The lost art of being a housewife....

[Timeforabiscuit]

So I quit my job, don't have one to go to - dh absolutely fully behind me leaving and trying a new career direction after some serious down time. Can live on dhs salary just fine indefinitely, done the budget, also have savings.

I'm only applying for jobs which strongly interest me - I am scrupulously consciencious and want a pension so will be going back into the job market - but its on my terms.

I am so bloody lucky to be in this position, I've always worked and it will be fleeting.....

So my question is - if you had 6 months down time, what would you learn to do?

I’m having time off in spring I’m planning to sort out each room in my house storage wise . Sell or charity stuff

Maybe decorate a room or two.

Then I am going go to either
get a new job
Or Volunteer
Or learn a skill

I’m also appreciative of my luck.

I'd definitely learn to sew properly.

6 months is not a long time... I'd be very impressed with anyone who managed to learn a language in that time, or go from not being able to sew to proper make-do-and-mend.

Personally I'd go for DIY skills.

time, I wasn't (I hope) doing any ripping. But I do think these are skills for anyone to learn. I am not kidding that I'd want to do a bit of activism. I can do a lot of the old-fashioned 'housewife' skills and I think they deserve to be better valued.

I was lucky enough to be in a position where I could quit work a couple of years ago. I completed my masters and I’m now applying for a PhD

Ive always wanted to do woodwork, butchery or plumbing/electrical type work - but my job has been desk based.

Would a butchers give a look in to a volunteer? Theyre a business so im sure they have their hands full with apprenticeships..

I’ve just started a PhD... I gave up my job 18mths ago did a masters and now the PhD. When I was doing the masters I had plenty of free time & now I’m thinking I could have used it much more productively!

The PhD is 3 years funded but it is quite full on although I could learn new skills in the amount of time I spend faffing / on mumsnet!

But having a break for normal paid work is amazing & such a different life experience.

I’m going to take in board some of these suggestions - thank you 😊

LRDtheFeministDragon No ripping :) , I just feel like those household skills are worthy of equal attention as the world of employed work and perhaps paying more attention to my home life would be more nuturing and fulfiling somehow?

Feel I've done my part in advocating through work, and im really really lucky that I can walk away and say I have made a definate change for the better in a small real way, against the avalanche of shit thats hurtling down.

I think with the ever increasing age of retirement, it will become more common for people to have career breaks or sabbiticals, voluntary or otherwise. Some people will be lucky enough to be well financed, others may be on much more restricted budgets.
The first career break I had I was single, no responsibilties other than my cat, funded by a redundancy so could do pretty much what I wanted, so I did. This time, I am that much older, I have responsibilties, money will be liveable but tight and I want to do things that will benefit both me and my son.
Its a great opportunity if you don't have to worry about money.

I've been slightly underemployed over the autumn (freelance) and I've used the spare time to sort out lots of clothes and eBay them, and get a website up and running. If the situation continues in the spring, I'll be getting a prince project management qualification, and also doing the couch to 5k app. So, basically a combination of improving employability and self-improvement/care.
For those of you with DIY ambitions, quite a lot of FE colleges do introduction to carpentry courses and similar, which might be worth investigating?

If I was going to focus on housewife stuff I would like to:

Really spend some time getting the kitchen garden to maximise its potential
Learn how to bone a chicken/turkey
Learn how to fillet fish properly
Improve my sewing skills
Learn upholstery (I have three chairs waiting to be recovered - cost is prohibitive unless I learn how to do it myself)
Sort out the junk room
Finally clear out the playroom (DSs now tweens/teens and don't use it in the same way. They certainly don't need fisher price trains etc)

YY, time.

just have a clean and tidy home

a few lie ins

read more

a few things in my community and be out in nature a bit more

I think we work too hard in this country. a few nice lie-ins would be a good start, in the interests of balance ...

I did exactly this last year OP. I spent a lot of time exercising and became much fitter, took up yoga, learned a new sport, did weekly music lessons and daily oractice (to learn an instrument for the first time), and did daily language practice.

OP I rather suspect no butcher is going to teach you for free - you'll have to lug a lot of meat, sweep a lot of scraps and hose out a lot of blood for it to be worth their while having you there. Why not something like this: www.schoolofartisanfood.org/product/butchery-fundamentals

Probably just do more of the nice stuff that I currently do. Instead of getting up at 6 to do a yoga class for 7 I would do one at 10.

Instead of having to meal plan at shop at the weekends and cook food that takes no longer than an hour to prepare in the evenings I would spend more time during the week sourcing good food and preparing it.

I would pick a room to clean each day instead of having to do it all over Sat/Sun

I would be there in the evenings when the kids come home instead of them having to to a minder.

I would watch at least 1 hour of shite on the TV and maybe have a little snooze after lunch