Proverbs 31 woman “looks well to the ways of her household.” (Proverbs 31:27). That doesn’t mean she does everything herself. In fact, in the chapter of Proverbs 31 we see that the virtuous woman had maid servants. But it does mean she manages her home well.

In this day and age, we may not have maid servants, but we have other “servants” like washing machines and electric ovens. We are so blessed to have the convenience of a refrigerator and freezer – or even running water!

Learning to manage your home well is a skill all women can learn. But you have to want to. If you feel overwhelmed, I get it. I’ve been there. Homemaking is hard work! It can be overwhelming sometimes.

#4 Get dressed for the job.

This tip is really more for those of you who stay home full time. If you work outside the home, you may not struggle to get dressed everyday. (However, if you struggle to look put together, keep reading!!)

“Her clothing is fine linen and purple.” Proverbs 31:21

Learning to be a homemaker doesn’t mean you sit around in your pajamas all day – as tempting as that sometimes is. If you want to be a good homemaker, you’ll get up in the morning and get dressed as the Fly Lady says, “down to your shoes.”

In decades past you didn’t find women who valued their role as a homemaker looking frazzled and frumpy. They got up, got dressed, and got to work.

Homemaking is work. It’s important work. The work you do in your home matters.

Getting dressed for the day will make you feel so much more productive. I promise. Not only will you feel better about your self image, you’ll feel like working instead of laying around all day. Plus, you’ll move faster. One of the tricks to getting your housework done each day is moving through your chores quickly.

Sarah Mae in her book, Having a Martha House the Mary Way says there are two types of homemakers – the tornado and the butterfly. I’ll be honest and tell yo that my natural inclination is be a butterfly – flitting from one thing to the next, getting easily distracted, and not accomplishing much.

However, when I get dressed and put on my shoes, I feel energized. I move from room to room with purpose. I can jump in the car and run to the post office or out for an errand if I need to – without stopping to get dressed. This might seem intuitive for some of you, but this is something I had to learn and begin to put into practice as I learned how to be a homemaker.

One of my favorite new resources for getting dressed every day is Corina Holden’s Year Round Outfit Guide for Moms. It makes getting dressed so much easier! I don’t have to think about it. I can just look at the book, pick out the coordinating outfit and look put together without much brain power being used up.

The outfit guide comes in a couple different formats, plus you can join her free Facebook group with lots of supportive women! Just click on the image below to check out her guides!

I want to encourage you to get dressed every day (unless your sick or just need a day off). I know it’ll make a big difference in your homemaking (and your life) if you aren’t already in the habit of getting dressed as a homemaker.

#5 Create a routine that works for you.

Learning how to be a homemaker means you also need to learn to be consistent. Routines give your homemaking life. Routines make your homemaking less chaotic. Routines mean your house gets cleaned on a regular basis.

Habits and routines are a really important part of the homemaker’s job. Routines create a soothing rhythm to your days and weeks. When you have good routines in place, you know what to expect – and your family knows what to expect.

“But all things should be done decently and in order.” 1 Corinthians 14:40

You should have daily routines and weekly routines set up so that your home runs smoothly. Having routines means your bathroom is always clean enough. Having routines means you don’t want to panic when someone knocks on your door unexpectedly.

Knowing what to clean and when is a huge help to the homemaker.

The Daily Routine

  1. make beds {5 minutes each}
  2. start laundry {start, switch, fold, put away 10 minutes total}
  3. sweep floors / vacuum {5 – 10 minutes}
  4. tidy kitchen {20 – 30 minutes after each meal}
  5. wipe down bathrooms {2 minutes per bathroom}
  6. straighten house {30 minutes or less}
  7. 10 minute declutter {10 minutes}
  8. take out trash {2 minutes}

The Weekly Chores Routine

  1. Mop Floors
  2. Wash Bedding
  3. Dust Furniture and Bookshelves
  4. Scrub Bathrooms
  5. Clean Out Refrigerator
  6. Clean Stove/ Oven/ Appliances
  7. Clean Mirrors
  8. Clean Out One Drawer or Closet Space

None of these chores need to take a lot of time. When you do them each week, it’s really less work! It’s when things pile up and get a lot dirtier that cleaning takes what feels like forever. Plus, when you let things go for too long, it really does require more elbow grease to get clean.

#6 Remember homemaking is a ministry.

As a homemaker, think of your role in terms of ministry. The homemaker’s job is to care for the family and care for the home.

“Who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” 2 Corinthians 3:6

When we look at the actual meaning of minister, we see how perfectly the word describes the homemaker. To minister means: to attend to the needs of someone

What better way to think of homemaking than to think in terms of ministry. As you prepare meals, you are ministering to the needs of your family. As you clean bathrooms and mop floors and wash laundry – you are ministering to the needs of your family. As you comfort a crying child or bandage a scraped knee – you are ministering to the needs of your family.

Homemaking is a ministry and the homemaker ministers to her family by providing love and care each and every day.

Action Steps to Take Today

  1. Pray and ask God to help you learn how to be a homemaker.
  2. Determine whether your attitude about homemaking needs adjusting.
  3. Choose your outfit for tomorrow and be intentional with your day.
  4. Create a cleaning routine for your days and weeks – write it down.
  5. Download my free printable “My Role as a Homemaker” Worksheet below and write down your thoughts about homemaking.
  6. Set aside time each month to devote to learning a new skill or how to be more efficient as a homemaker.

Free Printable Homemaker Worksheet

My Role as a Homemaker Worksheet

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4 Comments

  1. I love this article so much. Homemaking is a lot of work but so satisfying and inspiring. Learning new ways to be more efficient and improve mindset as you said is key. I'm currently excited to better my culinary skills, just one aspect of homemaking which can be really fun. Thank you for writing this and sharing your insights!
  2. Thank you so much for writing this article. I am currently in a deep, personal study on how to be a godly woman/wife/mom/homemaker and this was so good! I think it is hugely important that as women we encourage each other that being a homemaker is part of what God called women to do especially as society is pushing us to be anything but good homemakers!
  3. Hi Melissa, thank you very much for writing this article. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and skills. Reading your article is a good way to remind myself that what I do matters and of value. God bless you and your family always. ~Jhaniece from Florida

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