For eight years, Ive been a housewife. Not because I ever dreamed of it, but because life unfolded that way. I have two children, a husband whos out working all day, and a home that never stays clean. Every morning, I rise at half past five before anyone else wakes. By the time dawn spills through the windows, Im already making breakfast.
By seven, the dishes are done, the lounge is swept, beds are made, and lunch is half-prepared. When my husband heads out the door, he says, Just take it easy at home. As if at home means a holiday. As soon as the door closes behind him, my second shift begins: laundry, mopping the kitchen floor, scrubbing the bathroom, picking up toys, a dash to the shops, collecting the kids from school.
When the children return, theres still no resthomework, afternoon snacks, squabbles, shouts, more filthy clothes. All the while, my husband arrives home exhausted, sitting down to stare at his phone. If I ask for help, he says, I work all day. Once, I muttered, So do I, and he snapped. Said I was exaggerating, said I had no idea what real tiredness meant.
One day, I told him I wanted to return to work. I want my own money, some independence, to feel useful for more than just cleaning. He replied, Wholl look after the kids, then? Why did I marry you at all? Thats selfish. My mother-in-law chimed in, saying a proper wife stays at home.
I started to feel invisible. No one asks how I am. No one thanks me. If the foods too saltythey complain. If the house is untidyits my fault. If the kids do poorly at schoolIm to blame again. Everything lands on my shoulders.
There was a day I snapped. I was washing plates at ten at night, back aching, and I overheard my husband talking on the phone: My wife doesnt work, shes just at home. I dropped the plate into the sink and just broke down in tears.
Now, Im worn out. Tired of work that brings no pay, no hours, no recognition. Tired of living a life locked within four walls. Tired of being just a housewife.
And now I dont know what to do. Whether to endure it, to stand up for myself, or find a job, even if it risks my marriage.
Tell me, is a housewife truly privileged, or is it a burden nobody wants to acknowledge?
