Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Thoughts on Housewifery Skills and the Art of Homemaking

"It is the province of the Housewife to be of chaste thoughts, stout courage, patient, untyred, watchful, diligent, witty, pleasant, constant in friendship, full of good Neighborhood, wise in discourse but not frequent therein, sharp and quick of speech but not bitter or talkative, secret in her affairs, comfortable in her counsels, and generally skillful in the worthy knowledges which belong to her vocation."
--Advice to the Housewife, 1787 The Complete American Housewife

I love this quote! It both makes me chuckle and it causes me to try harder at my job of homemaker. Whoever first said this really had a handle on the interdisciplinary nature of our role as homemakers. So, chin up, everyone, and let us put our shoulders to the wheel as we soldier on with our important work of keeping our households running.

2 comments:

  1. This makes me wonder.... It is likely I won't have a job soon after I get married, so I will be a homemaker for a short while. However, once I am employed, could I be such a thing as a part-time homemaker?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've given this quite a bit of thought. Not that I am an expert, of course. Since you've asked me, though, its my particular belief that homemaking is a full time job. So, if you go out and have an additional job, then according to me you'll have TWO jobs: homemaking and the outside job.

    ReplyDelete