Practical Homemaking Guide for Beginners

Practical tips for homemaking

Welcome to the wonderful world of homemaking!

Are you wondering what to do all day as a new homemaker or how to be good at it? It can be tough when you first start out on your homemaking journey, but don’t stress. Women have been doing this since the beginning of time and they are still doing it today. You can do it, too.

Making a home can be challenging because there is so much to do all the time, but it is so rewarding. You get to create a beautiful haven for your family where they can rest and enjoy life. It takes a lot of sacrifice, but it is worth it.

You might be wondering…

What does a homemaker do all day?

As a homemaker who is at home full time, you get to order your days however is best for you. There are a few things that happen around certain times of the day (getting up and going to bed, meal times, etc.), but for the most part, you get to choose what happens when.

This is what a basic homemaker does in a day:

• Get up and get dressed – There is nothing more that derails your motivation as staying in your pj’s all day. You don’t have to get all fancied up. A simple routine that works well and is flexible is perfect. Little things like developing this discipline will help you be a more effective homemaker.
• Make food – There is nothing like homemade food! How fancy your meals are depends on you skill and the time and effort you want to give to it. If you struggle with keeping this area organized, look into meal planning. The most important thing though is to feed your family good quality food, but don’t stress over it. Cooking your own food can be challenging while also trying to balance everything else as a beginner homemaker, but strive for excellence slowly, step by step.
• Clean house- This applies not only to the dishes, sweeping, and vacuuming, but also to the deep cleaning that may not happen every day. Hard work like cleaning is not a very glorious thought, but it is a great skill to master.
• Wash laundry – You wear clothes, your man wears clothes, all God’s children wear clothes, and you have the blessed responsibility to make sure they get clean and put away. There are so many different ways to do laundry. (This would be great time to check out laundry tips for beginners.)
• Grocery Shopping – Most of what we need for life comes from the store. Finding deals or comparing prices can save you a lot of money. Take the time to research practical tips on saving money in this area because this is also one of the biggest spending categories your family will have. You could save so much by keeping an eye on how much you are spending at the grocery store.
• Support – Even if, it is just you and your man for now, he needs your support and encouragement every day. The best ways to support your husband are by mastering home management and being beautiful when he gets home.

What are traditional homemaking skills?

If you are really good at doing a few things around the house, that is fantastic, but we all have so much that we can learn. No matter how much you already know in any area there is always something more you can learn or improve.

A traditional homemaker masters these skills:

• Baking
• Decorating
• Deep cleaning
• Planning meals
• Making a grocery list
• Buying good quality meals for a good price
• Growing food
• Entertaining children
• Preserving the food you grow or buy
• Making scrumptious food and beverages
• Sewing
• Ironing

RELATED POST: 15 Old Fashioned Homemaking Skills

How can I be a good at homemaking?

Don’t worry if you have a lot to learn. Know what you need to work on and practice it as best you can. Take advantage of the time you spend with friends and families and pester them with all your questions. Make good use of online tools like YouTube, Pinterest, and even Google itself to research what you don’t know. If it suits you better, take a class online, or in person.

Even when you get good at doing something, there are a lot of things that randomly come up that you would never have thought you would need to know. Get good at educating yourself about the things you already know a little about, and take the time to learn new skills as well. It can be fun and entertaining to work on something new like decorating a cake or making your own decor.

Don’t stress over being the perfect homemaker. This is your husband’s home and when new family members come along it if you don’t have any already, it will be there home, too; but this is also your own home. Let it be a place of rest for you, too. Don’t strive for perfection. Strive for excellence and you will be a successful homemaker.

Choose to bring quality into your home. You have to store and take care of everything you let in into your home. Don’t waste space for something that won’t do your family any good. A good practice to have from the get go is to only let good quality stuff in when you can. You don’t have to buy the most expensive brand. For most things, there is a middle ground between the cheap stuff that won’t last very long and the pricey stuff you can barely afford. Learn how to read reviews on things before you buy them online. It may take a little practice with a few mistakes, but you will learn quickly and save your family a lot of money and frustration by learning to purchase quality items at a good price.

Don’t just make a home. Create the best possible home that you can. Dream about what it could look like, and take action to make it what you want it to be like!

What makes a good homemaker?

A good homemaker does not only mean being good at homemaking. It isn’t all about what you do. How you do it is important, too. You are creating an atmosphere for your family, not just keeping house. Your attitude, how you carry yourself, and how you choose to accomplish tasks all add or subtract from your home.

A good homemaker…

• works on her character. Your home needs you to strive to be happy, grateful, kind, and loving. It’s hard work, but it is necessary for your home to thrive.
• sacrifices. There will be a lot asked of you more in some seasons and less in others. There is an ebb and flow to a homemakers life, but a good homemaker embraces the opportunities to give of herself so that a home can be made well.
• creates beauty. Decor, music, candles, etc. They may seem like a little extra at times, but these things add quality to life. If nothing else, a house that is clean and organized is refreshing to live in and a good place to be.
• is frugal. Don’t waste anything. I am not referring to accidents that have to be thrown out. Though it is unfortunate, that is your tuition in learning. It is not a waste. What I mean is learn to use things all the way up. Don’t let things go bad.
• is intentional. Do things on purpose and do them with excellence.
• takes care of herself. Even if you have some health concerns, take the time to care for you yourself so that you can take the best possible care of your family.

RELATED POST: What is Virtue?

Can you be a homemaker and work full time?

Absolutely! You don’t have to be a stay-at-home mom. If you have a home, than you are a full-time homemaker. Even if you need to work outside of the home, that is okay. Homemaking looks different for everyone. Though you don’t have as much time on your hands, enrich your home with the time that you do have. Even though you don’t get to be at home all the time, you can still create a beautiful life and home for your family.

Master the daily tasks like laundry and dishes. Perfect your routines with a daily schedule or to-do list so that it takes you less time, but still gets done well.

(If you need help with a homemaking routine, go over to Back Road Bloom. I have read almost every blog post there so I highly recommend it.)

Have a cleaning schedule so you can keep a tidy house. Declutter unnecessary things so you can keep house more efficiently. Don’t hesitate to ask for help. Though you have the responsibility of making the home, there is no shame in delegating. Manage your home the best way you can even if you can’t do everything yourself. Do you what you can, do it well, and don’t stress. Enjoy the journey through all the seasons of homemaking!  

RELATED POSTS: 5 Old Fashioned Homemaking Tasks that will Simplify your Life

Final Thoughts!

Homemaking is a wonderful journey (at least from my personal experience)! I love it and I hope that you love to take care of your home, too! There is so much to do, but let’s make it a habit on a daily basis to strive for excellence in our home. I hope these homemaking tips are helpful and encouraging.

MORE ON HOMEMAKING!

Old Fashioned Homemaking for the Modern Woman

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17 Homemaking Tips for Busy Homemakers