Why Homemakers Should be Handywomen

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My best friend and I caught up this past week on our home renovation projects (and disasters…oops!). She told the story of how in an attempt to help her husband by taking off some trim she got spooked by a mouse! I, in turn, shared my own home horrors as my hallway had become a lake!

While we both had a good fit of the giggles after our conversation, I realized that no matter what path in life you have taken, if you choose to be a homemaker, then you are also choosing to be a handywoman.

You might be thinking, “No way! That’s what I have a husband for!” or “That’s what I pay the handyman to do!” And you are right, you may have those options available to you. But what if you didn’t?

Before I was single my husband took care of all of the handy work around the house or we hired someone else. Never in my mind did I think I would be single again one day and needing to do this myself!

Whether you’re married or single it’s important for you to step up and have some basic handywoman skills…and here’s why:

You’re single. You don’t have a husband around to do handiwork for you. Maybe you don’t have a male figure in your life or church who is willing to help out. Maybe you can’t afford to hire a handyman when something gets broken.

Having some basic handy skills is not only going to save you a lot of money but will also help you build skills of independence that will also help you someday in a marriage.

Your husband is away…or maybe he’s not handy!

Like my best friend, whose husband was out of town, she knew that while he was busy she had the time to step up and help him out. Not only did she fulfill her role as a homemaker, but she also fulfilled her role as his helpmeet.

Helping to lessen your husband’s to-do list can be a huge stress reliever for him and can help your home and your marriage. While you may not be able to do everything he can, being able to roll up your sleeves and help out is always pleasing to the Lord.

Being a handywoman is part of being a homemaker.

When it comes to caring for your home, there’s more to it than just cooking and cleaning. Your home will always need repair here or there and often it will fall to you to do it.

Taking care of all of your home is a huge responsibility but with the right knowledge and a good work ethic, taking care of your home doesn’t have to be an endless list of daunting tasks.

So, how can you become more of a handywoman?

There are a few ways that I have used in the past two years to learn some handywoman skills:

1 | Take a course in the community.

Here in Vermont, we have a course just for women called We Can Fix It!. It is a course that is designed for women who have never done handiwork before. It helps them identify tools, how to wield them properly and what every home should have. Then they spend a few weeks teaching you how to fix common problems with your plumbing and water system, electricity, walls, windows, and doors, and general home safety.

So far this class has had a huge impact on the women of our community and it is a wonderful way to learn new skills and meet new people. I hope there are more programs like this outside of Vermont, so research in your area for a class like this!

2 | Ask, ask, ask!

If you do have to call the handyman, ask if you can watch what he is doing and ask questions.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done this: with the plumber, the propane technician, etc. I’ve asked questions and I’ve learned a lot. Now I don’t have to call them for the smaller fixes in my home that would bring a hefty fee to call them out for.

Another way to ask is to ask a man in your life if you can follow him in his trade and learn from him. The plumber who works on my pipes will often have his wonderful wife of forty years in tow, teaching her the tricks of his trade and having her as his helpmeet at work.

At my dad’s house, I will follow him out to the garage to help him work on his semi-truck and his regular commuter. I’ve learned how to change the breaks and so much more just by helping and asking questions.
My favorite part about just asking is that it’s free, and it’s how I’ve learned most of my skillset so far.

3 | YouTube it.

In this day and age, YouTube has just about any how-to video you could possibly need. While I will say, you definitely need to be careful with YouTube depending on what you’re working on. Obviously don’t try and rewire your house based on a YouTube video.

But for many simple things around the house I have been able to YouTube it and get it fixed without having to call a soul.

Being able to take care of the needs around your house not only is handy, but it’s being a faithful worker for the Lord and it’s empowering to you. I can’t tell you how good it feels to know that the repairs on my home are repairs I did alone and can be proud of that they add value to my home.
Do you consider yourself a handywoman? Would you want to? Leave a comment below or head over to Facebook to join the conversation!