In a recent BUST magazine (thanks to a dear friend for bringing it to my attention and loaning me the issue) there was a fascinating article about the evolution of Home Economics. One of the things that it brought out was that it originally started out not as a class for budding Martha Stewarts, but as a program to bring scientific methods to women setting up households*.It dovetailed nicely with a recent conversation at my canning class – the canning instructor (who rocked, thank you again!) was saying that she was preparing a class for basic household skills to teach through the Parks and Recreation.
I think back to my (ongoing) struggles to teach myself household management and wonder how we as a society have ended up without passing these skills along generationally (and this is not a slam on my mother at all, in fact, I’d daresay she struggled to teach me and I just plain didn’t listen). I see the pendulum swinging back towards these home arts being important and find that many of us are self-teaching, or seeking out classes. Honestly, though, I’ve not seen this within schools or for our younger generations – I’ve seen it of those who are my age. I am certainly not phenomenal at it with my own kids – but I am blessed with a husband** who not only is a full partner (or even the more than half partner) on these issues, but kids who are familiar with the kitchen.
Of course, I should note, I misplaced my most recent issue of Mary Jane’s Farm before reading it. I do so wish it would turn up.
Anyway, I look forward to others thoughts, shared struggles, etc on this issue. And tips and tricks are always welcome!
*I'm actually reading a delightful cozy mystery series set in early 20th Century New York City where this need is evident.
**This is clearly not an exclusively new trend, I always tease Susan Sophia and James that they are living my husband’s childhood.
(photo from May 2007's National Wear an Apron Day - my kitchen has new flooring now, and my hair is shorter. I still wear and love that apron, though! Thanks Kitchen Madonna!)
posted by Mimi @ 9/17/2009 02:57:00 PM
25 Comments
25 Comments:
I love that you and I have the same apron! I have another one for me and my girl has one as well... so pretty!!
I see the same trend w/ gels our age. It's funny, but I was lamenting to my mum the other day that I wished I had learned when I was young (boy, can my mum sew!!) and she said, "Well, you weren't interested when I asked you - and I repeatedly asked!" Darn it!! She's right. She loved it and it probably took some wind out of her sails when both her girls denied her passing on the talents. :( But, two years ago mum bought me a sewing machine and I swear I'll learn to use it like a champ some day . . . it's a process to learn basics. I try to do things like Pro in the beginning. I have to slow down and learn from the ground up.
Do you have any suggestions on a beginning project?
For sewing? I have no idea how to sew (and like you, my mom tried to teach me)
For canning - jam.
And, I love sashaying around in that apron - and it is so well made, I love the second layer and the fit. Now I'll see myself as your twin when I wear it!
Interesting thoughts on homemaking. I think it's value was lost in that we (moms of a certain age) were hoping that you all (the daughters thereof) would never have to do it! My grandmother taught classes in home making, canning, sewing, all those useful skills. My mother learned as little as possible and taught me even less, and I'm still working on it, LOL. You had no chance! So glad someone out there is attempting to teach the household arts - and I am amazed at the number of sites that tell one how to do basic cleaning (I keep looking for the one that will tell me how to do it magically!).
Hey Mimi,
This issue (as you may have already known) is close to my heart, too. Seriously, I think I have Emma (of "Charming the Birds...") to thank eternally for getting me interested in domesticity, period.
I did learn to sew by taking several sewing classes in jr. high and high school. I'm thankful that cooking/ baking came easy to me as a skill and an interest.
As a child of the 80s, I kinda half-wonder if perhaps my mom figured I'd just grow up and join the workforce as a career woman with a powersuit with giant shoulder pads. I sort of wish she'd have taught me more, but I guess it's all a learning process anyways (I say this without intending to slam my mom, at all-- she's awesome!).
Anyways, I continue to sruggle with the "home management' thing-- fortunatley it is a good, rewarding struggle worth fighting.
Fascinating topic Mimi.
Home Economics was a requirement in junior high school during my growing up years...uh that would be the early 70's...cough...cough! We learned to cook, sew, change sheets, decorate, manage a budget. Homework included designing our own bedroom, which my parents allowed me to follow through on; cooking some of the class recipes (God bless my father who ate creamed tuna and peas in homemade bread cups - ugh; and practicing hospital corners on our own beds.
