Montag, 16. Juli 2007

Housewife vs. Family Manager

As we are five now and cloth diapering, there's always a lot of laundry to do. By working on these kind of brainless tasks one has the possibility to let one's thoughts wander.
Today it occured to me in the wash-room, that the job of a housewife is completely underestimated. During the last weeks of staying at home with the kids (Siggi and the older girls are on holidays from school), I tried to take my housewife chores seriously; not only cooking, washing, shopping and organizing as usual, but also cleaning (I hate most).
Somehow women have that multitasking-ability men don't, that's why we can listen to the radio, hug the baby on one arm, cook with the other hand and remember to book a doctor's appointment for another kid at the same time. Jóhanna has to take in medicine now; Siggi doesn't even remember to give her a pill at dinner-time!
It seems to me, that as a dedicated mother, you function as a collection of several more or less well-paid professions in one person: You are teacher, nurse, psychologist, cook, chauffeur, secretary, cleaning lady, (home-)designer, tailor and entertainer! And I bet, you are the only person in your household who knows exactly, who has to be where at which time for how long...
And that without any payment!
That's why I thought about calling my current profession "family manager", sounds better, includes dignity and describes this demanding and stressful job much better than that humiliating title "housewife". (Sounds as if you never leave your home and are completely clueless about anything else except housework!)
And I claim a decent salary: I suggest 200.000 ISK* per month - after tax!


*appr. 2400 € / 3300 US$

1 Kommentar:

Unknown hat gesagt…

I don't have the faintest idea at the moment how much money this is but I guess you are right with what you say. (Sometimes it's even too much for me to manage my household... and I don't have any kids.) Moreover, in a century when cleaning ladies become "interior surface managers" or caretakers become "facility managers" I think it's about time that housewives are called "family managers"... :-)
hugs and kisses from cosi

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