In the past, homemaking skills were often passed from generation to generation. Mothers and grandmothers modeled excellent examples of how to be homemakers to their younger counterparts...Serving their families was a way of life. Today, however, society has changed and women, as a whole, have shifted from homemaking being their sole priority to now, it is just something they add on to their long list of achievements... and sadly, there is a generation being raised that are ill equip in homemaking skills that they were not trained by example to do...
Because of this, many young ladies today start their own homes without a good knowledge of how to manage a home well. They begin with zeal and excitement to “make a home” but a lot of times, due to being unprepared and untaught, they soon begin to feel that they aren’t good at homemaking... Feelings of failure and disappointment will try to creep in. I will be the first to agree—Nothing is worse for a young wife than feeling like a failure when you know you tried really hard.
If you are a new at homemaking and can relate to those feelings, let me encourage you, don’t give up!! You must realize that this is completely normal; most young women don’t automatically become good homemakers overnight... Just because you struggle in the beginning doesn’t mean you will struggle forever... Most of the time, you have to be taught to be a good homemaker. So if you’re are new to homemaking and perhaps, are having some struggles, don’t get discouraged!! You CAN do learn how to be a Godly homemaker!! You CAN do this!! Always remember, becoming a Godly homemaker is so worth the effort!! Being a homemaker is one of God’s highest callings for a woman!!
While, a lot of homemaking duties have become much easier over time due to technological advances such as the washing machine and dryer, dishwasher, microwave, or stove, here are a few basic homemaking skills that every young, aspiring homemaker (or homemakers-to-be for that matter) should learn:
Cleaning Routines
Every young wife will need to learn how to clean her home efficiently. I know that sounds simple and very basic... but in reality, it is a lot easier said than done. Setting up a schedule for various tasks/chore will help you maintain your home. Think of it as a plan or strategy of attack... Having a schedule or a basic routine will give your day some structure and help you keep your home neat and tidy. Knowing what to clean and how/when to do it is an essential homemaking skill every homemaker needs!
Cooking
Learning how to cook is an important skill that every homemaker should take the time to learn.
Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated...In fact, finding simple recipes to practice your new cooking skills on is probably better when you are just starting out. As you practice, you will learn techniques and tips that will help you become more proficient in the kitchen while providing tasty food for your home. You will gain confidence and more experience the more you cook. Understand that everyone isn’t naturally gifted in every area of homemaking so if you struggle in the area of cooking, that’s ok. You always can boost your skill level by putting an effort forth to learn more. Asking a skilled, older, Godly homemaker that you look up to for her tips/tricks/advice is a wonderful way to learn more. There is a ton of valuable resources online to help you learn how to cook better and how to make easy, but tasty recipes. Use your resources... make the effort. You will greatly benefit from it, I assure you!! (A more in-depth article tomorrow on this topic)
Meal Planning
Meal planning is another very valuable skill to save time (and will save money—which most young couples could greatly benefit from) If you haven’t tried meal planning yet, I highly encourage you to try it... Meal planning will help you save money by only buying the food you and your family will use. Some foods will go bad quickly and having a menu plan will ensure that no food goes to waste.Thus, saving you a lot of money. It will save brain power – no more standing in front of the fridge wondering what to cook when it’s almost meal-time. try variety. You can have different rotations of recipes so can try new things and find your “own family faves.”
When I didn’t meal plan, getting meals on the table was so much more difficult. As I mentioned in my meal planning post, when you meal plan and make your shopping list, going to the store (or ordering online!! ) only once a week can be a huge time saver, not to mention, you have fewer opportunities to impulse buy.
Laundry
Keeping up on laundry can seem like a daunting task. It is the never-ending cycle that will always need attention. The great thing about laundry is, you aren’t stuck in one place for the entire cycle! You can get a load going and then go on to another task.
Try to do a load of laundry every day. With a family, laundry can pile up really fast. Doing a load every day will help you stay on top of the laundry !
The one helpful tip that I have learned to do is to wash, dry, fold, and put away each load the same day you do it... Don’t allow it to get overwhelming. By finishing a load completely, you will avoid a laundry backup of folding/putting away...When you allow it to backup, it will waste your time. You will have to spend an hour or more folding and putting away laundry where as if you would have folded it and put the laundry away immediately following it coming out of the dryer, it would have just taken a few minutes!!
Dishes
Another never-ending task is dishes. You and your family have to eat every day, so there will always be dishes! Whether you have a dishwasher or you are the dishwasher, it’s important to keep the dishes cleaned and put away.This means after each meal, wash your dishes or load your dishwasher. Keep your counters clear and wiped down and keep your stove ready to use. You may be surprised at how much more enjoyable your kitchen can be when it is clean every time you need to use it.
Decluttering
Keeping your home decluttered is the vital step in maintaining tidiness. If you have noticed that it is difficult to keep things in their places, whether it be from young children or just from an overabundance of stuff, it may be time to declutter. If decluttering seems overwhelming to you, try starting small. Choose a small area of your home and focus there. Keep at it until that area is tidy. Some examples of small areas may include a junk drawer, the “drop zone” spot on your kitchen counter, or the kitchen or dining room table. The main thing to keeping your home tidy and clutter free is to be committed to putting things back where they go and not dropping them in random places to save for later. By also decluttering and limiting the stuff you have to manage, you will have less mess to have to deal with. This will have an enormous impact on how much time you spend picking up !!
While all of these homemaking skills may seem more like housekeeping skills, they all still fall into the homemaking category. Remember, like I said the other day, the difference between housekeeping and homemaking is your motivation and your perspective. Keeping a neat and tidy home provides a pleasant atmosphere for your family and friends to enjoy. Housekeeping is an act of servitude and love you do for your family as part of your homemaking. Because you love your family and you want them to feel peaceful, safe and loved while at home, you do these chores (along with many others) for them.
Remember, as you have children, train them from a young age on how to “make a home”. Teach them why homemaking is important – and teach them homemaking skills – so when they move out on their own and start their own families, they’ll possess the skills they need to be a passionate homemaker themselves.
-Tiphanie ❤️
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