I had weekend 'homemaking' responsibilities that included cleaning the bathroom, dusting/vacuuming my bedroom, living room & dining room; folding/putting away laundry. I was not permitted to go out to play until everything was done.
Orderliness was part of my life and so I taught that to my kids.
By the time they got to junior high school, a sewing class and wood working class was part of the curriculum for boys and girls. Thus both learned to sew, use a saw and hammer etc. They both learned to cook at home and are very good cooks too! Every Mother's Day my 'present' was lunch made by the both of them.
I taught them to mop floors and clean bathrooms, dust and vacuum, help with dishes on a daily basis, etc.
Neither one has shown an interest in crocheting or crafty type stuff. Those things I learned from my grandmother and aunt.
All good an necessary things in life, which I plan on teaching my grandchildren should God so bless me!
Love the apron! I have also struggled to pass this onto to my *very* reluctant children (I would love a boy with an interest in cooking!).
I ADORE your apron! I need to do a blog post on aprons...
My house is a total, complete and utter disaster area - BUT, I can sew an apron and can stuff. Go figure. The kitchen is a nightmare, but the pantry is full of jars and the door hangs my six (really, six) aprons. There should be some logic to this, but I can't find any. Maybe I should find someone who can't sew or can but has a clean house, and I could can her stuff and make her aprons and she could clean my house.
I had just been thinking about this topic! Canning, making things, the Etsy shops; those in thier 20s and 30s are really taking to this, esp. in our social groups, which of course is the group / are the groups I know best...
I think it is in part a reaction against the big box buisness and unifiying everything; as much as I love IKEA, for instance, it is making a mass culture world wide of the same things. I see canning and making individual cards etc as a trying to get away from the sameness of mass commodified culture...
Lord have mercy, it is hard to sort out all of this. I also think about the poor and how we are not so poor...
You KNOW I'm right there with you, sister! Cleaning is not my "thing" and the reason why I need my friends to come over more often. :-) I feel sorry for my husband who does all the cooking and yard work. He gets so annoyed with my clutter, but I can't find it in myself to change. It's a serious character flaw, I know, but at least I don't smoke or do drugs! LOL! So, in the greater scheme of life, the fact that I'm a horrible housekeeper with no curtains on the windows really isn't that big of a deal! ;-)
Good topic for discussion.
I was fortunate that my mum took the time allow me to mess about in the kitchen. My daughter up till now - she is 14- has shown no inclination to learn how to bake - but she is hooked now.
My son likes food prep.
Sewing - i used to day much more when they were little - I am rarely at my machine and so there is little sharing of that particular skill.
I never really did the jam/ canning thing with my mum.
I wish I had.
I am really kicking myself for not having listened (or paid more attention) to my parents when they wanted to teach me how to do things like cook, clean (regularly!), and change the car's oil.
I was recently wondering whether there was some adult home ec class I could take. I don't suppose your canning instructor is planning a correspondence course?
I've also found Emma useful for inspiration, as well as Katherine (whose sidebar suggested Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House which I got from the library and then went and bought), and also Leila, a recent find.
I find myself lacking in self-discipline and gumption more than know-how, since I'd rather read in an ordered house than do crafty things in a messy one. (Right now I just read in a messy house.) Of course, I still horrify my mother by putting underwear in the dryer, so I could do with a lot more know-how, too.
My mom is an excellent seamstress and both my parents canned/froze everything in the garden (my dad still does)--and yet I their daughter can neither sew nor can. I guess I just wasn't interested when I was living at home. And since both those skills require specialized equipment that could be dangerous for a child (sewing machine, pressure cooker) I didn't get the hands-on training that I received with things like vacuum cleaners and the oven.
So I know the basics, but not the specialized stuff. I'd like to learn to sew, but I have zero interest in canning stuff!
I took a few Home Ec classes in school--all purpose ones in junior high with units on cooking and sewing, as well as one just on cooking in high school. I took an industrial arts class or two as well, as I recall.
I really enjoy employing those household skills which involve some creative aspect, like cooking, sewing, knitting. I even enjoy mending. I learned a lot of these skills from my mother and other women in the family as well as family friends. I've always been interested in these types of things, so I took advantage of the opportunities.
