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Authors Read's Featured Guest & Celebrating Household Managers

-- Celebrating Household Managers -


Society has grown so 'advanced' that we look down on those of us who choose to be nurturing Household Managers. Somehow this work force is seen as slothful folks who live off the work of others, or are incompetent in the workplace altogether. Society then contradicts itself by acknowledging the growing strain on the medical, policing and financial support systems due to increased stress, pollution and poor nutrition in today's civilized world. Worried politicians view our ever-growing need to import food as a potential disaster in the event of worldly catastrophes - and scientists tell us their numbers indicate we are actually overdue for a catastrophe.

Society will 'tsk-tsk' at the children who have been raised by non-family members (including televisions and computers), because no one has the energy or the time to raise them properly. We have the audacity to be bewildered at the drop out rate in our cold and sterile public schools. We 'tsk-tsk' again at the poorly behaved pets when they are only deprived of proper training and attention.

When itemized like this, there seems to be little to wonder at that our society is as distressed as it is! It is also understandable why so many households have hired help to handle such a workload.

What we need to do is realign society's view on the importance of Household Management positions.


For starters, far from being a drain on the budget, choosing this position can actually save money. Consider the work-related costs such as transportation, which can include tires, increased vehicle maintenance, gas, insurance and perhaps a second vehicle. Then there are supplies, upgrade classes, clothing, childcare, prepared meals and so on, to purchase. Many households have evaluated their situation and found that they were getting no further ahead by having a second person work full time. And their days off work were spent in a whirlwind frenzy trying to fit everything in.

Taking on the chore of managing the household budget is often left for the Household Manager, as is the menu planning and meal making. Making meals at home, from 'scratch', (meaning not a prepared meal from a can or a box), is an effective way to cut most food budgets in half. Cut that by up to 1/2 again if you have a home garden. In 2002, our 3000sq.ft. garden brought in over $1600 of a wide variety of organically grown, highly nutritious, fresh foods. And we are ensured that no matter what happens in the employment sector or any disruption in food distribution, our family will not go hungry! But even without a garden, the Household Manager can easily spend a couple hours a week weeding, trimming, mowing, and watering existing landscapes.

The frugal manager is conscious of menu planning around seasonal produce, (which is fresher and therefore more nutritious), and locally grown crops, (which are environmentally friendly and cheaper due to reduced transport). Sales, bulk foods and coupons can be determinants for the menu plan development, as long as one is buying the item that is normally consumed, rather than just because it is on sale. We have been able to cut an average of $9.75 off every shopping bill (or nearly $40/month) by considering sales and coupons when planning the menu. That is just one more thing we didn't have time for when we both worked outside of the home.

Far from being slothful, a serious manager can spend over 20 hours a week just cleaning! Nearly 2 hours every day is needed just to keep up to daily tidying and washing, 5 hours a week are spent doing the deeper household cleaning, and another hour to hand wash the vehicle (except in winter) every couple of weeks. Then tack on at least 3 hours for laundry and clothing care. Wise managers also periodically clean and maintain the home's appliances and machines, prolonging their lives and reducing the need for future repairs.

Pets are not simply a pleasure or a hobby in our home. They are family. Always a joy, these critters promote relaxation and playfulness. Still, they need someone to groom them, feed and water them, gather their wastes and give them baths. Then there are other pet-related chores like exercise and training. With only 2 cats and one dog, this can involve 2 hours every day - or 14 hours a week. The end result being very content, happy and well-behaved animals.

Outside of cleaning, gardening and yard work, pet care, child care/schooling, shopping, menu planning and meal making, Household Managers are also called upon to handle any required paper work or research, phone conversations, letter writing, banking and bill paying. Then there are garbage pick up days, recycling trips, and special calendar dates (birthdays, anniversaries, etc) to manage as well.

It is important to keep in mind that some households operate home-based businesses as well. Having one person at home is ideal for such arrangements as office work, appointments, receiving deliveries, interviews, research, filing and more.

It still amazes us how our family performed all this labor during our days off work before we realized we needed a full time Household Manager.

It is unfortunate that this position is not held in high regard in this society. Far too often Home Managers are seen as people with a lot of time on their hands and folks tend to assume they are available for them. Badgered by family member who are guilty of continually piling on more and more chores for the Manager to handle, the Household Manager must become a master of mulit-tasking. As a result Household Managers do not work a 9 a.m.-to-5 p.m. shift; but rather more like a 7 a.m-to-11 p.m. shift. A full day off or even a vacation rarely exist in their lives. Understandably many Household Managers become depressed and stressed, often feeling under-appreciated.

Yet, Household Managers who take their jobs seriously can take pride in their contribution to society, regardless of whether appreciation is expressed adequately, because their efforts result in healthier, happier people who are less likely to be a drain on society. Doing the many household chores takes quite a load off the working partner, which creates more time for their loved ones to do other things, and family relationships become more loving and people are more willing to do things for one another. So today, at least for this one day, let's celebrate the incredible behind-the-scenes contribution this work force provides in our society.

-- Authors Read --

Today's featured guest is Lily Stephen - who began writing poetry and prose in 1969. Her poetic work includes facilitating a regional author’s guild called The Well Versed, and directing the cooperative publishing of The Well Versed Anthology in 1996. She was culminating a 20-year period of writing, editing and revising her first full-length novel, and arrived at an epiphany in 1999. Lily tells me that she has been influenced by Joseph Campbell, the famed mythologist who understood how we interpret the world through story. Campbell pointed to myths as clues to our deepest spiritual potential. To date Lily has published The Third Verse Trilogy… and today, the author shares an excerpt from: Volume I, The Tenth Muse. To access this show simply click on the hyper-linked show title or look to the right for links to the Authors Read radio show.


Find Dave & Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio shows & free resources & articles at www.brummet.ca

Comments

  1. Lillian;

    This is a great article. Love how you point out the discrepancies between views of household managers by society at large and contrast it with all of the issues are society is facing that are directly related to the very thing that is looked down upon.

    I work from home...I do a live talk radio show on a local station once per week. It requires a good 30 hours or more per week in production, story research, and meetings etc to get it ready for air...

    I delegate some of the weekly household work (mainly cleaning and laundry) even though I am at home. It works great for our family. I am able to keep pace with our production company, cook home cooked meals for my family most days of the week, and spend lots of quality time with my family.

    I also have the time and energy to keep life balanced with exercise and creative outlets like music.

    Great job on this, once again!!!

    ReplyDelete

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