hmmmm, I had lunch today with my 30 something new mommy friend... the topic -frustration with being home- loss of identity. I think it always comes back to an identity crisis with smart women... Who am I out of my suit? Who am I when I am not closing the deal and finishing the major project, who am I without my title? What measures are in place at home to say - "you did a fantastic job last night with a hungry baby screaming every other hour, now on to the grocery shopping"! I think that's what hurts some new (and veteran) housewives. We come from higher education... we've learnt to be savvy-smart, successful and how to manage multiple tasks...we've been rewarded. We are not taught how to manage a home, I never sought that out. I am hard pressed to press a shirt - sorry about the pun. I never learnt to clean an entire house in stages throughout the weeks so it constantly gleams. I have no idea how to shop for the best bang for my buck for my family of four. SO like other women I feel like I am constantly dropping the ball - and I am not used to that. Now I know there are some reading this thinking "oh tisk, tisk" - seriously I can clean, I can shop and I can press a shirt but when you are home full time and these are your all day every day - It would be nice to be a little schooled on how it all fits together - ahhhh and there is it " the art of the housewife".

So I'm going to start getting "schooled". FOR THIS VERY BRIEF TIME IN MY LIFE WHEN I AM BLESSED TO BE HOME " I am going to learn to do it well . . . and that was my rant to my dear new friend - For now learn to be where you are.... for right now.


I recieved a great tips... seems obvious but I was not doing it ( thanks Jessica) and it has helped.

#1 - every morning before breakfast one load of laundry goes in , ( all white together - or all blacks - or all colours together). First add detergent, then water, then clothes. I have recently been told a table spoon of Borax gives a nice cleaning boost! My kids are too little but a friend told me her kids drop there stuff in front of the washer in the AM before school - nice touch!

GOLDEN RULE - always to the switch to the dryer.... the clothes can hang out in the dryer for a while but not the washer!

the art of housewife

I think it takes women .... some women, a long time to get here, here, in the "home" head space. Here... is accepting that this is important work. That this is real work, not obligation. I have been home now for 2 years and 4 months. I stayed home beyond the year maternity leave (putting my career on hold). Fifteen minutes after I stopped breastfeeding .... I was pregnant again and I now have two boys, 19 months a part. I love being called a mom, I cringe at the housewife label.

The transition from one to two and the realization that I was not going back to work has been a real challenge. Motherhood is exhausting and breath taking but the housewife thing kicks my butt on a daily basis... house cleaning, cooking, laundry. I could get help in anyone of these areas - but i also have guilt. I am home... so why can't I get these things under control.

OK... so the whole thing about this BLOG is ...lately I have decided to shed all my "ideas" about what housewife means .... I am going re-invent housewife..... for now..... for this part of my life ...while I am home. . . I'm going to get it right and I'm going to be really good at THIS. I am going to RE-INVENT THE ART OF HOUSEWIFE.