Interested in the role of a homemaker? This is a detailed explanation of a homemaker’s role, as created by a homemaker.
The possibility of becoming a homemaker can be very exciting, but can also be confusing if you are unclear on what the role of a homemaker looks like. Being prepared and knowing what this role entails will help you better fill your role. As a homemaker myself, I am going to share my view on the homemaker’s role.
You will learn the duties, expectations, and role of a homemaker, and how this all plays into the care and maintenance of your home.
After reading this post, you will hopefully better understand the role of a homemaker, and all that they are responsible for!
This post is all about the homemaker’s role.
The Homemaker’s Role
Everyone has different opinions of what a homemaker should take care of. The following is my own opinions based on my experiences. Every homemaker has different responsibilities based on their individual life. For example, I am 24, and my husband and I do not have children. My role and duties will vary greatly from a homemaker who has children. Regardless of these differences, I think we all can agree that the role of a homemaker is to care endlessly for the people and things in their home. With this being said, I am going to share the homemaker’s role based on my life and what I know. As you read on, each heading will be a category of a homemaker’s duties, with sub-duties described underneath.
Caring For Your Home
Arguably one of the biggest parts of the homemaker’s role, caring for your home entails many different responsibilities. To me, caring for my home means maintaining and managing the things within it. Cleaning, organizing, laundry, dishes, decorating, and supply management are the main duties in this category.
Cleaning & Organizing
One of the largest parts of being a homemaker, keeping up on cleaning and organizing is one of the most important duties homemakers need to perform. From tidying up to deep cleaning, we are here for all of it. Organizing different parts of our homes is also a huge part of this, and provides smooth function to daily life within our homes.
Laundry
The never ending cycle of laundry. A true delight to homemakers. No matter how hard you try, I can guarantee there will always be a load of laundry that can be run. From bedding to towels to clothing, our washer and dryers may work harder than we do!
Dishes
Another never ending cycle! Keeping up with dishes not only makes your home feel tidy and clean, but it ensures you have everything you need for when you cook your next meal. It’s frustrating when you’re cooking and need a dish that is buried in the sink. I always do all my dishes either at night after I cook, or right in the morning before I need anything. Keeping up on the dishes is definitely a duty of a homemaker, and is important for the function and cleanliness of the kitchen.
Decorating
Taking charge of home decor is another part of caring for your home. Home decor, even just a few items, can really turn a house into a home. Choosing pieces that align with your style and with the style of your home will make your space feel personalized and cozy.
Supply Management
This means keeping items in your home replenished; from cleaning supplies to clothing, making sure our homes have what we need is key to a functional life! All sorts of things in our homes need restocking, and we all know how frustrating it is to need something that we don’t have. Some items in my home that I always make sure are stocked are cleaning supplies, laundry products, and toiletries of all sorts.
I also replace and add household goods as I see fit, making sure we always have quality items in our home. An example of this would be kitchen items such as bakeware, and cookware. Something that I recently replaced in my kitchen was my cookware set. After using my current cookware set everyday for over three years, they did not function as well as they used to. I purchased a beautiful, new set, and not only is it more my style, but it works so much better than my old set.
Here in New England, we have four very distinct seasons. This means always taking inventory of our clothes and replacing old items or adding needed ones. My husband is NOT a shopper, so I take care of this for him. After 10 years of being together, I know exactly what he likes to wear, and he truly appreciates this being done for him. Even something as small as buying new socks can sometimes be pushed to the wayside, so keeping an eye on all clothing items is important. And of course, don’t forget to replenish YOUR wardrobe! Homemakers deserve to feel cute and put together too!
Managing Finances
This one is so so important, and is dire in a household with one income. Especially with the current crazy cost of living! Managing finances can be done in many ways, but having some sort of system with your partner that you both understand is key to successfully managing finances. In my household, my husband and I come up with our budget together, as well as pay bills. However, I am the one who makes sure we stay on budget, and who finds items to buy that are within that range.
Finding ways to save money is also something I do as a homemaker. I always remind myself to prioritize things we NEED, not things we WANT. A wise lesson that was taught to me as a kid. I also make sure not to overspend on those wanted items. You and your husband are a team, and you should not be spending every penny as it comes in. Part of your job as a homemaker is to protect each and every one of those pennies, and make sure you are putting them to good use.
Cooking ~ Meal Planning/Prepping ~ Grocery Shopping
Cooking
My absolute favorite task as a homemaker! This is really where I shine, and is something I put a lot of time and effort into. Cooking is a huge part of a homemaker’s role, and has such a positive impact on others in the household. My husband is gone to work all day, and when he gets home, the last thing he wants to do is cook. And he shouldn’t have to! Since I stay home, this is one of my jobs, and I love being able to take this off of my husband’s plate (and put delicious things on it).
Cooking is a way to show love and appreciation as a homemaker. I cook dinner 7 days a week, and cook breakfasts on the weekends as well. I also bake different favorites of my husband’s for him to come home to.
Meal Planning
Meal planning and meal prepping may sound the same, but they are two different steps in the cooking process. When meal planning, you sit down and figure out what meals you will make that next week, as well as create a grocery list. Read about how I meal plan in my post, Beginner’s Guide: Meal Planning For The Week. This includes planning breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for every day of the week.
