Homemaking Like Molly Weasley: Lessons Learned From Harry Potter

My absolute favorite fantasy series is Harry Potter. These books are what truly sparked a love of fantasy for me and caused me to go on to read other classic fantasy series like Lord of the Rings and Wheel of Time. When I first read them I was a newly-married college student, and it will come as no surprise that I have a different perspective on them as I return to them now as a mother of 4. But one thing remains true now as well as then: Molly Weasley is one of my FAVORITE characters in this series.

The first time I was introduced to Molly Weasley (and I’m thinking especially of when we first see her in her home, the Burrow, in book 2) I remember thinking This is exactly the kind of mom I want to be. Obviously I’m not talking about her use of magic to keep her home running. What I’m talking about is the atmosphere of warmth and love that oozes from the Burrow, the same atmosphere that draws Harry in and makes him contrast it to his own home with the Dursleys, telling Ron “‘This is the best house I’ve ever been in.’” Yet we are told the Burrow “looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen” and “as though it were held up by magic (which, Harry reminded himself, it probably was).” In the garden there were “plenty of weeds, and the grass needed cutting.” So what is it about the Burrow that is so appealing? And how can we as mothers seek to create the same in our home, just as Molly Weasley did? Here are a few things that stick out to me.

1. Molly Weasley knew that she didn’t need to work a secular job in order to be “worth” something. Our world continually tells women that they can do ANYTHING, and unfortunately this has led many of us to believe that if we aren’t doing ALL THE THINGS then we are failing. Mamas, IF you are a mom, then there is no greater job you could do, no greater ministry you could do, than raise your kids to follow Jesus. I find it rather incredible that J. K. Rowling, who is considered for all purposes a “modern” woman and certainly didn’t write from a Biblical worldview, made an important character in her book be a stay-at-home mom. Molly Weasley served as a mother to Harry when he really had none other (his actual mother dead, the aunt who raised him cold and unkind, even Professor Mcgonagall who is clearly affectionate towards him rarely shows it).

2. Molly Weasley created a home where rules are enforced for the safety of her children while her love is always communicated to them. Even as she scolds Fred, George, and Ron for stealing the flying car to rescue Harry at the beginning of Chamber of Secrets, it is clear that her scolding stems from her fear for their safety. Our culture today tells us that kids don’t need boundaries and should be allowed to explore and figure out things for themselves. As our kids get older, yes they will need more freedom and choices, but no matter our kids' age it is clear from Scripture that we are to set limits on our kids behavior and guide them down the right path (Proverbs 22:6).

3. Molly Weasley prioritized people over worldly possessions and tidiness. When I picture the Burrow in my mind’s eye, I see a home that has messes in every room and noise spilling out of every corner, much like my current home and like the one I was raised in. It’s loud and busy and honestly crazy and chaotic. When my first two children were young, I really hated the craziness and chaos, if I’m being truthful. I spent many years praying for God to help me bring calm to the chaos in our home, but I really never got anywhere. Finally I realized that the calm has to happen with me. These noisy, messy years are shaping my character, and that’s more important than any changes I could make to our home. Our home is probably always going to feel like a circus act; after all, there’s six people in it day in, day out, two of whom are still toddler age and full of SO MUCH energy. But when I learned to be at peace with the stage we are in as a family and embrace the craziness, I found so much more calm as a mother. Molly Weasley has clearly done the same. Even being able to use magic, she still is scrambling to keep up with everything, yet we see her continually pause what she’s doing for a conversation with her husband who had a stressful day at work, to make sure Harry feels welcomed, to talk a child through a difficult season or offer them a word of encouragement. I want to remember that in the middle of my busy day full of endless laundry and dishes, I want to pause and just be present with my family when I feel the stress and anxiety rising in me. The moments I spend with my family are going to count for so much more in the long run than dusting another shelf or running the vacuum again.

4. Molly Weasley wasn’t afraid to fight for what she knew was right. I love that Rowling brought Molly Weasley into the last battle in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Mrs. Weasley isn’t the timid, 1950s housewife that our world pictures when they think of a stay-at-home mom. She was willing to stand alongside her husband, family, and friends to fight a great evil, and she even lost multiple children for their cause. Our world can be a dark place sometimes (maybe a lot of the time), and we have to be willing to stand up and fight evil for our children’s sake. I don’t know what the Lord has placed on your heart to fight for: maybe you have a passion for seeing abortion end, or stopping human trafficking. Maybe you want to do foster care or adopt. Maybe you’re passionate about something simpler, like encouraging healthy marriages and Biblical parenting in a culture where marriages rarely last more than a couple years. Whatever your passion is, your kids need to see you fighting for it so they have the courage to do the same when their time comes.

A few notes as we close this: I know I touched on a lot of culturally “sensitive” topics today (whether you have a Biblical worldview or not), and I’m also aware that all the things on this list can easily be taken to an opposite, negative extreme, so I want to address these concerns now in case you’re wondering about them:

1. On stay-at-home moms versus the work-force: Please know that I am not condemning you if you work a job in addition to mothering your children; my point is that motherhood is so, so important and should be held as equally important to all other work. Also, if you are reading this and you aren’t a mom, YOU are JUST as important as those with children; whether or not we have children makes no difference in how our Father and Creator sees us; my point is we all have been placed in different roles and circumstances and we should live those out for God’s glory.

2. On extreme parenting: One thing we DON’T see in the Weasley family is helicopter parenting. We do need to give our children freedom to try new things and build resiliency, but there still need to be healthy rules in place. This is the difference between giving our kids the freedom to do hard things like learning how to climb rock walls or go whitewater rafting, or stepping out of their comfort zone and performing in front of people, versus letting them watch TV all day long or eat nothing but junk food. Please know I’m not judging you if you struggle with either of these extremes; I have, and sometimes still continue to, struggle with them, too. Take them to the Lord and let HIM guide your parenting, rather than the world.

3. On bringing calm to your physical spaces: For years I used the things I shared in this point as an excuse to let my home REMAIN a mess. I used the excuse that “I didn’t become a stay-at-home mom to clean house, but to spend time with my children” as a reason to let the dishes pile up, the clutter build, and the laundry go undone. But when I did this, I completely missed the point! When I got the clutter under control and learned to keep up with some simple daily tasks, the atmosphere in my home completely changed. My anxiety lessened (our physical surroundings have a HUGE impact on anxiety!), my children played better, and I suddenly had MORE time to spend with my family. The point is to remember that your house will get messy again, often within a couple minutes or even seconds of when you cleaned it, and at some point you have to stop cleaning and focus on your people.

4. On “causes”: I just want to issue a final reminder here that if you are a mom, your FIRST ministry should be within your home (and this isn’t a gender issue, I would say the same thing to your husband). Pursue other ministries, other causes, but don’t let them overshadow your family. We can pour our lives out serving God and leading millions of people to Christ, but if our children get our leftovers and end up in Hell as a consequence, I’m not sure we can say we were doing God’s will.