As in sewing, baking, cleaning, cooking, gardening, house keep and care, etc? I want my sons to be dependent on no one. I want them to be able to do all things a woman and a man can do. If you do what do you use? Or do you just have them follow what you do in the kitchen and around the house?
Yep. I teach my sons everything I'd teach a daughter. And if I had a daughter I'd teach her everything I teach my sons. I don't use a curriculum. I just teach them as I do things that are age appropriate.
With Aimee on this one, they all learn the same things, they will eventually all be able to make eggs over easy or repair and maintain just about anything that can go wrong on a vehicle. I don't think a curriculum is the way to learn these things, but maybe sometimes a specific book could help like Sewing for Dummies lol.
Well I was looking at homes ec for homeschoolers. It has a few topics that without thinking I would probably over look. Maybe I will use it as a remember to teach this, type of thing.
I have taught my oldest DS most things that I would teach my daughters if I had any! I am sure I have missed somethings, however. I think the book would be great for reminders and to make sure not to miss anything. Can you post a link to what you are looking at using? Thanks.
I am the same. My oldest is 8 and collects the trash cans and empties them, sweeps, makes beds, changes the litter box, sets the table, etc. He also helps me bake and has been wanting to help grill. When he gets a bit older he will do laundry, clean tub/toilet, mop. He also cuts the grass, helps with oil changes, brake adjustments, etc. I think a book would be nice just to make sure you don't skip something important. Oh, and yes if I had a daughter she would learn all of this, too. My husband's mother did EVERYTHING for him, so when we married at age 22 he knew how to do nothing that is considered women's work. While it isn't a big deal now that I stay home, when I also worked full time it was a pain to have to teach and re-teach him how to do things like laundry. I can not let that be the case for my boys. LOL
I was very grateful that my mother-in-law (who was wonderful in all kinds of ways) taught my dh how to cook and clean, do laundry, all that! He even learned how to sew -- he can mend and patch stuff, sew on a button, and handsew all sorts of stuff, and he's even made quilts. When he was a teen and got picky about how his clothes looked, she told him if he didn't like the way she did it he could do it himself - so he did. He irons. Our ds never learned the sewing, but he definitely knows how to cook and clean, and dd knows how to change the oil or a tire on the car (although her husband usually does that now).
My husband is an artist, so he can visualize a garment and make it. He's just amazing with spacial relationships. He learned basic sewing when he worked at a limousine company (he did the upholstery). But he doesn't know the terms or much technique. He is more than willing to learn, and in many late-night sewing marathons before history events, he's been right there with me. Because he can see the parts in his head, he is a better problem solver than I. Other than that, he learned everything he knows about domestic duties by necessity. He lived on his own for 8 years before we were married. It was trial and error for him, though, since his parents have very traditional roles. He is adamant that our boys learn everything about caring for a home. They have no concept of men's work vs. women's work because they see both DH and I cleaning the house and fixing the cars. lol [About fixing cars: my mother wouldn't let me get my driving permit until I could change a tire, change the oil, change wipers, bulbs, and fuses, check all the fluids, and identify common issues. I've been thankful for her insistence many times in my life. Instead of being a helpless woman stranded on the side of the road, I was empowered and confident enough to solve the issue myself.]
My girls can make pies and bread. Phillip doesn't, but he's also not "banned" from the kitchen or anything. There have been times when he's wanted to bake something, and of course I let him, and will help him if he needs help. If we were still in 4-H, I would probably insist on his taking a cooking project, though not a sewing one. More importantly, he and Carl are responsible for all meals on Sunday. Since we go to church on Saturday night, the girls and I usually sleep in. I make sure I have a book to read, and will stay in bed all morning. Carl and Phillip get up and cook a big brunch, sometimes serving us in bed, sometimes not. They also cook dinner together. Phillip is expected to make his own bed, help with cleaning the kitchen, etc. My girls mow the grass.
THIS!!! And it goes for both girls and boys.. I can't even begin to tell you how many men my husband works with who can't even change their own oil! He just spent his fathers day cleaning a truck for a guy from work and changing the brakes because the guy is clueless!! My kids will all be required to be able to do routine maintainence on a vehicle before they can drive. (Garrett can do it all pretty much now, they have even taken the bed off my truck to change the fuel pump). It's also the same concept for household things. They have to know how to keep things running in the home how to fix minor things (Garrett and Reagan have helped with changing lighting fixtures, putting in new recepticals, completely gutting and remodeling a bathroom including laying all new subflooring and rerouting the plumbing, building walls for new rooms as we finish our basement, running all new wiring, etc.. they will eventually be able to build a house from the ground up I think lol), they have to know how to do basic housekeeping as well... cooking, cleaning, laundry, yardwork, gardening. I also want them to be able to sew a bit.
I will, but right now he is only 3 I would not include some of the things that I'd teach my dd's, like embroidery or quilting, but to be able to wash cook, clean, etc. I expect all my kids to be albe to do that. My girls will learn how to cut grass (one already does) check the car oil, put gas in the car, etc.
Thank you. This may seem silly, like, "does everyone learn to pump gas?" But at least once a week DH has to teach a young woman how to pump gas. I'm sure it's embarrassing for these girls.
I do teach my boys home ec, if I am cleaning they are usually right there helping, learning how to do it properly. I just recently began teaching them to cook at the stove, for that I followed the same rule my mother gave me, when you are old enough to see into the pot on the stove you are old enough to learn to cook. Of course I am right there beside them at all times. My oldest has expressed an interest in learning to sew and as soon as I get my hands on some simple patterns I will begin teaching that. The two big boys want to learn to crochet, but I am not a very good teacher in that regard so I'm not sure what's going to happen there. My motivation for this was that while they are in college, or living on their own I want them to know how to do for themselves anything they may need to do, I do not want them to have to seek out a dry cleaner to stitch on a button, or a tailor to hem pants. I want my boys to know that they can do those things for themselves and save their money. I also don't want my boys dependent on a restaurant or cafeteria to provide their meals.
my mother in law is almost 60 years old and has been driving ever since teen years, and has no clue about how to pump her own gas. I've had to do it for her. My fil does it for her all the time, but it feels a disservice to me to send my dd's out in the world without being able to do these basic things. That reminds me. Time to teach my 13 yo how to pump gas.
I'm old enough to remember when a service station attendant pumped the gas for you. There was no such thing as "self-serve". Hope that's not telling my age. Since I only have one son and no daughters, he gets to learn it all. Speaking of pumping gas and driving, I'm curious, how many of you are not planning on allowing your dc to get their drivers license as soon as they turn 16? Marty
I'll cover things like cooking, cleaning, baking, but only the basics of sewing. I don't think knowing how to make a pair of pants is very useful, but it is important to know how to sew on a button or fix a hem.
If you live in Oregon you will have to visit a neighboring state to teach your child how to pump gas. Oregon is full-service only.
