The majority of what I read about housewives has to do with mothers who are housewives, which I am not.
On social media, housewife groups are usually filled with moms, and there are also groups for moms in general; and I am not a mom.
So, what about the overlooked demographic of married women who stay home and don’t have kids?
Do I not get to have a voice because I am the minority?
Of course I have a voice, and so do numerous other women who are happy at home in a family of two.
The challenge to me is that the majority of housewives are moms and tend to crowd out the minority of childless housewives.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t get to have a say in how I see my role as a housewife just because I’m different from the rest. Does it?
While some moms get annoyed that I write about being a housewife without kids, I too get annoyed when reading about housewives who have kids, because I can’t relate; and I’m in search of something that lets me know I’m not alone as a childless housewife.
That's why I think the minority of childless housewives are just as deserving to have a voice as the majority of housewives with children, and I question if it's needed more since it's not as common as being a mom.
For the women who point out I don’t have kids and can’t understand what it’s like to have children as a housewife, they’re not telling me anything I haven't heard before and don’t already know.
What they don’t understand, though, is what it's like to live as a childless housewife always; not just under the age of 30, but over the age of 40 when some women my age are becoming grandmothers.
What housewives with children also don't understand is that I don’t write for them. In a world where mothers are a target audience, they are not my target audience.
I write for myself (not for money) and to share my experiences with anyone who wants to read what I write.
I write in the hopes of reaching other housewives who take care of their husbands and homes sans children, so that they can find something to relate to instead of being overlooked.
I also write to reach girls and women so that they know it's okay to be a childless housewife, whether it's a choice or because of medical reasons.
I don't feel bad for not having kids; it's society and other people who try to make me feel bad for choosing a different path -- maybe because it's a path they didn't know was an option, because no one ever told them.
Having kids is what is expected of women; it is the accepted practice and the status quo.
Having kids doesn't necessarily mean there is more love in a family just because there are more people; and not having kids in my family of two doesn't mean there is less love or no love in our family because of it.
I am a stay at home “cat mom” and I split my time between taking care of our home and doing some part-time work from home. What I like most is hard to say. I guess I’d sum it up by saying having the time and ENERGY to focus on other things.
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