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• Wednesday, April 12, 2006 07:03 PM

  Prole Housewife

  Dilletante. Faker. Hate monger.

  I am a full time stay at home parent of three. God knows I had no time to write thousands and thousands of coherent words. (My blog doesn't count. That's therapy.)

  My husband and I are both college educated people. I have accepted that because of my "CHOICE" to be a housewife we will most likely be living our working class lifestyle permanently. I cook 90% or more of our meals. We have no dishwasher, so I wash. I can. I mend. I buy used, I garden. I try to keep up with the mess left by 5 people and a dog. I WORK AS A HOUSEWIFE. Housewifery is my job. I work and work and work. This is in addition to taking care of my children. All parents 'parent.' To me though it's doing the shitwork yourself that makes you a housewife.

  I am not a "natural" at this. It takes effort. It takes expertise. Being a housewife can be a bona fide job. And let me tell you this. I can't wait to get a "real" job. I am so competent at what I do, but feedback is rare (EWWWWWW! What is this stuff?), and usually negative ( I am chuckling, It's not so bad). The only time what I do usually gets noticed is when I don't do it! I have started temping, and I must say I love it. Work is so structured. I will be one of those moms who says, "OK. You've had enough of me, I think!"

  I resent her "I'm a housewife!" schtick. She is not. She is a wife. She is a mother. She is a writer. But she is NOT a housewife!

  —hausfrauatu Read hausfrauatu's other letters
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