Last Spring we asked our neighbor’s daughter if she could feed our animals while we were out of town for a few days.  She was 16 and after giving her feeding instructions, we began to talk about other things.  She shared with me her plans after high school. She had 2 options in mind.  She also had plans to get married, someday.

I made a subtle comment about having children and staying home. She smiled and shrugged it off as something she may consider when she’s older.

What I realized at that point was: “She doesn’t even know homemaking is an option.” And that day, I probably couldn’t have convinced her.  How do you tell  your average public schooled high school girl that homemaking is just as much a “career choice” as is Veterinarian or Police officer?

I’m not sure either.

What I do know is:

• Homemaking is rarely, if ever, presented as a viable option to girls in high school
• Homemaking is not taught in our universities
• Homemaking is not regarded as a worthy endeavor

Homemaking Is Not Presented As An Option:

A girl who doesn’t believe that homemaking is an option will, 9 times out of 10, (99 out of 100?) choose something other than homemaking.  At least at first anyway.

But wait... isn’t our feminist country all about choice?  Why then is she only urged to get into a good college and pick a career major?  I digress.

This non-option.you.don’t.really.have.a.choice reality is conveniently lopsided and America’s daughters are suffering.  Here is a quote from a young woman who “fell prey to the ‘follow your dreams’/’find fulfillment in your future career’ message taught by the public school system,” and is now “well into 6 figures of debt and years of servitude to pay it off.”  She says:

“It is impossible for an ambitious high school girl who has been indoctrinated by the public education system to understand that she will one day want to stay home with children that way instead of pursue a career.”

Thousands upon thousands of women could echo her sentiments.  They fell prey to the “find fulfillment in your future career” too, yet as it turns out, it’s not what it’s cracked up to be.

Homemaking Is Not Taught In Our Universities:

I’ve been to college.  “Homemaking” was never in any of the catalogs.  America doesn’t see it as a viable choice so logically, America doesn’t offer to teach it.

Almost 10 years ago Southwestern Baptist, one of the nation’s largest Southern Baptist seminaries, made headlines when they introduced a new academic program in homemaking.   Headlines such as, “Baptist seminary espouses oldtime gender inequality.”  Source

I’m sure most of us aren’t shocked that the world raised their eyebrows, but fellow Southern Baptists?  Another article mentioned some fellow Baptists saying “A degree concentration in how to be a Christian housewife is not useful, and a waste of seminary resources.” 

We Christians are losing our saltiness.

Homemaking is not regarded as a worthy endeavor:

It’s no secret that homemaking isn’t regarded as a worthy path to walk down here in America.  In other countries such as France, it’s even worse.  We do need to be thankful that we still have many of the freedoms we do have.

That being said though, the majority of not only Americans, but Christians as well just don’t place much value on homemaking or homemakers.

What Shall We Do?

Well, I have said it before, but… train your daughters.  Do your Titus 2 duty.  Don’t downplay homemaking.  If anything talk it up.  The LORD puts a high value on it, we need to as well.

Also, and us unpopular as this view may be, I would suggest not feeding our girls the lies of this world.  So, instead of, “You can be anything you want when you grow up, but homemaking is a good choice!” and instead of, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” we should be saying to our daughters, “You are going to make a lovely homemaker someday!”

If she never marries, won’t she still live in a home?  Homemaking is for wives and mothers, but single women have homes too.

Once you’ve taught your daughters Biblical ways, be salt and light to other women around you.  That, and be a joyful homemaker yourself.  Joyful homemaking is contagious.

Would you like to learn more about joyful and productive homemaking?  Join the waiting list for the next enrollment of The Focused Homemaking Training Course.