Passing on OS to the next generation

toffee65

My kids are son 18 and daughter 17 and are the generation where there has been no home economics/cookery taught in school in comparison to what I was taught from 1976 to 1981 of secondary school. It has occurred to me that if they've had to learn how to budget food shop/cook then that has had to come from me. Well I have to be honest and say I haven't taught them as maybe I should've. I'll give them credit that they both work part time while study and hope to go to Uni in 2011 and 2012 yet I do worry they haven't got a ruddy clue especially my son as he has no concept of budgeting or cooking although daughter does have a small amount of common sense although when she visits ASOS that would be her downfall.

I'm quite sensible with my shopping budget and in general life of house/keeping. Firstly over the years due to the household only being on one wage and now having two wages it's still the same due to wanting to do some nice things in life and making the house more comfortable.

My question is...what are you passing on in the way of OS/cooking knowledge to your kids? I'm probably more interested in what you pass onto the teens as I'm aware some people do find OSing in later years whereas smaller children will naturally fall into a pattern of OS.

Have your teens struggled with you OSing? Did they struggle to get into the habits of OS?

Do you consciously make sure they understand OS?

Thanks in advance

Dippypud

My DS2 is a 3rd year medical student in London at the moment, he is very OS, he buys whoopsies and makes or freezes meals, value brand items and he makes great bread, he'll be 21 at the end of Jan.

DS1 tried Uni with problems, (he has Aspergers), he can cook well, but is easily lead astray, in the Pub. Tends to "buy" friends.

DD is a clueless lump, no common sense, buys whatever takes her eye, then it may sit in her room 'til it moulders, an' she'll chuck it. :eek::eek:

That's my lot, some you win, some you lose.:o

zippychick

Ive looked up some links - think ive got all the relevant ones for you

what to teach kids *ill merge this later*

teaching kids to cook

kids embarassed by OS?

how many of your OS habits did you learn from your family - older but still relevant

my children are fed up with OS

areyou more thrifty OS and mse than your mother?

old style passtimes

Zip:A

zippychick

this post should also help - squeakys first post really good layout of the resources we have in here

booter

I've been idle and shown my 17 year old nephew this forum! He's learned loads! But also taught about reduced items, bogofs etc. and making stuff from scratch, rather than buying ready meals etc. Also taught him a bit of knitting! One of the best things I taught him he says was microwave sponge puds from scratch. (As he says, "nom, nom, nom"). I think he thinks it'll show potential girlfriends what a good catch he is! However, I have to say, he seems to enjoy it all and is pretty clued up - unlike my niece who is completely hopeless with all things OS and money saving!

adelight

i'm an os teen(well, 20 now!) and whilst i knew the basics before leaving home, i wasn't the best at budgeting(splurge then starve kinda thing...) despite ny parents always telling me and my sister being a super saver, but i picked it up quickly simple because i had to! and now i'm just as os as the next old styler
some things you have to learn for yourself imo


edit: enjoying reading this thread but i'm a bit shocked that not everyone had the whole "allowance" thing as a kid :eek: i guess i just assumed everyone was given a set amount to cover clothes/phones/activities/lunch (my bus pass was termly and a necessity so that wasn't included) as a teen- it's work so well, especially these days when there are sooo many expenses and "luxuries" teens want(like make up!)

BitterAndTwisted

I don't worry about the kids but I truly do worry about some people of my own age who have never learned to cook. God only knows how they are going to cope when the hard times come a -rollin' by when all they've ever done is bung some cook-chilled rubbish in the micro.

Some of my own friends don't even know how to make pastry and what's more frightening is that they don't care either.

dandy-candy

I never did home economics at school but I was baking and cooking at home from the age of 13 purely from a love of food! I was lucky that my dad was keen on cooking (my mum couldn't cook for toffee) and so I had access to some cook books and so long as I washed up after I was given a free rein in the kitchen.
My kids are hopeless in all things OS but I have to take full responsibility. I'm one of those people who can't bear to see something done wrong and so step in and take over - now my kids can't cook, work the washing machine (let alone sort their clothes into colour piles), sew or anything and I get lumped with doing it all, fool I am!!

