Many people just don't realize how much a housewife does these days. She manages the home, which is a full time job! Cooking, cleaning, caring for the children, shopping, etc.
Yes I can imagine! There is so much work involved with a house and having kids.
Now these days, many call a housewife a stay-at-home-mother SAHM, and the stay at home dads are called SAHD. Which wasn't very popular until the last 10 years or so, for dads to stay home.