Finding Joy In The Monotony Of Homemaking – Luluspov
“The home is not just a place to change clothes between activities and then crash at night; rather it should be a vibrant center of education, industry, service, and worship. God created the home to be a place bursting with activity and conversation, while simultaneously providing peace and refuge.”
Zan Tyler
Wake up.
Wash.
Clean.
Cook.
Feed.
Tidy-up.
Repeat.
It’s impossible to deny that homemaking can be monotonous.
A homemaker’s to-do list is pretty much the same every day, every week of the year. These never-ending to-do-lists can rob us of joy in our homemaking but finding joy in the monotony of homemaking is possible
Before we go any further I want to take a moment to clarify the conversation on homemaking.
What is Homemaking?
Homemaking is the creation and management of a home, especially as a pleasant place in which to live.
Loosely defined, homemaking is “making a home”.
Homemaking is turning a house into a home. It is maintaining a home that feels peaceful, restorative and secure.
A homemaker is the steward of her family’s daily life.
My Journey as a Homemaker
My journey to homemaking started 8 years ago; I am still a student on this journey.
One of the things I wanted to have growing up, was a home. I dreamt of the day I would be someone’s wife, a mother and be a steward of my family’s daily life.
I planned to be independent and live large working for someone before pursuing marriage, however God had better plans for my future.
At the age of 24, I married my best friend and together we worked on our business in the IT industry.
Fast forward to 3 years after we got married, we were blessed with our firstborn and our lives changed for the better.
Motivated by our desire (my husband and I’s desire) to have an influence on our children from birth and homeschool, we made the decision for one parent to stay-at-home/work-from-home and I gladly took that role.
It has not been a perfect journey but it’s one I wouldn’t trade for anything
I love and am so grateful for the blessing to be home with my children, caring and nurturing them and training them in the ways of the Lord. I love being a homemaker
I don’t always enjoy the daily to-do list.
The routine activities of homemaking often sap our joy, but they don’t have to; joy can be found!
Housework is not always enjoyable, but it is an unavoidable aspect of life.
I am daily finding more ways to find joy in the monotony of homemaking and today I would like to share some of them with you.
How to find joy in the monotony of homemaking
1 Focus on the Big picture
“Once there were 3 bricklayers. Each one of them was asked what they were doing. The first man answered gruffly, ‘I’m laying bricks.’ The second man replied, ‘I’m putting up a wall.’ But the third man said enthusiastically and with pride, ‘I’m building a cathedral”
On the surface, homemaking may appear to be a monotonous task that would depress most individuals. However, it is rewarding if we put our effort in the correct context and realize how homemaking is not just creating a home for us, our family and children, but is a way we can have an impact in our community.
“A true home is one of the most sacred of places. It is a sanctuary into which men flee from the world’s perils and alarms. It is a resting place to which at the close of the day the weary retire to gather new strength for the battle and toils of tomorrow. It is the place, where love learns its lessons, where life is schooled into discipline and strength, where the character is molded.”
― J.R. Miller
Remember the big picture, as a homemaker, you are creating a sanctuary for your family, and raising a future generation of Godly men and women.
When I think about it like this, my present tasks do not seem so monotonous anymore.
Looking at the big picture is the most important thing you can do as a homemaker.
2 Set a temperature for your home
“If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”
Mother Theresa
As a homemaker, you have the influence to stir your home in a way that moves them closer or away from God.
Invite Jesus in your home. Make time to pray over your home, for your husband, children and your attitude throughout the day.
Make your home inspiring, play praise and worship music in the background while doing chores (cleaning, ironing, etc.) – podcast or watch a youtube video. Find something to light up the mood in your home.
Allow fresh air to penetrate your home. Keep your home smelling fresh (turn on a diffuser)
3 Be Intentional with your time – try not to getting so caught up in getting things done perfectly and in order.
The is no perfect house, there may always be dishes that need washing, laundry that needs to be folded but that doesn’t resemble the failure of a homemaker. Try not to get caught up on the next task that needs to be done at the expense of spending time with your family.
I’m reminded of the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. Jesus had come to their home, the bible tells us that when Jesus came in, Mary sat at His feet, spent time in His presence. Martha on the other hand was worried and upset over all the details. She was distracted, wrapped up in her to-do list, and turned away her focus from Jesus. She did not give attention to Jesus over her busyness.
I am learning to not get so caught up in getting everything checked off my to-do in exchange for spending time in the Word of God and my family.
I am learning to leave the pile of dishes for a moment so I can connect with my husband as soon as he comes back from a busy day at work.
I have realised that my family would rather have a happy, lovingly affectionate present mother/wife and a messy house than a spotless house and an absent mother and wife.
4 Streamline what you have in your home
When so many things are out of place in your home, it can be overwhelming. I feel that way so often. Get rid of things that you don’t need in your home so that you have less to deal with. Make sure there’s a place for everything so that there’s no visual clutter. Consider what happens when you bring anything into your house. I am homeschooling my little people and in our homeschool, we do a lot of crafts, so I have cleaned out a cupboard space to make room for new crafts that we will make in the week. To avoid having the crafts, mails, etc. lying around. It’s a good idea to have specific spaces for these objects, such as a tray or box for keeping the crafts, a tray for the mailbox. Decluttering can also help you become more conscious of how and why you purchase items.
I find that having less clutter to deal with, helps me get through each task in my to-do list pretty fast and this allows me to have more time to rest and spend with my kids.
5 Set attainable goals for your home and for yourself
Setting goals helps to motivate and give you a sense of accomplishment, I want to de-clutter the kid’s closet by end of the month, re-organize our kitchen cupboards, etc. Goals also help you stay on task and be focused.
Remember to take care of yourself too. Set time for doing the things that fill you up and things that you love. Content creation is something that I currently do for me and is so fulfilling to have something that I love and enjoy doing.
6 Start and end each day with gratitude
Don’t let social media and the people around you influence you into thinking that you’re a failure because you’re not doing it the same way they do. Don’t compare yourself to any mom out there.
Do the best you can do and be grateful for what you accomplish. Gratitude is the antidote for comparison. Comparison takes away the joy of taking care of your home with joy because you start to think that you will take more care of your home once it looks a certain way. There’s no perfect home. Take a look around your home and take gratitude for it.
Celebrate every finished task no matter how small.
Your home may not be in a state that you may want it to be (decor-wise) but you can look at things you already have in your home that you can be grateful for. For example, you may have a dishwasher that makes washing dishes bliss, you may have a washing machine, a dryer, a microwave, etc anything you have in your home. The fact that you have a roof above your head is one thing to be grateful for.
Change your perspective a little bit, and you may be able to get through it without dreading it so much!
These are some ways that I am learning to love homemaking because I believe if you can learn to love the day-to-day things that you have to do, you will love your life! And that’s a wonderful thing. Let me know your tips in the comments below!
