any housewives out there?

fibonarchie wrote: »

They employ a cleaner, stick the child/ren into childcare and generally hire people to do the jobs that would have been done by the housewife.

Or they just don't bother doing much housework or cooking and leave the kids to their own devices Something has to give.

Many actually work twice as hard. One job at work, then start again at home...... Cooking / cleaning up after a 12 hour shift and making packed lunches at 11pm.

But where would it stop?
We all, to some greater or lesser degree, employ people to do jobs that we are responsible for, as adults/parents/homeowners, but are unable (lack of skills, ability or time) or unwilling to do ourselves.
If housewives were paid to mind their children or clean their own house etc, where would it end?
Would people also expect to be paid to do their own gardening? Clean their own windows? Would people who service their own cars or do their own plumbing jobs expect to get paid for doing so?
What about dressmaking? Knitting? Washing their own car? Etc etc

If you choose to have a child, ensuring the child is cared for is the responsibility of the parents. If they are unable or unwilling to do that on a full time basis themselves, they can employ someone else to do so for some of the time on their behalf. That doesn't, IMO, mean that people making a difference choice should be compensated financially for doing so.

ska_lover wrote: »

Many actually work twice as hard. One job at work, then start again at home...... Cooking / cleaning up after a 12 hour shift and making packed lunches at 11pm.

If they've got a partner - more fool them!

My other half is a 'house husband'. Would love him to get paid for looking after the house!

Who exactly is supposed to pay these women for staying at home? I do hope it wouldn't be the taxpayer.


In my very short career as a 'housewife', I found it an absolute doddle. I could get all the housework done and still have heaps of time left over to be a lady what lunches, goes to coffee mornings or anything else I chose to do. There seem to be masses of groups that children can go along to for music or gymnastics or swimming or just playing while the mums gossip.


I appreciate that it might be different for those with lots of children or those with additional needs but generally speaking I'd say being a housewife with all the gadgets at our disposal today is a bit of a cop out of earning a living. The sad state of affairs though is that childcare is so expensive these days that it's often not cost effective for parents to work.