Homemaker is the new word for “housewife” or “househusband” “stay at home mum”, etc. Its what you say when people ask what you do, or choose from the drop down menu for online forms.

Why is it such a taboo word these days? Why do I still feel vaguely embarrassed when ever I say it?

If we stop and think about it, it was only our grandmothers who joined the work force and then only until they married. It was our mothers who won equal rights and pay (in theory anyway, we still seem to be struggling with the reality of it). But it is really only our generation who has it all: career, marriage, kids. But do we really want it, and can you really make it work with out all of them suffering in some way?

My husband and I (I’ve always wanted to say that… think Queen Elizabeth) made the decision that I would stay at home with the kids, at least until they started school, if we could afford to live on just the one income. I gave up a well paying job (almost halved the household income when I stopped working) so I have done the career thing and to be honest I don’t really miss it. Lots of working mothers say they envy me, and yet I am still slightly embarrassed to tell people I am a stay at home mum. Why would that be?

Maybe it’s a work ethic thing, but let me tell you I work twice as hard now as I used to, I just don’t get paid for it.

These days with the cost of living and housing there is not always the option that someone can stay home with the children. Even with the cost of childcare so high, that extra $20 per day in the pocket can be food on the table. If you are lucky enough to have relatives that can look after the children for free, even better. But many people (like myself) have parents who are still working fulltime, or are living a long way from family.

Yet there seems to be an expectation in today’s society that a woman will return to work after childbirth as soon as possible, because she wants to! Because being at home all day with her own children will not be fulfilling enough, and may even drive her crazy.

Sure we all have those days, but I had them at work too!