Sunday, July 15, 2012

The Housewife's Creed

When I was younger, I was in Guiding.

I can still remember the excitement as my Mum dropped me off for my first Brownie Meeting. I had just turned six, and I had been waiting for the day for four long years.

I loved the friendships, I loved the games and the crafts, I loved the uniform. But what made the biggest impression on me was the Promise and the Law. It gave me something to strive for. A concrete but simple set of rules I could hold myself against and see how I measured up.




I still try and uphold these ideals daily, especially the good old motto, "Be Prepared", but I was thinking - what if I had a set of guidelines for my role as a housewife? A creed of sorts, one pertaining particularly to this point in my life? Forgive the cheese, but I had a crack:

The Housewife's Promise 
I will strive to fill my home with peace, joy and contentment. I recognise the responsibility and privilege of my role, and I embrace my tasks with enthusiasm.
The Housewife's Creed 
A Housewife is proud of her career  
A Housewife maintains a positive outlook 
A Housewife cares for herself 
A Housewife takes responsibility for the well being of her family 
A Housewife takes care of her home 
A Housewife is productive 
A Housewife improves her skills 
A Housewife is thrifty 
A Housewife creates traditions and memories 
A Housewife serves in her community
And, not to forget, the Housewife's Motto: "Get on with it!"

You'll notice I capitalised the word Housewife. That's because anyone can technically be a housewife - you just need to be married and at home. But to be a proper Housewife takes work. Actual effort. Getting out of bed and having a goal. Having some pride!

So, what do you reckon? Want to join my Housewifely gang? And, way more importantly, what's our uniform going to be?

I reckon this probably needs a badge...





The Accidental Housewife

26 comments:

  1. Whatever the uniform is, it needs a good coating of flour and something sticky..

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  2. i have got to see the uniform! please let it be better than the guides uniform to iron though...my teen just finished up guides last year and i am NOT sorry to see those box pleats go!!!
    Your line about housewives caring for themselves has me a little worried though...i need to work on this one!!

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    1. It's the most important bit! Oxygen masks on first, and all that...

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  3. As a retired Woorail, sixer, I promise that I will do my best, .....typed with my left hand , while the other hand is holding up three fingers.....I still have my Brownie Guide Creed poster that we had to make when we joined....man I loved that brown beret.
    Im in....whats the first badge we need to go for...?

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    1. Oh, badges! There's a good idea...

      I'll work on that :)

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  4. Could we add to the motto, Get on with it - do it NOW!! Whatever the uniform, I think it should incorporate an apron somewhere- an Apron Rampant on the badge?

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    1. Yes, yes we can!

      An Apron Rampant? I love it. I'm imagining angry, waving apron strings...

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  5. Ha! This is a good oen :-D I'll join up.
    Used to be a Voortrekker way back when - the Afrikaans version of Guides. The creed and promise are almost exactly the same!
    I remember always getting in trouble because my skirt was to short - but I was the only one in the commando adhereing to the rule re skirt length...the rest had chocolate brown skirts flaping around their calves, mine was 5 fingers aboe the knee.
    So I'll join, but please, no high heels ;-)

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    1. No high heels! I think a sensible sole is imperative, we're not faffing about, after all - there's work to be done! ;)

      I love that yours was called a Commando. Very tough!

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    2. I always thought commando meant lacking undergarments...

      At least that's what we vulgar Americans say!

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    3. I can say, with a great deal of confidence, that the majority of commandos you would meet in uniform are, in fact, going commando...

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  6. Brilliant! I want to be in your Housewifely gang! Yep, the uniform has got to be an apron. I have a half-apron thing for the days I am feeling a bit of a Fifties housewife and a full apron for the cooking/baking days.

    I have always loved the Guide Promise and it still makes me all go a bit funny now when I hear it from my own Guides at their enrollments.

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    1. Oh goodness, I get a bit funny too, when my girls take their Promise I expect to be a total mess. Very embarrassing! ;)

      I think an apron would be the perfect uniform. Badges along the hem or waistline?

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  7. So recent news of the Guides changing their promise, omitting the words God and the Queen would have upset you?

    Never did Guides, probably one of the reasons why I don't know how to sew.

    I went to a very strict Christian school so any extra curricular activities that weren't directly linked to the school and their church was frowned upon.

    I think an apron in the Gang is mandatory. My current apron is calico and has a chocolate Lab on the front with the text 'Dog hair adds flavour' so maybe our aprons could have something we love on them?

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    1. No, it didn't upset me at all, it had to come. I was actually part of the first few focus groups working on the new look for the movement in Aus, way back when. I do miss the decent uniforms, though. I like shirts that need ironing and shoes and badges that need a polish, I think it teaches forward planning and self respect.

      I didn't learn many sewing skills from Guides, but damn, my knots were tight! We were an outdoorsy troop. I think it's very leader dependent.

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  8. Hmmm...Growing up my best friend was a brownie (is that how you spell it???) They had a dance one night at their hall, and there were streamers and balloons hanging from the ceiling, it looked beautiful. But I got 'fined' 5 cents for pulling down a streamer, I must have missed the part where they told us about that. And guess what, I didn't even pull it down! Seriously I don't know what it was stuck to the roof with, but it didn't hold it up, and I happened to be the unlucky one standing under it when it fell. They wouldn't even listen to my pleas of innocence!

    5 cents was a whole lot of money to an eightish year old girl in 1980!

    I've never been fond of them since. (Brownies/Guides that is)

    {And obviously I'm scarred for life :)}
    Having had my rant, I think those guidelines are wonderful for any job you hold.

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    1. Oh, that's just mean! Some of the leaders were real old battle-axes. I was terrified of one lady from our district, but the rest were absolutely lovely. It was like having a couple of extra mums. Please don't let one crazy streamer-mad lady scar you! (Want me to pay you back the money? Would that help? This story made me so sad...)

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    2. Oh why not, 10% interest, that comes out at 41c!

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  9. Love it! :) I have my personal creed as my desktop on my computer so that all that time spent staring at the screen can also be counted as subliminal propoganda :D
    My mum wouldn't let me join the guides (which I see as mini-CWA-ers) as she was made to as a child and hated it. My little one is starting Scouts in a couple of weeks so it will be interesting to see if she gets into it. I asked her about Guides but she said she didn't want to do girls stuff (the lack of boys appeared to be it's biggest problem lol).

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    1. Oh, Scouts is the bomb!

      I went from Brownies to Guides, but then when I went to check out Ranger Guides the local unit was so full of girls who were obviously aiming for early, bored, cat-heavy spinsterhood that I swapped to the Scouts instead. I loved Venturers. LOVED it. The guys I used to hike with then are still my mates now.

      Although, I will say... I earned my Baden Powell in Guides, my sash was rather full, but I don't think I earned a single badge at Venturers - too many boys! Lol

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  10. I was Brownie and a Guide too. I loved it! I wasn't very good at completing my tasks, though. Procrastination: I started early and have worked it to a fine art.
    ~S.

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    1. I always say my Mum should have my BP award, not me. I may have eventually done the work, but only with Significant Encouragement! If only there had been a procrastinators badge. I'm sure many eligible people considered creating it, but never got around to submitting the paperwork... ;)

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  11. I was browsing from since morning in search of music notes in that search sudden i got your post its really nice and interesting also.

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