I’ll be the first to fess up that I used to think housewives had the easiest job. I have never been exposed to the life of one. My mom was a working mom and it doesn’t help that TV shows from Desperate Housewives to Real Housewives of New Jersey make housewives out to look like they don’t really do that much with their time but gossip and bicker.
Then my wife quit her job and took the task of taking care of the household and my kid Fighter and I began to see what the job of a housewife is. Now don’t get me wrong, my wife admits that she has it really easy compared to a lot of the other housewives out there because we have hired help. The ones that have it hard are the ones who have to raise kids and literally take care of the household without any hired help.
I think that’s one of the hardest jobs out there and here’s why.
1) You work alone
We live in a modern working world where teamwork is a norm. We’re often put into teams to achieve things together because there are clear advantages. Team members complement one another’s weaknesses and strengths and can lean on one another in difficult times.
Housewives work alone. If they don’t get the laundry done, nobody gets the laundry done. During the day there’s nobody for them to lean on when they get frustrated with their kids or with the housework or anyone.
2) Work starts when you wake up and ends when you sleep
Mornings start with breakfast for the kids and taking care of them. When you send them off to school you then have a moment of peace but all that is used for housework, marketing and everything else the household needs.
If you finish all that early you might be lucky enough to squeeze in some personal leisure time but it won’t be long before the kids come back from school and you’ve got to play mommy again. Then it’s dinner time and time to spend with your husband when he gets back from work.
The worst part is when at the end of the day you feel really tired and your husband wonders why that’s so when he was the one “at work” all day.
3) You have the hardest boss
And that’s yourself. When something at home is out of order and the husband tells you off, you take it very personally. When a kid of yours falls down under your watch you know that it’s normal and part of growing up but you still blame yourself for not being there to catch him.
Housewives have the hardest boss: themselves. Because the home and family are two very personal things that in their hearts have to be kept perfect. Anything that falls outside of perfect is a disappointment… and we know how hard it is to get anything at all to be perfect.
4) You have no salary
While most of us work hard all month we’re reminded at the end of every month why we work so hard. That’s on payday when we get our pay. We can then buy something we like or treat ourselves to a good meal.
Housewives have no pay day… nothing to give them any sense of encouragement or a “pat on the back” to say “good job on getting through with this busy month”.
5) It’s lonely
Think of us human beings as those little characters in Sims. We all have our needs. Food, Sleep, Bladder…. and well one important one is social. Our social needs are very often fulfilled at work or in the office when we meet many other colleagues. We joke and exchange news all with face to face interaction with someone else.
Housewives get much less of that. Most of the interaction they get is with their kids which is a good thing but sometimes it just helps to be able to interact face to face with peers. Sometimes at home… it does get lonely.
6) You have no maternity leave
Just delivered a beautiful baby and recovering from your pregnancy? Well while working moms get 2-3 months maternity leave, housewives get none of that. The kids still need to be taken care of and household still needs to be managed.
7) You have no annual leave
You have no annual leave whatsoever. The only time you get to take leave is when your husband decides to go for a family holiday during the school holidays. Even then it’s like a working holiday for you.
8) You don’t often get recognized for your work
We live in a generation that craves recognition for work that we do. Housewives though have it the hardest. You don’t often get recognized for being a great housewife or a good housewife outside the home. And even at home, the kids think you’re naggy, the husband wonders what you do all day.
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Much of these points I credit to my wife who helped me open up my eyes to the struggles and sacrifices a housewife makes for her family.
I appreciate much more now the role of housewives even those like my dear wife who have hired help. Maybe it’s time we do something nice for the housewives of our family 🙂
Timothy Tiah – Co-Founder of Colony, Kuala Lumpur Co-Working Space