Homemaking is a career that demands considerable expertise, may encompass decades of our lives, and has the potential to spread the gospel to our families, churches, communities, and future generations.
That’s a career worth preparing for, wouldn’t you say?
But how do we learn? Scripture says that the older women should teach the young women to be effective home managers and to love their husbands and children (Titus 2:3-5). It’s the mother’s job to teach and the daughter’s job to learn.
So even though this little series is directed to teenagers, we’re going to stop and address the moms for a moment. We want to encourage you to help your daughter make the best use of her teenage years by preparing to be a homemaker. (But girls, this doesn’t mean you should sit back and wait to be taught. You need to be asking for homemaking training from your mom or, if your mom is not a Christian, a godly mentor.)
Moms (and mentors) we must seize every opportunity to prepare our daughters for their homemaking mission. We should speak often of the joys of being a wife, mother, and homemaker. We should advice them of the sacrifices homemaking demands but also of the unsurpassed rewards it offers.
We must also be intentional. A good domestic training plan begins with the heart. As mothers we must shape our daughter’s convictions to reflect the biblical priority of the home. A steady diet of God’s Word and other biblically informed materials are indispensable.
An effective training program also equips our daughters to manage all practical aspects of caring for a home and family. Consider your daily responsibilities and you’ll easily come up with many skills your daughter needs to learn.
Think of your daughter as your homemaking intern. She needs both
practical training and instruction.
You can provide hands-on training
by delegating portions of the household responsibilities to her for
short periods of time. You can provide her with practical instruction
by getting books from the library or bookstore on cleaning, cooking
organization, decorating or child-training.
Moms, I hope these brief thoughts will inspire you to begin and persevere in training your daughter to be a homemaker.
Daughters, let me conclude by encouraging you to embrace your mother’s domestic teaching. Allow her to direct your affections toward home. And take it one step further. Volunteer to be her homemaking assistant. This way you’ll receive vital training for your future mission and make the best use of your time today!
