Life as a mother and housewife is more than just caring for the baby and housework and can be very fulfilling.

 

If you have a day job, life as a mum and housewife is like a dream. Doing whatever you want all day long, hoovering a bit now and then and occasionally giving the baby a bottle. The reality is much more labour-intensive. Babies and children are very demanding and need a lot of care and time. Housework is constantly interrupted by them, making it almost impossible to work continuously on normal tasks such as hoovering, washing up and cleaning. The floor that has just been cleaned is showered with toys or soaked in watercolour by children. On top of this, the partner expects a clean home, happy children and a full dinner in the evening, because the housewife has had "all day".

What neither the working partner nor the mother and housewife realised until now is that housework with children is even more than a full-time job.

In order to be satisfied and fulfilled in the role of mother and housewife, you first have to accept your role, both the positive and the negative sides. The partner leaves the house and goes to work, while the housewife starts working around the house. At the weekends, the tasks in the household and with the children should be shared. Both partners contribute equally to the running of the household.

Many housewives find housework after work demoralising, as they realise that a task they have just completed becomes obsolete in no time at all. At work, you can usually work your way through a to-do list and then be recognised for it by your boss or colleagues. With housework, nothing can be crossed off the list because the same tasks have to be done over and over again.

Life as a housewife and mother has to be completely turned upside down and it takes a while to adjust. With the birth of a baby, you go from being a well-paid professional to an unpaid mother with an endless list of repetitive tasks for which there is no financial compensation, no fixed working hours and no holidays. If you are ill, you still have to run the household and no one pats you on the back or gives you a bonus.

Of course, the mum loves her children equally, but she hardly has any time for herself and works for three. This piles up a lot of stress that she can't even relieve in the evenings with her partner, as he can't put himself in her shoes after his day at work. It's hard to feel equal when life consists of washing dishes, changing nappies and cleaning up vomit.

Unfortunately, the impossible is expected of housewives and mothers from all sides: they are expected to look sexy, be a perfect mum and live in a spotlessly clean house. Somewhere along the line, compromises have to be made, whether it's cutting back on playtime with the children, depilating the legs a little less often or scrubbing the toilet only every other week. If you can afford it, you should definitely hire household help, even if it's just once a month for some basic cleaning. That way you can devote more time and energy to other tasks.

Other options are pre-cooked, frozen meals or the occasional casserole that can cook on its own while you do other things. The whole family should be encouraged to use less crockery and cutlery to minimise washing up. After the meal, everyone should carry their crockery into the kitchen. A little-used extra room can be filled up for quick tidying so that the main living area remains tidier. Toys can be spread out in the children's room, the living room should remain a living room.

Don't forget that life as a housewife and mother also has its nice sides: you are rewarded with the affection of the children and hold the reins of a functioning house in your hands. Without the housewife, everything would collapse.