LolaLemon

i am trying to learn my son (3) that things dont come easily (he told my granda that we're saving our pennies for a holiday with a pool), he puts every penny he finds/is given into one of the many 'piggy' banks we have, he knows hes not to use a lot of toothpaste, hand wash, shampoo etc...
i intend to learn him how to sew basics before he goes to school,a dn if hes interested, to knit/crochet too, i know it sounds young, but years ago, kids could sew, work looms etc by age of 4, so im figuring making a few felt toys taht he sews together himself isnt too big to begin with.

dont know if u give them pocket money or they have a job, but you could try giving them a set amount every week (including all costs like school lunch, snacks, activities, bus fares, spending money, weekend money etc) say on a monday, and telling them thats their lot and they have to prioritise the money and not come to you for any more, where as just now, you more than likely give each day, and more at weekends (like most parents).
It gives them the oppertunity to live on a set amount whilst still having you their as back up.... you could also give them an amount that they have to 'pay u back' for meals and such or not...

A friend of mine in school done this she got £x to live on each month, and had to pay for dinner at home, packed lunches, baths/showers, sounds a bit evil, but its not really, as its the parents money to begin with, teached her how to use the money to her best advantage and she got to save any left over at the end of the month.... meals were only 50p/£1 each, showerr was 50p bath was £1 . she HAD to have dinner at home or be going to a friends house/out to eat with friends, so her parents knew she was eating... lunches were up to her, either from home, or at school, most days she would have a hot lunch from the canteen.
so for example, if u pay for school meals at £2 per day, plus £1 bus fares each day, thats £15 for school, after school activities are £8 a week, plus £5 for snacks during the week (at school and after school clubs) plus the pocket money, say £10 on a friday...
total to give is £38 for the week. Add in some extra if u want to 'charge' for meals at home
sounds a lot to be giving out on a Monday, but no doubt it probably works out more expensive giving each day, as they want more for snacks/treats... this way they will learn to budget, especially if u dont give in to their please for more money come thursday!

Think im going to do this with my son when he's older


Sorry this is long and kind of rambling.

Sweet_Pea_2

The above post is interesting, very drastic steps to take but a fantastic way to teach your kids how to budget before they are out in the real world.

My eldest DD was complaining she wanted something, (clothes) and I suggested that I hand over her monthly clothing budget to her to manage but she had to budget it for school uniform, shoes etc, (I thought she would go for it) with me to oversee what she was up to, but she hated this idea (she is 15) Probably thought she would end up having to dip into her own money! (She likes to hang on to it)
She is now realizing that I have x amount to spend on her clothes and she is more likely to get everything on her list if she goes to Primark rather than New Look.

They both enjoy cooking so for Christmas I have bought them cookery books, nice aprons etc and have also purchased sewing boxes and things to go in them in the past and DD1 had a sewing machine for Xmas (only a simple basic one) and a book with ideas of things to make, I know these are the presents I received when I was their ages that I still have and use today, (many) years later and will hopefully inspire them! It amazes me how many people cant turn up a hem or sew on a button! Mainly because they have never tried, so Im hoping a bit of gentle encouragement will coax them away from facebook and to try their hand at something creative.

LolaLemon

my friend in school also had to budget for her clothes, primark wasnt around back then (14/15 years ago, when we where 13/14 years old) i remember being shocked taht she had to save to buy her own clothes too, think she got like an extra couple of pound per week for clothing, that she saved up so she had money thier when she wanted something, also friends birthdays and all christmas presents where paid for out of her savings... she wasnt dressed in designer gear (nike addidas etc) but she wasnt 'trampy' either

I liked most of this idea so much that i asked my mum if we could do it so i could learn how to handle money, i think it lasted 2 weeks, but not due to me, my mum found it hard to hand over a lump sum each week, it was easier for her to do things daily (think a lot of my money came from my dad when he finished his shift on the taxis), i was in dancing 3 times a week at £3/4 a time (if i remember correctly) guides one night, school meals, walked to school so no bus fare, went to football or in town at weekends (was such a tom boy!) so about £30 back then, but i didnt mention the charges for dinners or having a bath (couldnt imagine paying for my dinner at home as well as school! lol) always wished it had continued as i might have learned to value money better adn not be paying of a credit card, and maybe have less left to pay on my mortgage... but oh well, life is for learning eh? lol


edit: I remember her saying she could save anything left over, but if she was short, she could ask for 'a loan' of next months money early. i asked about that and she said she was ok, as unlike her big sisters, she didnt go out 4 nights a week to the local 'teenage' cafe for dinner with her mates, where it would cost a fortune for a burger, chips n can of juice, so they where always getting a loan by the last week of the month. obviously not paying any interest, as its just next months amount they are eating out of - litrually haha