What do we do all day?
Roxana Tigelaar — our new editor of our biannual, printed newsletter — listed things that a stay-at-home-mum does during all that ‘free’ time she has when not ‘barefoot in the kitchen’!
[This isn’t an exhaustive list, of course; or even exclusive to mothers based at home to raise children. Mothers in employment have many things to juggle. But the narrative of ladies who lunch, or are bored at home certainly isn’t the experience of most ‘stay-at-home-mums’!]
She takes care of the children
Taking care of their basic needs
Giving them love and affection
Instilling morals, values and manners
Teaching them their first words, colours and shapes
Playing with them
Reading books
Talking and listening to them
Exposing them to new things, opening up their appetite to explore, learn and discover
Ensuring that they have everything they need in their backpacks for that specific day: lunch, drinks, gym clothes, books etc.
Waking up the children and getting them ready to leave the house on time
Taking children to kindergarten, (pre)school or Home-schooling
Picking up the children from kindergarten or (pre)school
Helping them with their homework and school projects
Taking them to after-school playdates/activities and/or sports
Taking care of small injuries: scratches, cuts and bruises
Taking them to doctor and dentist appointments
Attending teacher-parent meetings and information evenings
Resolving disagreements between sibling
Getting them ready for bed and putting them asleep on time
She takes care of the home
Putting some order in the house, putting anything lying around away, books, toys etc.
Cleaning the house: vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing, mopping
Airing the (bed)rooms and making the beds
Unloading and (re)loading the dishwasher
Garden maintenance
Washing the windows
Taking out the trash, bringing items to the recycle or upcycle centre
Giving away or selling toys and clothes the children have outgrown
Simple household machine maintenance: washer, dryer, cooker, dishwasher, oven
Sewing garments or removing stains
Polishing shoes
Laundry: washing, drying, folding and/or ironing and placing back in the cupboards
Buying groceries
Planning and preparing meals
Baking cakes and cookies (on the weekend and/or for special occasions)
Running various errands: post office, drugstore etc.
Buying gifts
Sending cards for friends and family birthdays and anniversaries
Decorating the house for holidays/festivities and birthdays
She takes care of the organisation, communication and finances of the family
Creating and balancing a budget
Paying bills
Identifying cost-saving opportunities
Making family photo albums
Keeping track/writing down cute anecdotes or funny sayings from the children
Signing up the children for after-school activities and sports
Searching for the best places to go as a family for meals, days out or vacations
Booking weekends away and vacations
Reading up on the latest research in child development and education
She devotes time to community service
Volunteering at school, at the church, for charity or non-profit foundations [Like Mothers At Home Matter!]
Checking in on friends and family and visiting (ageing) relatives to help out
This isn’t an exhaustive list, of course; or even exclusive to mothers based at home to raise children. But the narrative of ladies who lunch, or are bored at home certainly isn’t the experience of most ‘stay-at-home-mums’!