Last week i happened to catch up with a long lost school friend of mine. Thanks to the advancement of the technology, the world has become much closer and accessible, at least virtually i mean.
So our conversation started with catching up on the details of our junior college, graduation, professional accomplishments coming on to our present state of being a “housewife”. Usually the first reaction or reply that a housewife unintentionally and promptly gives is that,”No,no i am not a working woman anymore, i stay at home with kids”. The laughably strange irony of the situation is that despite the fact that she solely manages the entire house, shuffling and multi-tasking between the schedule, necessities, comfort and requirements of all the family members, from cooking meals to feeding her children to remembering the medicines for children and elders in the family alike, she is the first to wake up each morning and last to lie down at night, her job description is endless indeed.
What then makes a lady who is efficiently doing all this with no sick or casual leaves, no allocated days for break, no pay cheque either, undermine her own value to say,”I am not a working woman!”?
“I think it has got more to do with her seeing her own value as defined through the eyes of others.”
It has also got to do with the fact that there is no annual appraisal, no appreciation nor credit given to her as she would have otherwise received, had she been working professionally in some organisation. This perspective which exists in our society definitely needs a long pending make-over.
A housewife is not the breadwinner in a family that i do agree, but she is definitely a financial planner, budgeting and savings planner, a contributor to all the aspects pertaining to the family and unquestionably a remarkable value addition to all the lives associated with her’s in her family and for that she deserves respect and acknowledgement.
A heartfelt note from me to all the beautiful and hardworking housewives is to stop referring to themselves as “not working” and start valuing and respecting their important role as a “home maker”, an efficient manager who handles different generations and age groups, any situations and circumstances in her family, efficiently donning the numerous hats of a cleaner, cook, teacher, caretaker, get together organiser while being a part of all the ups and downs of the lives of each person of her family at the same time with the same amount of sincerity, dedication and love !
My Mind Inscribed 
True,if we don’t appreciate and respect our own hardwork, how can we expect others to appreciate it.
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Right Deepika, precisely what I wanted to convey.. 😊
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That’s why these days the word used for a housewife is ‘Home maker’ .This is not only to give a new name to the old job but to recognise the importance of a housewife.
The job of a home maker reuires lots of sacrifice & patience and it is most unrewarding and thankless job .But the dignity attached to it is unmatched.
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Rajeev ji more people with your thought process are required who do recognize the sacrifice and acknowledge it.
But more than expecting from others first the women themselves need to réalisé and accept their own worth.
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Hey Sonali….very well written. I think if both males and females understand this society will surely be a better place..All the best
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Thank you Mitul
Yes, I do agree that both the genders need to understand and acknowledge it but first and foremost women themselves need to respect themselves and understand their own worth. They should not let the opinion of others decide who they are.
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The most toughest job is to keep everyone happy.
Maintaining a pace at home and ofc is not easy. It’s a super natural power – we women have. We are the best multi-taskers.👍
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Yes Vandita… we are..😊
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Nice article – Everyone in today’s world need to be considered same and work jointly making life smooth and happy.
And yes the work at home is endless and patience is the key to success.
Male in today’s world should learn and bring the change at the earliest by mandatorily getting involved in home making.
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It’s not just the home makers’ mind set that needs a change, the society needs to stop asking questions like “oh you are not working anymore…but why…when did you quit…how come you quit??”. And there are some who give you loads of advices like ” you should try to get back to job at the earliest….too much gap leaves you with very few options to return to a position w.r.t your experience etc etc”
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I am glad to see you here Tejaswini 😊
Yes the society needs to change for good, but first of all what I intended to convey is that we must not feel incomplete or incompetent or not good enough only because the others think so, when we hold our head high knowing our worth and respecting ourselves enough others will think twice before advising.
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Loved the article! This is so true. Just because a woman chooses to focus on her family rather than a career doesn’t make her less of a contributor in society. In fact, it makes her one of the greatest of societal contributors! Priorities are so very important and spending time on your family is time you can never get back if you forego it. We have the same pressures in the US, especially in major cities like Washington DC where I live. If a woman says she’s a “stay at home mom” she’s looked down upon. I say she’s a Domestic CEO making her family a priority! Now that’s a career worthy of praise!
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Wow Sandy.!! Loved the way you put it across.
That’s the attitude we all need to develop, mutual respect for all to co-exist in the way they choose to exist without the pressure of being judged..! Respect is something that one must not compromise on.
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Very true!!.. …
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good initiative for unsung heroes.
Nicely written
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Thank you Sunita.. 😊
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