more than "just a housewife"

Hello all!  I don't know if anyone has seen some of the stuff going around lately (mostly on the internet) about housewives, but I have a question for you...at what point in our society did the art of homemaking go from being something that was encouraged, nay, neccissary, to being something to be ashamed of?  Even on TV you see characters in shows that are homemakers yet when another character on the show asks "What do you do for a living?" , they seem ashamed to admit that they stay home all day and care for the household...when did this become the norm?  In past decades, it was simply assumed that if you were a woman of a certain age (meaning in or around their child-bearing years here, don't get offended) that you were married and had children of your own (or were planning on it at some point) and that you took care of the home while your husband was at work from 9-5...but back then no one snubbed their nose at you for it.  I guess perhaps now, in our busy modern times where it practially takes 2 full-time incomes to keep a house humming, other people look down on us as slackers because our job doesn't pay us in money.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not dissing women who need/want to work outside the home...I think that's awesome that women have come far enough in our society that they don't feel like they're trapped at home when they don't want to be, that's just not my cup of tea anymore.  And I also know that there are some situations where it can't be helped, and that's fine too...do whatever it is you need to do to help your family and make it thrive, whether that's working outside the home, working from home or just making the home and family your job, which is what I've chosen to do...there's no right or wrong way here, just what's right for your own life and family. 

Anyway, back to the main topic here...why do we sometimes feel ashamed of the choices that we've decided are right for our families?  I know that I personally feel stoked (most of the time lol) that I get to stay at home with my munchkins instead of having to go everyday to a job that I hate just to feel guilty the whole time I'm there because I'm not with my kids...again, that's just my opinion.  And shows like "The real housewives of (fill in practically any major city you want here)" haven't made it any easier on those of us who do stay home.  To clear up a few misconceptions perpetuated by the show: we're not all "day drinkers", we don't all have nannys and housekeepers to do the work for us while we go out and shop all day (and to that point, we also don't all go out and shop all day anyway), we don't all have personal chefs available to cook each meal and we're not all bitches.  Now some of us are lucky enough to have some of those things, but I'd wager that most of us aren't that priveledged and are totally fine with that (I know I am)...it'd be nice at times, but definately not a neccessity.  What we really want (again, just my opinion here) is for people to see that this is a valid life choice that we've made out of love for our families, not just an excuse to slack off.  Anyone who's ever stayed at home taking care of family and hosehold for longer than a week (maybe even a day) can tell you that it's hard work, especially if theres small kids involved.  There's some little things that you sometimes have to learn to let go of, but it's way worth it to have a slightly messy house and seriously happy kids.  So the next time you ask a woman "What do you do for a living?", don't look down upon her if her answer is that she's "just a housewife", cause in all actuallity she is SO much more than that.

Ok, that's enough of that soap box for now.  Until next time!