I am just fed up with questions like, “what do you do a whole day while you are not working?” “What do you do to pass your time at home?” “You must not have any work” After being asked this question, again and again, I asked this question to myself and tried to sort out my whole day’s routine and I tried to figure out what is called work exactly. (Is work is something which earns you money). I tracked the time taken by me in each task I do. I am not a hard-working homemaker, I just like my house clean and stomach full and things ready before me and my husband need them. I am not an extraordinarily strong woman, I work until I feel the energy and do not mind to take a break or watch Netflix or talk to the family. This article is not the one with a feminist motive but as these are mostly women who keep things clean, and ready for the family. I tried to figure out my day at home, it is not hectic I would say but as to your curiosity I am not sitting on the couch, munching snacks and just binging on some movies. Even when I am alone, I need clean clothes, a clean house, and food.
I am lazy so I try to find smart ways to do work in less time. I make food which doesn’t take much time as I am mostly alone. I postpone daily chores when I am not well and have other plans. On weekends my husband and I work together.:) I am not a morning person so my day starts at 09:05 in the morning and we go to bed around 24:30 at night. I complete all my work before I leave for a walk around 21:00 in the night.
Laundry: 30 minutes (putting them in the machine, hang them to dry and then keep them back and fold them)
Breakfast: 23 minutes
Watering plants: 5 minutes
Dishes: 10 minutes (twice a day so 20 minutes)
Putting things in place and making the bed: 10 minutes
Dusting the things: 16 minutes
Moping the house: 30 minutes ( We have two rooms, kitchen, bathroom, and toilet)
Wet moping the house: 30 minutes
Cleaning toilet: 14 minutes
Cleaning bathroom: 20 minutes
Cleaning wash-basin: 7 minutes
Lunch: 36 minutes
Cleaning Kitchen counter: 11 minutes( twice day so 22 minutes)
Bringing grocery: 36 minutes
Dinner: 30 minutes
It sums up to be around 320 minutes a day just on daily chores, I also need breaks in between and I take my time to eat my meals, make coffee or tea, and personal stuff like learning Japanese, writing blogs, workout, painting, grooming, meeting friends, talking to my family and some self-care. and there is some weekly (like separating the garbage, cleaning balcony, cleaning windows, arranging wardrobe) and monthly works also when we are just two people. I can imagine how hard it would be with kids and while working, I appreciate the time one spends in making their home livable and I wish if everyone could understand the importance of it and do not just laugh when one says I was busy at home, some things cannot be compared with money. While in India we get a house help cheap though our world is upside down when she takes an unplanned leave. We order food from outside so we do not have to do dishes and the kitchen. I respect the house helps, and I think they get underpaid for the amount of work they do just because they are uneducated and poor.
When I was studying or working my mother used to wake up 2 hours before me, to prepare my breakfast and lunch and keeping my things ready before I wake up. We are so blessed to have a family who tries to make our life easier with their sacrifices, which makes us what we are, who makes us ready to deal with life. I can never underestimate how much work does our mothers do without a holiday and their work often gets unnoticed and not even considered a work. They say we just stay at home, to me they should say we stay at home just like how you stay at the office. A home is a women’s workplace. Remember it before taking a homemaker lightly.
I hope you like the read and I wish would start thinking differently about housework. However, These are my personal thoughts and I do not impose it on you.
Suggest a title and I will update the most suitable title with credits. 🙂
The best comment I got was from Sandya, I really like her views on the topic, and the best title was the one that preety suggested and the thought behind that. Thank you, everyone.
Lots of Love
Yogu
Absolutely true and very well written.. stay at home is not just stay at home… it is the hardest work and without payment..
Thank you for reading Akansha. 🙂 Yes a homemaker’s work is often gets unnoticed.
Thank you for this article ! I know I asked you this kind of questions and I’m sorry if it annoyed you. This article makes me think about how to speak to housemakers. I always ask to people : “what do you do during your freetime ?” I know that chores take a lot of time but I considered being a housemaker as having more free time than “working” people, and so having more time to do various things such as learning Japanese or writing articles. Actually it’s difficult for me to have a clear opinion on this topic, that’s what’s interesting.
This article is reflecting your opinion so I would suggest as a title the nice sentence you wrote at the end : “A home is a woman’s workplace”
Hi, Sandhya, when I was small I used to ask the same question to my mother but never to my father. now when I stay at home and it becomes difficult for me to answer such questions and now I feel sorry for behaving my mother like that. “What were you doing the whole day?” “Why didn’t you make that for me?”. It was just a thought to share. Please do not take it personally. I am so glad you read it and I would like to have your views also if you agree/disagree. 🙂
Yeah! I always agree that working people have a tough job compared to homemaker, that is why I try to help my husband. Home is your comfort zone and the work can be flexible and you do not have a boss. It is not hard for me as we do not have kids but you have to do all the things, tomorrow if not today, the thought I want to share is that is also very important like all other work we get paid for.
I really liked the title, and it is the best one until now. 🙂
Awesome post! Keep up the great work! 🙂
Great content! Super high-quality! Keep it up! 🙂