Meal Prepping
Meal prepping is the act of preparing the ingredients for meals, and prepping lunches and breakfasts before you need them. Every morning, I check my recipe for that night. I take out all the ingredients I need, pre-measure spices, pre-cook/trim meat, and pre-chop veggies. I prep as much ahead of time as I can, so that my cooking process goes more smoothly. This also helps me better gauge what time supper will be on the table.
Sometimes, if dinner is a sauce/soup/casserole, I will pre-make the entire thing so all I have to do is pop it in the oven or serve it when it is time. Read more about my meal prepping process in my blog, 7 Simple Homemaking Tips To Help You Keep A Tidy Home. I also meal prep my husband’s lunches all week. This makes it so that when he leaves in the morning, all he has to do is grab it out of the fridge and pack it. I will also make him muffins for the week, so he can have a quick but filling breakfast before his big day at work.
Grocery Shopping
And of course, none of this would be possible without grocery shopping. Making sure to take inventory of frequently used items every week before making your list is a very important part of this process. This ensures you will never run out of items you need. In my home, items that get checked every week include: coffee, creamer, spices, olive oil, butter sticks, and grains (pastas, bread, rice).
I buy the bulk of my groceries at a regular grocery store, but will sometimes stock up on items such as coffee at Sam’s club. This saves me from having to buy a box every week. To see my most recent grocery shopping haul, read my post, The Ultimate Weekly Grocery Haul To Inspire Your Inner Foodie. Making sure to stay on budget is part of grocery shopping, and is an important part of managing finances. I personally very much enjoy grocery shopping, and view it as a way to make my husband’s life easier.
Support Your Partner
The greatest privilege of all, and undoubtedly the most impactful part of a homemaker’s role. Being able to stay home means having more headspace and time to care for and support your hard-working partner. Supporting your working partner is what makes the arrangement of being a homemaker work. If you don’t act as a team and pull your weight, the whole system will fall apart, and your partner will feel like a one man band. Being able to stay home means prioritizing your partner in ways you wouldn’t have the bandwidth to do if you worked outside of your home.
Putting a smile on my husband’s face when he gets home from work is always a priority for me, and it really doesn’t take much to make your partner feel supported and cared for. Two main ways I care for my husband is by packing his lunch every day, and making him a home cooked dinner when he gets home. These two things show him how much I appreciate him, and that we are a team. 
Manage Household & Plan For Different Events
Managing the household can mean many different things. To me, it is the combination of all the previously mentioned duties. Knowing when certain things need to get done, and when certain things need to be bought is managing the household. Being on top of the needs of not only your home, but of yourself and your partner is pretty much the role of a homemaker summed up into one simple explanation.
Correspondences & Event Prep
The other part of managing the household involves keeping up with correspondences and preparing for certain events. Making sure to stay in contact with family and friends is usually the homemaker’s role. This includes sending birthday cards, holiday cards, Mother’s Day/Father’s Day cards, condolence cards, and thank you notes. Along with this is preparing for certain events you’ve been invited to, such as birthday parties, baby showers, and holiday get togethers. Preparing for hosting friends/family is also part of this. We have a tiny house and a large family, so we usually are attending more than hosting! When I prepare for events, I usually buy a gift if needed (birthdays & Christmas), bring a host/hostess gift (flowers usually), prepare outfits for us to wear, and prepare food to contribute to the meal.
Reminding/encouraging your partner to respond to group texts and to call certain family members goes hand in hand with keeping up with correspondences. My husband is busy at work, and will sometimes forget to answer certain texts or emails. I always encourage him to ensure he has answered all of these a couple of times a week, and he is always thankful for the reminder!
Arranging Appointments
One last part to managing your household is arranging appointments for both yourself and your partner. Whether this be dental, eye, or wellness appointments, arranging them for your partner will take some hassle off of them.
Taking charge of all these duties will undoubtedly take stress off of your partner, and will create a more balanced, organized household.
Create A Safe Haven
After being a homemaker for over two years now, I see this portion of my role to be extremely important for both my husband and I. The world is a crazy place, so having a safe haven to enjoy together is priceless. Having a warm, welcoming, homey, clean, and tidy home is something that has more of an impact than people may realize. It truly shows a high level of intention. Being able to escape the world together in a comfortable home means everything to me, and I love for my husband to be able to come home, take a deep breath, and relax.
Our homes are the one and only place that we can call ours in this world, and is always a constant in our lives. Making sure to create a peaceful home environment shows pride as a homemaker, and has a positive impact on all those living there. Not only is it important for your partner to have a tranquil place to come home to, but it is important for us as homemakers to have a blissful and restful environment to spend our days in. We owe it to our partners, and to ourselves to create an untroubled sanctuary within our homes. Being able to create this takes time, but it also has endless benefits that will nurture a more content and thankful mindset.
The Take Away
As you can see, the homemaker’s role is not contained to one specific duty. The role of a homemaker is to be graceful, intentional, and adaptable in all the tasks they complete. A homemaker’s role is intertwined with both caring for their partner and household, with emphasis on providing a loving and supportive environment. Being able to know and predict what your home and partner needs is a learned part of being a homemaker.
Homemaking is a beautiful job, but it is important to know the role you will play before you commit to being a homemaker. Different homes require the homemaker to fulfill different roles, however the above is how I fill my role as a homemaker. As duties and responsibilities may differ from homemaker to homemaker, the one thing we will always have in common is a desire in our souls to create a wonderful home life for those we live with.
This post was all about the homemaker’s role.