The other day Aaron was filling out some paper work and called me into the bedroom. He couldn’t remember something and needed my help. I told him the answer and remained in the room to help him with any further questions. A few lines down the paper asked “Occupation ___________ and Occupation of Spouse ____________”. Aaron filled out his occupation as a Register Nurse and then went to fill in the space for me. My dear loving husband hesitated a moment and then typed in Housekeeper. What wait a moment a HOUSEKEEPER?!?!? Of course I quickly let him know how I felt about that…umm…title. I told him that I was a Homemaker not a housekeeper. He tried to cover by saying that he couldn’t remember the word homemaker and housekeeper was the next thing to come into his head. I don’t know if I buy it.
I looked up the occupation of a Homemaker and Housekeeper and this is what I found. Which do you think best describes me?
HOMEMAKER
Education and Training: None
Salary: None
Employment Outlook: Excellent
(great job security)People
(That would be me: Kenzie) who take care of households for themselves and for the other people
(Aaron and Logan) who live with them are called homemakers. They are responsible for managing the resources of their household. Homemakers may also perform general housekeeping chores and personal services, or they may assign them to other members of the household
(Too bad Logan isn’t old enough yet however Aaron is well past the age of accountability). Every household is unique, and the duties of each homemaker vary according to the ages, habits, needs, and incomes of the people in the household.
Homemakers are generally responsible for keeping their homes clean and running smoothly. They decide what cleaning jobs need to be done, and they arrange to have them completed
(Would that be my TO DO list perchance?). Cleaning tasks may include dusting, sweeping, making beds, washing and waxing floors
(I don’t think I had ever waxed a floor in my life), vacuuming, and a wide variety of other chores. Many homemakers also make sure that clothing and household items are laundered, dry-cleaned, or mended when needed. In many cases, they shop for food, clothing, and other household needs
(Just the other day I bought new towels for a great price; Stay tuned Bathroom Makeover coming this March). Homemakers often plan, cook, and serve many of the meals for their households. Sometimes they make arrangements to buy meals from outside sources
(Café Rio I don’t know what we would do with out you).
Maintaining the household budget may be another responsibility of homemakers
(Aaron and I do this together). They may take care of bills, banking, tax filing, and other financial matters. They often are responsible for day-to-day expenses, and they sometimes do long-range financial planning for their households. With other household members they make decisions about buying insurance, taking vacations, getting loans, and other important matters. Consumer skills are very important in making these decisions concerning the use of a household's resources.
In households with young children, homemakers have a great deal of responsibility for their care. If the children are very young, homemakers may feed, dress, and bathe them
(I want to add diaper them to that list). As the children are growing, homemakers are responsible for creating a happy, healthy environment that will foster positive emotional and physical development
(For further reading on such responsibilities see The Family: A Proclamation to the World). They may teach the children good health and personal habits, and make sure that they have proper medical and dental care
(Logan is starting to get to brush his teeth after each meal. He thinks it is pretty fun to get the toothbrush wet). They may help them with their homework. As the children grow older, homemakers spend less time overseeing them. In some cases homemakers care for adult members of the household who are ill or infirm. Many homemakers drive household members to and from their daily activities
(Future cab service here I come). They may also have cars serviced. Some do minor repairs on cars and household appliances.
Improving the appearance of their homes may be another household responsibility
(Aaron doesn’t get this part. Does any Male get the concept of decorating?) Homemakers often decorate their houses or apartments
(I am sick and tired of our white walls and white bedspread so…Bedroom Makeover coming end of February). They may paint
(I wish) or paper walls and ceilings, apply floor coverings, or refinish furniture. Sometimes they care for lawns and gardens. Often homemakers arrange to have these jobs done by outside contractors.
Read more: Homemaker Job Description, Career as a Homemaker, Salary, Employment - Definition and Nature of the Work, Education and Training Requirements, Getting the Job http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/308/Homemaker.html#ixzz1DI3cZiIwHOUSEKEEPER
Education and Training: None
Salary: Median—$16,900 per year
Another source I found stated that “[a] housekeeper may be paid on either an hourly or a salaried basis. The part-time housekeeper will generally earn between $15 - $25 per hour. The full-time housekeeper will earn between $35K and $50K per year, plus benefits.”
Employment Outlook: Good
Housekeepers clean private homes, buy food, cook and serve meals, and do laundry for family members. Some housekeepers work for several households, spending one or two days a week with each one
(I am not cleaning up some strangers mess). These housekeepers are called day workers. Other housekeepers work full time for one family. Some full-time workers are live-in housekeepers, who live with the family for whom they work.
(Is this what Aaron thinks I am?)
The duties of individual domestic housekeepers vary widely. Some housekeepers have complete responsibility and authority to plan and carry out many household duties. Others are given very specific duties and are closely supervised. Housekeepers may plan, cook, and serve meals and clean up after food is eaten. They may buy food and household supplies. Sometimes they care for children, helping them to eat, dress, and bathe
(I did think about being a Nanny for a summer job once). They may also be responsible for disciplining children
(What happened to Parents responsibility of raising the kids) and entertaining them by reading to them or playing games with them.
Domestic housekeepers may clean floors, windows, furniture, and other areas. They sometimes make beds and change linens. They may wash, iron, and mend clothes and linens. Sometimes housekeepers perform such services as answering the telephone, receiving visitors, and exercising pets.
There are no specific educational requirements for housekeepers.
(This line made me really sad) Some employers prefer people who have a high school education. Experience and skill in caring for a home are generally more important than formal education. Housekeepers should know how to use such appliances as clothes washers, should be familiar with household cleaning products, and should know the basics of good nutrition.
Prospective housekeepers can improve their skills in cooking, child care, and house cleaning by working as a helper to an experienced housekeeper. High school courses in family and consumer science may be helpful. Some community service organizations, social service agencies, vocational schools, and community colleges offer courses in food service, child development, and consumer studies.
Candidates can get a job as a housekeeper by registering with an employment agency that specializes in finding jobs for household workers. Formal training programs often have placement services that can help. Prospective housekeepers can also apply directly to social service agencies or to firms that provide housekeeping services to families. Job openings are often listed in newspaper classifieds, and individuals can place their own ads in the "situations wanted" section of a newspaper. Once candidates have gained some job experience and a good reputation, they may be contacted by people who want to hire them.
Read more: Domestic Housekeeper Job Description, Career as a Domestic Housekeeper, Salary, Employment - Definition and Nature of the Work, Education and Training Requirements, Getting the Job http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/309/Housekeeper-Domestic.html#ixzz1DI3ovLENI am debating whether I should
1. Make Aaron’s favorite meal tonight for dinner and present him with a bill after ranging in the 35K to 50K
Or
2. Make Aaron’s favorite meal tonight dinner and hope for thank you
Here is a Valentine for you...
I told Logan we would share our love some other way and to just enjoy his Valentine. This made him happy.
So....
