Old Style Skills

Ziggy8083

What an interesting thread! *Warning rant coming**

I am a Home Economics Teacher so don't jump on me but seeing these kids everyday it really breaks my heart.
I learned to cook and sew form my mum and both grandmothers. I then took these skills to high school and built on them during lessons. I see pupils now who are 14-16 who don't know how to use a hob, what measuring spoons are or even how to peel veg. It is so sad, half aren't interested becuase their parents do everything for them, some are not allowed to do anything at home and then there is a tiny number who are actually keen and realise they need these skills for when they leave home.

The subject is pretty underfunded, like most, due to the cuts. However this subject is a LIFE SKILL and is the only hope for some young people. We run a survival course for senior pupils where they learn how to iron, set a tabel for a dinner party, prepare food, budget shopping etc. It's a roaring success but budgeting by council stops us from really helping it reach it's potential.

I am under 30 and I cannot get my head around the apathy of some youngsters. Along with the complete lack of common sense. It's beggers belief what some of them come out with in class.

Anyway sorry for the long rant. I know so many parents out there that do a sterling job. I am so grateful of the upbringing and the teaching that I got from my parents etc.

On a positive note, teachers in my school bring in windfall fruit and extra veg to supply the department. Taught my S3 class how to make plum jam the other day. It was AMAZING!

VJsmum

My friend works as a teaching assistant in our high school and i was telling her the other day about my son weighing out the ingredients he needed to make brownies the next day. It was like pulling teeth "so, 100g flour. right - so that's 50g, 52g, 55g, etc". Was soooo tempted to do it for him but know that he has to learn (he is 12). She said that many kids don't bother to come in with ingredients and some come in with bags of flour and whole tubs of marg because there are no scales at home! :eek:

I was quite impressed that the day before DS was hungry and managed to do himself a tin of soup - i have heard of some people older than him just putting the can on the gas hob :eek: not realising you have to put it in a pan first.

euronorris

VJsmum wrote: »

I was quite impressed that the day before DS was hungry and managed to do himself a tin of soup - i have heard of some people older than him just putting the can on the gas hob :eek: not realising you have to put it in a pan first.

Seriously??? How exactly did they expect to get the can open after heating it up, without burning themselves? (for a start!)

What do they think pans are for?? :huh:

Justamum

euronorris wrote: »

Seriously??? How exactly did they expect to get the can open after heating it up, without burning themselves? (for a start!)

I don't think that would have been a problem - it would probably explode!

euronorris

That's true! I have been informed, by the OH, that a tin of beans will explode if thrown into a bonfire!

No, I don't know how he made it to adulthood either.

mama67

My DS2 is making Christmas cake in school next week, now to make sure everyone has all the right ingredients we haven't been given an ingredient list just a note asking for £7 and the teacher is buying it all in.
Now this might be ok for those who either don't have the time or can't be bothered but i know that said ingredients don't cost that amount if sourced wisely as I did it myself 3 years ago for DS1.
I would make a stand and refuse but don't want DS2 singled out, he has along with a couple of others stated their case for an ingredient list.

mesh

I was brought up (or dragged up whichever...!) to knit, sew, clean, iron and cook. Dad was never around much so a neighbour showed me how to decorate and the first room I did was mums lounge. She was a happy bunny and it went on from there. I taught mum how to knit aran style as she couldnt understand and I also showed her how to crochet. My ex's grandfather showed me how to garden (he was a treasure) and his grandmother showed me how to cook game (family of farmers and we lived off the land and what we shot). Learnt about car and bike maintenance from my ex and can still do a basic service, wheel change, etc. Had a go at most DIY and can lay flooring, put up shelves, etc. Am no good at laying a patio having tried and failed Use to brew my own booze but have given this the boot but may go back to it as a micro brewer as I can see a business growing out of this.

Last week I had to unblock my drains, not a job I want to do regularly as it was the first time, but with an inconsiderate neighbour I may have to.....:eek:

I agree with other OS posters, its a case of looking at what needs to be done, thinking about the process, getting organised and having a go. Like most things in life, you learn by your mistakes (or I have anyway).

Seraphim

euronorris wrote: »

Seriously??? How exactly did they expect to get the can open after heating it up, without burning themselves? (for a start!)

What do they think pans are for?? :huh:

It can be to save on the washing up. A guy at Uni used to do this - he would take the lid off first and then warm his soup tin up on the hob. One girl got really annoyed and told him to use a pan, so he promptly put the pan on the stove and put the tin in the pan :rotfl: His argument was he didn't want to do any washing up!

Justamum

euronorris wrote: »

That's true! I have been informed, by the OH, that a tin of beans will explode if thrown into a bonfire!

No, I don't know how he made it to adulthood either.

A tin of condensed milk will also explode if you let the pan boil dry! So my DH informs me :rotfl:

valk_scot

My son (15) came in to the kitchen an hour ago to find me cutting up a pile of BOGOF Tesco chickens. (1.4kg chickens, £4 for one and BOGOF, pretty good deal.) I was part skinning the chicken, taking the breasts off whole plus the legs and wings, then dividing the legs into skinned drumsticks and boned thighs. He watched the bit where you dislocate the legs in stunned fascination then demanded to be taught this useful life skill. With four more chickens to go this was fine by me so he did two and I did the others.

Then he had a bash at costing out how much the same amount of chicken would have cost if we'd bought it ready prepared in packs ... three packs of four breasts, diced chicken supremes, diced leg meat etc. We estimated about £40 for the equivelent of six chickens that had cost me £12 to buy, not including the carcasses for stock. He was actually very impressed by all of this and said it was one of the more interesting things he'd learned this week. I think it might have been one of the more useful things too. I can just see him going off to uni and teaching his flatmates all about whoopsied rubber chickens, lol.