Why being a housewife is worthy of praise

[1]

Actress Penelope Cruz recently said being a housewife is the “best thing in the world”. Cruz has been staying at home since giving birth to her 17-month-old son. When women get married and enter motherhood, their priorities change and their family becomes their macrocosm. While for new-age women, juggling home and career comes easy, plus it’s not easy to suddenly give up the financial independence that comes with a job, still more and more mothers are quitting their high-salaried job to be at home, raise a family, nourish the kids, and the pleasures of doing so are manifold.

The kid takes up most of their time, nevertheless they are left with enough hours to take an afternoon nap, cook for the family, tend to plants, meet friends, deal with the maids and run errands.
Author and India’s current ambassador to Bhutan Pavan K. Varma’s wife Renuka changed her profession from law to teaching so that she could have a career even after marrying an IFS officer. But it was still not possible. Though she had to finally call it quits, she enjoyed bringing up their children.
She says, “I feel good thinking I raised my children my own way. And I am happy about what I did. If I needed the money to better my children’s life, I am sure I would have worked but there was no such compulsion so it was fine. I have no regrets.”
Thirty-year-old stay-at-home mum, Meghna Arun had an extremely rewarding career and a fascinating profile in one of India’s leading boutique travel companies and was scaling new heights, until Shiven, her six-month-old angel decided to come along. She derives immense joy and satisfaction by feeding him, giving him a bath, washing his clothes, singing to him, carrying him around, having conversations with him.
She says there were challenges and the need to grab my laptop and work was constant and she missed going out initially and felt somewhat caged. “But that was when he slept all the time. There never is a dull moment with him and I do not feel the urge to go out. I am proud of my decision. I know very well that some day I can go back and have a solid career if I want to.”
Gunjan Kochhar continued teaching with her first baby at home, but when her second one was on its way, she decided to quit and be at home. She believes if the parents are stressed, the kids inherit that stress and that’s not healthy. She wanted to be a happy person to pass on happiness. Now when she is at home except when she takes her yoga classes, she feels at ease. She is in no hurry to reach anywhere. “One needs to focus on the priorities at hand. Right now my kids are my world. Besides I get ample time to be with myself, listen to music and other activities,” sums up Gunjan.