Cleaning is a different story. I'm really working on it enjoying it more. I like the results, just not the process, so I tend to avoid it and procrastinate. I'm trying to have more discipline in this area.
I agree with Elizabeth that many women seem to be developing somewhat of a counter-cultural interest in household skills. To me it seems like an interesting result of feminism that the greater opportunity to choose one's path has allowed women to choose paths that many feminists initially rejected.
This, indeed, is an interesting topic. I think it's funny that we have to make tending a home a 'topic'. It should just be a natural way of life. But, in our confusing times, we spend so little time at 'home' and that is the problem. . .
Oh man -- I would love to take an adult home ec course (as others mentioned). I love my Mom dearly, but she didn't teach us any home keeping skills. We cleaned our own rooms and sometimes helped with cleaning around the house, but that's it. I only learned how to do laundry about a week before I got married. LOL
Upon my asking, she introduced me to sewing a couple of summers ago, although I haven't practiced like I should. And, she worked on showing me how to embroider this past winter.
As others have said, I think that so many of the women I know around my age (early 30's) have a real urge to learn to do things like sewing, knitting, canning, and all hosts of other things that all of our grandmothers probably knew.
You've hit the nail on the head (or the canning jar on the lid or whatever).
Nearing my 50th year, I find myself wanting to go back to high school for some of the instruction I wasn't paying attention to, and Home Ec is one of those.
It's interesting to me that Philippa was taking classes at about the same time, and got all kinds of good stuff out of them. I was a lazy student, but I still think the 70s classes on this weren't very "real world," and they left me cold.
ohhhh I love your apron! I really want one again...I wore one all the time when I was a florist...and think it's time to make one! :) I also appreciate you kind comments on my Dad...can't believe it is three years.
HUGS!
Aw...girlfren..you're wearing "our" apron! So cute! Guess what? I am hand sewing one! Yep..KM inspired me and when I saw a cute little kit (you can see a photo of it somewhere on my blog the past several days ago) I just had to do it..I have no machine, so it had to be done by hand. I'm just about finished with it and its dahlin! :) Kitchen Madonna would be so proud of me. :) Not made as strongly as hers, but it really is sorta for fun for my friend's 50th..it'll last if she takes care of it though..
Hey! I didn't know Sarah - Kala had our same apron! We're triplets! ;P!
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I am interested that this struck a chord with so many of us, I think it is an eternal struggle (on a side note, my Dh and I were talking about this, and I said, "you know, that I always struggle with housekeeping" and he said, "you do?" )
Although, after mom chimed in, I don't feel so bad (but chagrined to learn that my great-grandmother taught all these skills - how did I not know that?)
Philippa - upon further reflection, I think Home Ec was a required class in my Middle School's 7th grade classes, but the school opened when I was in 8th grade, so I missed it. And certainly didn't take it in high school, although it was an elective)
Cesarea - you know, I kind of do wish we did do that type of swapping. Maybe in addition to a monthly scrapping group (Hi Chrystabel, thank you for coming to my house reguarly and keeping me at least sort of on track) and the canning club I want to start - we should all rotate between houses and help clean. This Saturday, I go to your house, next, you come to mine.
One thing I find I really struggle with is the odd things like window sills and tracks, the cobwebs in the corners, the dust on the air filter. The sweeping and scrubbing isn't *so* hard (but certainly not my favorite)
I'm still thinking on this process, clearly. Sigh.
XK - I think you nailed it - I suspect that the theory was that we wouldn't need to keep house if we were career women. Which is ridiculous, because we clearly still do (and my husband helps immensely with this, I freely admit and thank wholeheartedly)
Who knows, maybe these times will be good for the Home Econ business. People might actually eat better and start talking to each other!
I love the photo Mimi! I love wearing aprons. I have my Grandma's old aprons and I love them. I especially love seeing my girls all wrapped up in them. :)
M.Michelle
Your post reminded me of one of my favorite quotations by Thomas Moore...
"The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest."
Janice Sophia
Great apron! I have one of KM's aprons too. There is a LOT that goes in to home ec. Feminism has led to people thinking these skills are insignificant or simple. They are neither.
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