Why Do Some Women Consider Housework an Important, Dignified Service?

"I HATE housework!!!! And what's more, I don't do a very good job of it," "A thankless, dull task that shall never again preoccupy my time," responded two of fifty thousand housewives recently polled in an international survey. Ten percent of the respondents agreed.

Yet, on the other hand, many fit the description of Julie, who is up every morning at dawn to begin a daily ritual of housecleaning. Everything in her house gleams. All her friends envy the way it looks. Sometimes, Julie feels she should have more outside interests, but she sighs: "I'm a homemaker first, and we must have a clean house." She strives for perfection.

Quite a difference of attitude from those who 'hated' housework! Does either viewpoint prevail in your home? Is either correct?

Certainly your attitude, or that of your mate, toward housework can have a direct bearing on your own comfort and happiness. But what is a realistic view of that which some consider a "curse" and others say is one of the "highest of feminine virtues"?

A husband, just returning from a weekend business trip, could hardly believe his eyes. The kitchen looked like a disaster area-the stove covered with scorched pots and pans, the sink bulging with dirty dishes, the floor covered with grime and grease.

Beyond the kitchen, he saw the living room cluttered with newspapers, bottles and toys. His two little children were wrestling on top of a large pile of soiled laundry. And in the midst of all this chaos was his wife, calmly sitting in an easy chair, with her feet up on a table, leisurely reading. She said: "I thought the best way to let you see what on earth I do all day was not to do it."

Yes, housework is important! Who of us does not enjoy coming into a clean, calm, orderly home? On the other hand, dirt and grime can irritate. They repel.

"But really, isn't it more important to be a companion to your husband and to keep up with what's going on in the world than to spend your life as a 'lowly housecleaner'? After all, to expect someone with brains to spend all her time doing housework is just not fair," say many. You may feel the same way.

However, to prevent housework from becoming a boring task that consumes all your time requires skill and initiative-no small requirement in this age of mental laziness. As one authority states: "The woman who feels the importance of keeping her family comfortable, with a pleasant well-kept house and good food, is apt to snap right into her tasks and do them quickly and efficiently. And thereby finds more time to be a companion to her husband and children."

Some homemakers are able to think about other things while doing certain parts of their housework that may require little concentration. For instance, some mentally plan future meals, organize their day's schedule or reflect on spiritual matters.

Why do some women consider housework an important, dignified service? "It's personal," answered one homemaker with 21 years of experience. She explains: "I'm doing something personal to benefit someone else. We live in a world in which so many things are impersonal. You don't see the immediate good of your work. However, housework affects another in a very personal way, and the satisfaction is immediate." Many diligent housewives agree. They view their housework as a "labor of love" for their family.

Also, there is contentment in seeing a job well done. "I don't know anyone who finds housework absorbing, fulfilling, challenging. However, like death and taxes, there it is," candidly states one mother. Yet she admitted: "But, you know, when the copper gleams and the tables glow and the house smells fresh and the fire in the fireplace reflects the polished floor, I do get a smug feeling of accomplishment."

Coupled with the "feeling of accomplishment" is a clear conscience, not always having to apologize for the condition of the home, and a sense of self-respect. All of these are fine reasons why housework should not be viewed as a "thankless, dull task."

But what about persons like Julie, who must have a perfectly immaculate home?