Sunday, April 29, 2012

Is a homemaker a dislocated worker?

A post on Fb ( where else!) got me thinking yes, it is something I do sometimes.
Is a homemaker a dislocated worker? Yes , I think so. All those hours where we ( I can hear a lot of yea's ) work or do endless chores jobs which go on and on like the energizer bunny and never stop is taken for granted without batting an eyelid.
I mean all the times mothers, house wives cook clean pick up , provide shoulder to cry , hug and pick up the kids and even the husband when he is facing some deadline at work/office. We all are rolled into one as psychologists, mommies in distress , support systems, chauffeurs to everywhere unpaid 24x7 and cooks who still can't cook KFC , Big Mac but dish out the best yellow dal with roti. Mom's chai and the way she makes the milk is the biggest security blanket for kids.
Do any of you know what a home maker is worth? The smirk and sneer on a working person's face as if they have smelt something foul says that she just sits at home, enjoys life watching soap operas crying away when Ram is leaving what's her name .She has maids, bais, gardeners at her disposal ,cooks and all the help.
Well, step into her shoes. she multitasks better than any Ratan, Mukesh or Anil rolled into one. She has her mind working 24x7x365 thinking and dishing out menus , budgeting and ensuring everyone gets what they want or there is enough money left for that extra special outfit or those new shoes which you've got to have ASAP otherwise life would not go on..
Fathers , mothers who work at home cannot say what they do but they just do. It is a thankless job, everyone grumbles but they just carry on . We are Ego boosters, mothers, wives, cleaners, washerwoman , drivers, agony aunts ,office admin workers all rolled into one and heaven forbid you do not have a smile on your face when you welcome your Lord Almighty when he walks in. He doesn't want to hear whether the gas did not get delivered, or the maid is stealing petty cash or whether your son needs extra money for a camping trek . He just wants you smiling ,looking pretty available to him and him alone with a cup of tea and some snacks.
Dr Dhallu , ( hats off  to him) quotes a classic one," By and large housewives and mothers are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class.'
It's  so true when do we ever stop being a mother or a care taker? No regrets , it's a great job but can we have some respect here, please? I mean how about all of us starting a day ( it's the trend these days); to have an official Housewives Day . We could also have an official clock which calculates what is the time spent in cooking , cleaning and doing all the things which housewives do sacrificing themselves with out asking for anything in return on any given day .
Ps: Homemakers love doing what they do be it baking a cake ,or the extra flowers she puts around the house knowing fully well that no one is going to note the presence or absence thereof but to know she is appreciated is what matters. In fact , you cannot put a monetary value but to be appreciated does put a smile on the face and makes it all worth it. you know the spring in her step , well it's because of the kind words.. so go ahead give your wife or mom a hug and say those three meaningful words ....

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