Despite it being my dream to be a homemaker, I quickly realized after becoming a mom how many homemaking skills I lacked, and that there truly was so much to learn in the art of being a good homemaker.
I'm certainly a work-in-progress in this department and am constantly honing in on my skills and abilities as a mom. Today we'll be discussing useful, practical, and important skills to learn as a homemaker this year! Hopefully this will inspire you to continue learning and growing in your homemaking journey.
Long before my husband and I had our son, we knew that I was going to be a stay-at-home mom. We were determined no matter what to make it work, even if we had to sacrifice spending habits or be a bit tighter with money.
Of course the most important thing as a homemaker is your family; caring for your children and your spouse. Your kids are sponges, who soak up all your words and actions and affections. I've reflected a lot about my own relationship and view of my mother growing up, and began to realize that if I wanted to be the mother I had when I was little, then I had to get to work!
I had to learn the skills of homemaking.
#1 - Cooking
It seems that the best meals are always the one your mom makes! Growing up (and into my adulthood) my mom's stew, tacos, fajitas, *insert mom's creation here* were always my favs. When I had my son, I knew I had to become a better cook so that someday I would become his favorite! Learning how to get better at cooking doesn't need to be as daunting as it seems. Here are basic tips for cooking as a homemaker:
Stock up on staple ingredients: keep items like flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, etc. on hand so that you don't have to run to the store each time you want to make something. I'd also recommend keeping essentials like tomato paste, diced tomatoes, beans, and spices on hand since they're often used in many recipes.
Make a goal: do you find it daunting to build up your skills in the kitchen? I certainly did! Making a goal for yourself can be really helpful. I made a goal for myself to try one new recipe each week, and I've been able to stick to that.
Get creative: step outside of your comfort zone! Try cooking with different meats, spices, and ingredients; maybe you'll find a new meal that will be a go-to for you and your family.
#2 - Bread Making
It seems that everyone and their mother (haha) is baking bread these days. That's because it is not only a great skill to have as a homemaker, but it can also save you and your family a ton of money over time. Even though it appears that sourdough is the only way to go, just know that it's not: there are tons of easy bread recipes out there that don't take quite as much time or energy. Want to make bread but don't know where to start?
Use a bread machine: I inherited an old bread machine from the 90's and it's made my life so much easier! I make bread 1-2 times per week and it takes almost no time on my end. You can find bread machines on Marketplace all the time!
Look for an easy recipe: I've had my eye on this English Muffin Bread for while. It seems really simple.
Don't worry about failing: the key to learning how to make bread, is just to start! The first loaves of bread I made weren't great (even in the bread machine) but I've learned over time how to do it properly and now they come out perfectly every time.
#3 - Mending
Mending is an essential skill for homemakers because often times there are little ones running around ripping their clothes and needing a fix! Sewing and mending is one of the oldest textile arts. Even though it is an old-fashioned skill, it certainly has a place in modern society. Here are basic but important things to know how to mend/fix:
#4 - Gardening
Gardening looks different for every homemaker and will depend on the size of your land and the climate in which you live! Maybe you don't even have land and you're homemaking from an apartment (that's okay too). Learning how to garden can be very time consuming, but totally worth it! Here are some benefits of having a garden:
Eating delicious, organic food: nothing feels better that pulling a carrot out of your own garden and adding it to a meal! You will also have the piece of mind knowing that there aren't a bunch of nasty chemicals and pesticides all over your food.
Save money: sometimes gardening can be expensive to start, but can definitely save you money over the course of time. You also will significantly reduce plastic waste since you aren't buying pre-packaged veggies from the store.
If you want more benefits of gardening and some awesome tips for beginners, click here.
#5 - Food Preservation
Homemakers know how to preserve food! Food preservation is a broad topic and encompasses canning, freezing, dehydrating, and fermenting. As a homemaker you don't need to be fluent in all of these areas, but maybe you learn how to can food you grew from the garden, or learning how ferment.
Which Homemaking Skills Will You Learn?
There are obviously tons more homemaking skills to learn, but these are some great ones to get started. Homemakers are important for taking care of the house and making sure that everything in the home runs smoothly. Learning these basic, practical, and useful skills will help to keep things on track.
If you're a new homemaker, which area do you feel you need to work on the most? For me, it's gardening! I'm looking forward to next spring so that I can really put the time and effort into getting better in this area.
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