Hold on a minute! Do I identify myself as a homemaker? Is that what I am? When did I go from a married woman with a family and a Masters Degree to a homemaker? The label of homemaker is bothersome and is so out of date that I cringe when I see the word and have even crossed it out on my tax returns when my occupation is labeled as such. I would much rather not have an occupation that be given one. No woman or man should be labeled as such, and don’t go giving me the politically correct b.s. about domestic engineer either. It means the same thing, someone just used the Thesaurus to come up with a fancy translation. (and my Masters degree isn’t in engineering)
Individuals that work, man or woman, have a label and occupation. They are doctors, teachers, executive directors, secretaries, truck drivers etc. but what happens on that day that you decide you are going to stay home or, in this economy, get laid off and stay home with your children. All of a sudden you aren’t unemployed (that’s a different category), but rather something else. It’s kind of a gray area since technically you get paid for your occupation. Those who stay at home do not.
Look. I am a mother and I stay at home. So that makes me a SAHM – understandable. But I also am a blogger, which is seems there a lot of SAHM out there that do the same. But is that how I identify myself or occupation? Still the answer is no – I have yet to find someone to fund my blog. I also volunteer for several organizations, one through the community I live in and one through my church. Does that make me an activist? Sure, but still not my label or occupation. It’s called volunteering for a reason.
So where does someone who stays at home voluntarily, without any income stand in the world of labels and niche categories? I have yet to come up with a name or category for people like me, but please, please, please don’t label me a homemaker, domestic goddess (although I will take the goddess part) or anything else that will simplify who I am.