Don’t Let Instagram Or HGTV Distort Your Picture Of A Life-Filled Home

We’ve all seen those articles calculating what a mother would earn on the free market. No matter how high they estimate a wage for motherhood and homemaking, we all know it’s ridiculous.

We don’t have to sacrifice our time for late-night feedings or intense parenting conversations. Some people might pay a salary to nannies and personal chefs, but that is not the standard that determines a mother’s value.

A society in which schools and universities believe their job qualifies people to work, it seems like a stay-at home mom is throwing away any diploma or degree. Many are still strong enough to do it. There are many moms who have jobs but still prioritize motherhood and homemaking. They feel the feminist flak.

Why Martha Stewart Isn’t a Homemaking Model

After a schooling career that ignored the importance of home and family, it’s no wonder so many moms feel uncertain about their roles and unequipped for them. We search for a guide to help us stop feeling like failures.

That’s why Martha Stewart was such big business. She tapped into the desire and longing for homes that were more than wayside refueling pits, serving up enough tips and lists and recipes to keep women coming so she could sell advertising to us — and she made a lot of money doing it.

Stewart was creating a brand and not a house. There are beautiful images after stunning images in magazines, HGTV and Instagram. We could fall into that trap of trying to make our homes personal brands, not domains for family-building.

When we copy the people making money off selling advertising to women, it’s no wonder we don’t become more successful homemakers — that’s never been the point. Their goal is to get women to buy more stuff. Advertising is about stirring discontent.

In the beautiful photography are embedded the tips and crafting instructions. They also contain the seeds of discontent about real homes. There is no way to be happy in a home that looks like a set. Homes used and lived in by people being raised up into the next generation often don’t reflect the crafted aesthetic we’d prefer.

Homes are a tool for building people

Unlike Stewart’s staged house, our homes are a different kind of stage: for the drama of real life. No one would pay money to see our little dramas acted out, but they’re meaningful nonetheless. Stewart and other business influencers used the home to build businesses. But we can also use homes to help build people.

Building people is better than building businesses for the economy because they are a prerequisite. Without people, there are no businesses, economies, or societies. It is more rewarding to start a business than it is to have a family.

We mothers can be strategic and brilliant in building families, homes, communities, and communities. Women are uniquely created.

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