The Duties of a Home Manager

 Hello everyone 💛

Have you ever been asked to explain what you do all day, if you're a work-at-home mom? When I say "work-at-home" I'm not referring to moms who have a job they get paid to do, at home. I'm referring to moms who stay home and their home is their work. Better known as "stay-at-home" moms.

I personally think we should change that name, because it gives the false impression that we stay at home and leaves out the "work" part, which is mostly what occupies our time.

I was recently re-reading an old book about homemaking and the author listed all the jobs that a work-at-home mom does and the list is very long. I thought it would be fun to share that list here and it, most likely, won't even be everything there is to do, but it's a good start.

Oh, and she gives herself the title of HOME MANAGER, which I think is absolutely fitting and the perfect description for those times when someone dares to ask, "What do you do all day?"

The Duties of a Home Manager

Budgeting

Cooking

Cleaning

Organizing

Inventory of household goods

Inventory of seasonal clothing

Menu Planning

Grocery Shopping

Appointment making

Holiday planning

Decluttering

Buying

Decorating

Social Manager

Nurse

Researcher of recipes, stain removal, home remedies

Caretaker of all humans in her care

Packing

Planning

Laundry 

Gift finder

Gift wrapper

Hair stylist

Child care worker

Administrative work

Seamstress

Coupon cutting

Thrifting

Gardening

Playground duty

Teacher (this includes an entire list of it's own, when

you homeschool!)

I'm sure you can add your own duties to this long list, but you get the idea. Home management is no joke! If we were paid, based off of this list, we would have a pretty hefty salary, wouldn't we?

I have been a work-at-home mom for 31 years now. I quit working outside the home one week before my first son was born. Before that, I had been working since I was 16 years old. 

When David and I married, I told him that I wouldn't have kids unless I could stay home and raise them myself. So we both worked, went to college and the year before my son was born, we lived only off David's income, so we could save mine and get accustomed to having one salary. Our planning paid off and when our son was born, we were in good shape. Well, good enough. David made about $20,000 that year, but soon moved onto bigger and better jobs.

Through the years of me being the Home Manager, David has lost several jobs. But I believe God has always honored my heart's desire of taking care of my own children, because I have never had to get another outside job. Oh, I could have, if I wanted to own more things, travel more, buy more and live a different lifestyle. But to me, nothing was more valuable than being at home, raising and teaching my boys.

Even now, even with David losing his job a year ago, we've discussed many times, the idea of me getting a job outside the home, and every time the answer is "no." David values what I do here and he knows that he couldn't tackle that long list without me. And I appreciate that he values what I do.

There may come a day when I choose to work outside the home, but I know that decision will alter how our home looks and feels and it will also change in other ways too. Because, the truth is, we can only do so much and when you add outside duties, the inside duties will get neglected, to a certain degree.

So even though I don't earn a paycheck, I think I'll keep my Home Management job. The hours aren't bad and I do get breaks during the day. I also get Millie Days and travel days and I can stop and read a chapter or two now and then. Oh, and snacks! I get snacks 😋 Of course, I'm the one who has to bake them or buy them, but then again...that's my job.

If I've left anything off the list, feel free to add them to the comments.

Until Next Time...

Blessings!