"So, what do you do for a living?" he asked.
"I am a housewife," she replied.
"Oh, but you seems so smart," he said with obvious disappointment. "How can you stand staying home all day doing nothing?"

It was something that she had heard many times; "Stay home and do nothing."
It was a phrase that irked her.

How could she enlighten this man, when the news were constantly showing women making similar references about housewives.

Lately there had been a Presidential Candidates wife speaking with disgust about "staying home and baking cookies". In another show a Republican woman made a comment about [housewives] sleeping until noon and how SHE only spent productive time with her children (like if all time spent with ones children is NOT productive). The clincher was: if she could help even one person [through her job], then it will have all been worth it.

The questions that linger in this housewife's mind are:
Why do you attack me so much? What have I done to be constantly on your mind?

Here are your attacks and here are my replies:

STAYING HOME AND BAKING COOKIES:
I also bake bread, muffins, biscuits and several other things. When there is a bake sale in need of volunteers, I am the first one they call. Why do I choose to make just about everything I serve from scratch? Well, it is not because I can't afford convenience foods or because I have the time to do them. It IS because I love the feel of the dough, the smell of freshly baked bread. It is a matter or pride and heritage. Using recipes that have been passed on from generations.
I don't have to worry about reading the labels of the foods I serve because I know exactly what I put in there. To me, THAT is a great accomplishment.

SLEEPING UNTIL NOON:
If I stay up until dawn painting the walls & scrubbing the floors, (that's the only time for house repairs when a house is a home twenty four hours a day), or caring for sick children, entertaining late night guests, reading an exciting mystery novel, or making love to my husband; then you probably WILL catch me sleeping until noon or even later if the children will allow it. But regardless of how late I choose to sleep, I have NOT taken a single minute from you in doing so.

WATCHING SOAPS ALL DAY:
Soaps are not on all day, but when they are on, it gives me a good excuse to sit down, drink a cup of tea, catch-up on mail, pay the bills, snuggle a child (or three). Soaps do not require much concentration, if you miss an episode or a season it is no big deal. The story line is always the same with a change of characters or locations. We ARE aware of this, it is because we do not have time for undivided attentions that Soap Operas are many a housewives favorite day time show. I wrote this while watching a soap.

PRODUCTIVE TIME WITH CHILDREN:
This is a phrase I never quite understand. Does this imply that if you are not teaching your child something, it is not time worth having. Children learn most things on their own. We are here to supervise, not to program them. Children don’t need the latest styles, toys or gadgets. They may want them, but they don not NEED them. What a child needs most is their parent's love and this can be given regardless of whether your children are within your sight twenty four hours a day or thousands of miles away.
So please, if you feel guilty about not spending much time with your child or as much time as you wish you could, then say that; but don't make remarks about how much more quality or productive your time is with your child over those who have theirs home all day. We are not in a competition. We are just mothers who are trying to do the best for their kids as best as we can.

WOMEN WHO DON’T WORK ARE UNPRODUCTIVE:
Whose house is always full with the neighborhood children?
Who volunteers to shuttle them to & from school activities?
Where are they told to go to when their parents are going to be a LITTLE late?
Who babysits when the regular sitter can not be found?
Who gives the construction worker a cold glass of ice tea?
Who is available to lend a hand when people move in or out?
Who finds time to visit the elderly & volunteers at the Nursing homes?
Who plants a garden and has plenty to share?
Who feeds the strays & tries to find them a good home?

Okay, so maybe we are not getting a paycheck; but must we put a price on human kindness before our contributions are acknowledged?

The next time I help shovel someone out of the snow bank & help push their car back onto the road; or when I help a child back on his bike after dusting him off: I will think of you trying to keep up with the rat-race, too busy to notice all those little things that everyone takes for granted. I love my job!