stchenfool

Talk about a generation gap! Yikes!

MaryLane

I am reminded of how often our skill sets fit our circumstances. Preschoolers that haven't seen a sewing machine but probably know how to operate a computer game that we can't figure out. It is a novelty item to them just like a computer game was to us.

It used to scare the daylights out of me to take my children to town because they had no concept of walking in traffic. My mother didn't drive and when I was 5 I could cross US41 by myself because I needed that skill.

My husband and I were talking about carrying water. My grandparents didn't have running water and neither did we several times in my life including the 7 years before I married. I know that I can more easily carry two buckets of water - no matter the size - than one but a lot of people we know don't realize that.

I know how to clean a chicken, milk a cow, churn butter, use a wringer washer and a million other skills most people today don't have because they don't need them for their life. Just the other day I showed a young man how to use a slide rule.

I have seen in this thread the comment that most adults don't need English, math and science but that simply isn't true. We just use them without realizing it.

I am not convinced we could slip right into the lives of any of the people we are criticizing for not sewing without some difficulty.

Just think, if they all wanted to do what we do it would drive prices even higher and God knows they are nearly out of range now!

JMHO

noveltyjunkie

My daughter is in a school lunchtime club that does basic cookery. One week they were making chocolate chip cookies and the teacher asked for suggestions as to what ingredients they would need. One boy said 'cookie dough'. I guess his mom buys hers ready made. I thought that was sad enough, but your story is sadder!

craftyneedle

They also are not taught to count change back. Registers tell them the amount to give but they're "bum-fuzzled" if your bill is, say, $14.07 and you give them a 20 and 7 cents!

hperttula123

That is really sad. It makes me think, even at work, I don't know anyone else that sews there or even has a machine. I used to get people all the time asking me to fix their clothes(thank goodness that stopped). There is a plus to it...My kids are all younger...they range from 4- 15 yrs old. Everytime one of their friends come over, we get them sewing or doing some other craft. Last night, my daughter had a sleep over. I had all the kids sitting and hand sewing while they watched a movie. Even though they don't sew at home, you can still do what you can to get them sewing too. Whether it be your kids coming over with friends, or grand-kids' friends.
My oldest daughter's friends all save their craft projects for the fair at the end of the summer. They try to enter in as many categories as possible(from sewing to gardening and everything in between). They usually work on them a little bit on the weekends. It's a good way for all the kids to stay busy and they can earn ribbons(sometimes a $1-$3 if they get 1st, 2nd, or 3rd prize).

GrannieAnnie

Making change is one of the early math lessons around here.

MillieH

Neither of my boys married a girl who sews, though both are talented and crafty in other ways. Often when I visit, theire is a basket of mending or shirts needing mending awaiting me. I can't count the number of curtains, drapes, Roman shades (one DIL's favorite window treatment) I've made for their houses. One son/DIL just sold their house and moved to another city, and bought a new one. The people who bought their former house loved the window treatments, which wouldn't fit (size, color, style) in their new one anyway. Their buyers paid an extra $3000 for their window treatments.

The good thing, though, is that one of my granddaughters (13 now) loves to sew. I taught her and gave her one of my older machines. Last Christmas, I gave her a new one. Both her greatgrandmothers sewed. Maybe it's an ever-other (or three)-generation thing. My mother didn't sew. I learned from my grandmothers.

ShabbyTabby

So sad that so many of the homemaker arts are going by the wayside. How many girls do any canning now? Sewing seems to be getting another "lost art" for the younger generation plus all the fast food meals. Cooking from "scratch" is also fading. I am lucky I guess as some of my grand children do sew some at least and a couple are great cooks but by and large it's pre-made, pre-cooked and fast 'n easy....sigh...I do miss some of the good old days.

ncredbird

I took cooking and sewing in 4H as well as in HS. Have been sewing my own clothing since I was 10 years old.
Probably wouldn't have met and married my DH without having taken home ec in HS. Our "final" our senior year was to bake cookies and send them to the USO for our servicemen in Vietnam. We each filled a large coffee can, wrapping two cookies flat sides together and wrapping them in Saran Wrap. We were instructed to put a note inside giving our name and address as the soldiers would be required to write a thank you note to the person sending their cookies. The soldier that received my package thanked me and asked if I would mind writing to him. We wrote regularly for over a year before he was sent back to the states and actually met for the first time. We were married 1 year to the day after actually meeting for the first time and have been married for 43 years next month. We have 3 grown sons and a daughter and they have all been taught to cook, bake, sew, and iron. Two of the sons are actually the cooks for their families as their spouses never learned these skills. I am now teachimg the grandchildren the same skills. I do wish they would teach life skills in school including money management and parenting. I would have liked to have had some parenting classes before raising children.

Sadiemae

I am just a little older than you are. My Mom was a fantastic seamstress and made all of my clothes. Noone cared where anyone's clothes came from as long as they had clothes. This is probably because I lived in a rural farming area, and most people were just trying to survive. When I was in high school I was really excited to buy my first dress from a store. Boy, was I disappointed!!! That dress was not as nice and did not fit as well as the dresses that My Dear Mom made. My Mom passed away 10 years ago, and I find it almost impossible to get clothes that fit. One of the many things I miss about my Mom. She was the best person I have ever known.