How stay-at-home moms are turning chores into wholesome content

From the moment her alarm goes off, Arifa Begum begins going through her mental to-do list for the day: cooking, decorating and speaking to her online community; everything scheduled in advance.

After crossing her decorated dining room — a corner she often uses as a background for her vlogs — Arifa enters the kitchen, where the real magic happens. But thanks to her vlogs, the tricks are out in the open for all 124,000 of her followers to see. 

For the next few hours, the homemaker-turned-content creator will continue preparing an assortment of dishes and decorating her home for two very different groups of guests: her extended family (the lucky ones savouring it) and her virtual army of admirers, who endearingly refer to her as "Swapnil er Ammu Aunty".

"Being loved for something I have done for so many years behind the camera is worth every minute. Now I get to share my daily experiences with an even larger family I discovered online," she says. 

The rise of homemaker vloggers

While scrolling through your feed, you may have come across videos of many homemakers sharing recipes and daily chores, while imparting the occasional life lessons. These creative geniuses have turned their once seemingly boring lifestyle into addictive content. 

For Arifa, vlogging was a natural step forward from her longstanding love for preserving memories. 

"Growing up, I had always been an extrovert. We used to live in a neighbourhood where every festival was celebrated together, and I was always taking photos of these events with a camera. That habit stayed with me even after I got married and started my own family," she says. 

Arifa's vlogging journey began modestly in 2021. 

"I didn't know much about vlogging, but I was active on social media. Since I was married at only 19, raising two children and maintaining my home has been my life for a long while. My favourite part, however, was the cooking. So cooking vlogs naturally came to my mind," she recounts.

But her Facebook page was hacked after two years. Undeterred, the strong-willed Arifa decided to give it another shot. 

"I decided after a small break that I would start vlogging again. This time, I started posting on my personal account. My content also diversified, and I started to show my daily activities as well."

Her popularity shot up recently when one of her videos went viral. The video showcasing Arifa's generous hospitality for her son Shwapnil's friends gained her admiration among netizens, giving birth to the Shwapnil er Ammu moniker.

"Everyone showing so much love and support filled my heart with joy. There is nothing more satisfying than young people coming to me and saying that they watch my videos. Everyone wants to be 'Swapnil's friend', and it only inspires me more.''

Online presence more than just a hobby now

The services provided by housewives have long been neglected and taken for granted. Only earlier this year did the government of Bangladesh pledge to recognise the contributions of unpaid care work, mostly performed by women, to the GDP. 

But homemakers have taken matters into their own hands and turned to vlogging for recognition of their work.

Mahmuda Shaukat Molly, 38, who has been a full-time homemaker for 21 years, says, "On paper, everything was perfect. But what was missing was my own identity. I wanted everyone to know me as an individual and not only as someone's wife or daughter-in-law."

So, Mahmuda started her Facebook page 'Mahmuda's Life' after being encouraged by her friends and her daughter. "I was a young mother. So, my children and I are very close, and they have always supported my dream of doing something on my own,'' says Mahmuda.

I was constantly overwhelmed by the thought of not doing something with my life. This resulted in emotional distress for me. People tend to have a preconceived idea that housewives are one-dimensional beings. But our lives differ just like our content. Online presence is helping to change that view.

Mahmuda Shaukat Molly, content creator

Her page now has 12,000 followers.

"I  was constantly overwhelmed by the thought of not doing something with my life. This resulted in emotional distress for me. People tend to have a preconceived idea that housewives are one-dimensional beings. But our lives differ just like our content. Online presence is helping to change that view.''

Growing up, Mahmuda had always been attracted to creativity over conventional subjects. "Designing, arranging and hosting was my thing. So conventional careers never appealed much to me. Doing something and getting recognition for it is what makes it worth it," she adds.

While for Arifa and Mahmuda the reason behind starting their journey was passion and establishing their identity, for some, the beginning was somewhat accidental. 

Lihina Nasir, a housewife for almost 25 years, started posting in Facebook professional mode when she found out that it got her more engagement. She now has 27,000 followers.

"When I realised going on professional mode gets me more likes and comments, it provided a sense of validation. Soon, it became more than a hobby, and I started posting religiously,'' she recalls. 

Lihina started her journey with her phone. "My daughters help me film my videos. Vlogging made me take my daily life more seriously. I don't waste my time being lazy. I have gotten better at time management."

How sustainable is vlogging?

For most of these vloggers, showcasing what they love doing is the primary incentive. But their passions require logistical support and a financial cushion. 

"Be it a new recipe or a vlog about my daily errands, my family is never tired. There have been times when my husband had to run to the grocery store for the fourth time in one day. But he tirelessly does it. Most of my videos are also shot and edited by my husband, and my son oversees my social media account whenever needed. Until the monetisation starts, it's a game of patience. What I do wouldn't have been possible without my family being okay with it," shares Arifa.

Beyond recognition, vlogging also helps to bring in brand collaborations. 

"The first income from vlogging felt magical. It felt a lot like breaking open a piggy bank in childhood. Though the amount is small, it gives me a sense of pride and fulfilment. It reinforced my confidence in what I do. Even the extended family members who didn't think highly of vlogging started to show some respect for my work,'' Lihina says.

Meta policy requires a minimum deposit of $100 for the cashing out the first time. After that, it varies every month. With a large following, brand deals and promotional activities can help creators earn a decent amount.

Arifa, who first secured monetisation in September 2024, says, "Recently, I have worked with Radhuni, Sultan's Dine and Bubbles. But for us, the payments for some deals are fringe benefits like gifts and free food, especially when we collaborate with restaurants. For these reasons, establishing financial security through vlogging alone remains difficult." 

Dealing with negativity

In Bangladesh, women putting themselves out there can still attract scrutiny and negative comments. There is also the issue of privacy.

Mahmuda shares her experience on dealing with toxicity, "Some comments are condescending. Also, the change in monetisation policy makes explaining the legitimacy of my job difficult.''  

Lihina shares, "I have been told that I am not considerate about my family's privacy and that what I am doing is against the religion."

She finds it is best to turn a blind eye to such negativity. "The hate comments have to be ignored. I am not causing any harm to anyone in society. I also maintain and respect the privacy of people around me. So these allegations don't affect me much," she adds.