When I left a full time career of teaching to care for my newborn, I had a hard time adjusting to calling myself a stay at home mom.
In fact, whenever someone would ask, “What do you do?” I would answer, “I’m just a stay at home mom, but I used to be a teacher.”
It was like my value as a person had declined because I no longer earned a paycheck and walked in a classroom every day.
But that couldn’t have been further from the truth. My new role became one of the most important jobs I’ve ever had. It took me years to finally believe that.
But what changed it all for me was the terminology I used to describe myself. The term “stay at home mom” has a lazy conation to it. Almost like they go nowhere and only stay home and chill.
But the truth is most stay at home moms are doing a lot each day to care for their family and homes.
After realizing my worth I started referring to myself as a homemaker.
Over the last 10 years, I’ve worked part time from home, homeschooled my kids, volunteered, and gotten involved in the community. But my main priority is making a home for my family.
Therefore I am a homemaker.
I believe a woman can be both a stay at home mom and a homemaker at the same time, but those terms are not always interchangeable.
Let me explain.
What is a Homemaker?
A homemaker is someone who prioritizes her home in order to provide for the needs of her household.
She may work outside the home either full time or part time. Or she may not go to a workplace but has a “side hustle” or two. And she may not have anything that brings in financial gain.
But her main priority is her home. The work she does comes in second place to being the maker of her home.
In fact, many homemakers that I know, work part time in order to make it possible for them to prioritize their homes and motherhood.
Her main priority and life’s mission is to create a loving, nurturing, and safe dwelling for those who enter her home.
She does this in many ways. The most common ways are through cleaning, cooking, organizing, planning special holidays, grocery shopping, homeschooling, or taking kids to school, taking care of finances and much more.
But being a homemaker is also a commitment to a mindset and a lifestyle. She believes that she is doing the most important work by creating a safe, joyful environment for people that she loves.
She knows that even the little, mundane acts of service are impacting not only her family but the world around them.
What is a Stay at Home Mom?
A stay at home mom doesn’t work outside the home. Otherwise she would be called a working mom or a work-from-home mom.
A stay at home mom is a homemaker and additionally she cares for her young children.
Being a stay at home mom may only be for a season. However being a homemaker is a lifetime commitment.
Eventually, when her children leave the home or go to school outside the home, she may transition from being referred to as a stay at home mom to a full time homemaker.
Stay at home moms choose to prioritize the care of their young children instead of sending them to daycare or another care giver.
Usually it means putting a career aside for a season. However, stay at home moms often end up loving the freedom and stability it brings to their families.
And they sometimes find other ways to earn income in a totally different way that allows them to still prioritize homemaking.
For me, I started out as a stay at home mom, but I quickly learned how important my role was. I learned that I wasn’t just a stay at home mom. I was in the business of creating a home for my family.
So I started referring to myself as a homemaker. Because that truly reflected what I was doing. “Staying home” was not a good description.
Now, almost 10 years later I’ve continued to make homemaker a priority but I’ve also added other responsibilities to my plate such as homeschooling and working part time on my business (this blog, YouTube, and Etsy).
So when I answer the question of “What do you do?” My answer is always, “I’m a homemaker and I homeschool my kids and work part time from home.”
If you are a stay at home mom, I encourage you to think of yourself as a homemaker. The daily dishes, laundry, and diaper changes will have an impact for years to come that will influence the world for good!
You are creating a home. You’re not just a stay at home mom.