Home: Home Ec in the 21st century...

[Asch]

I was reading this article about the lack of home-ec courses or useful home-ec courses in this day and age and it got me to pondering. What would you include in an ideal home-ec course for the 21st century?

My top choices would be financial literacy (Credit cards, rental agreements, apartment leases, choosing a checking account, wtf a 'minimum payment' REALLY means), how to shop for healthy food and make a dollar squeal while you do it, how to maintain your home without expensive cleaning supplies, and a healthy dose of work life balance and the reality of life outside your childhood cocoon.

Thoughts?

[rocquelaire]

I was reading this article about the lack of home-ec courses or useful home-ec courses in this day and age and it got me to pondering. What would you include in an ideal home-ec course for the 21st century?

My top choices would be financial literacy (Credit cards, rental agreements, apartment leases, choosing a checking account, wtf a 'minimum payment' REALLY means), how to shop for healthy food and make a dollar squeal while you do it, how to maintain your home without expensive cleaning supplies, and a healthy dose of work life balance and the reality of life outside your childhood cocoon.

Thoughts?

Interesting article. It's funny you bring this up because my mum and I were talking about it recently. I've become quite fascinated with things I can make myself for my home and how I can pass these skills onto my children. Things like knitting, crochet and sowing seem to be fading into lost arts.

I would include all of the things you mention as well as: meal planning and how to minimise waste, basic clothing repairs, basic household repairs, basic knowledge of where food actually comes from and how to grow food where you can, time management (this is something I struggle with - I tend to think I can do three days worth of things in one afternoon!) and the principles of thrift.

I'm constantly frustrated by how wasteful people seem to be now. I could say a lot more but I'm trying to hold back from a rant lol. I'm very interested to see what other people would include.

[HeartShadow]

I was reading this article about the lack of home-ec courses or useful home-ec courses in this day and age and it got me to pondering. What would you include in an ideal home-ec course for the 21st century?

My top choices would be financial literacy (Credit cards, rental agreements, apartment leases, choosing a checking account, wtf a 'minimum payment' REALLY means), how to shop for healthy food and make a dollar squeal while you do it, how to maintain your home without expensive cleaning supplies, and a healthy dose of work life balance and the reality of life outside your childhood cocoon.

Thoughts?

 
DEFINITELY financial literacy.  I LOVE the fact that the kids in my son's third grade class have a year-long econ thing going with credits and debits and the like.  Get them used to invisible money NOW.

Basic cooking.  Basic repairs of things.  Basic woodwork, clay, cloth .. at least enough to give everyone a taste of things, to get a chance to find a passion.

The bag-of-sugar baby.  (or egg, or whatever they choose) but definitely the whole *time of caring for baby* idea.

How to read an ingredient label and what the hell some of those words actually are.

... if possible, some idea of telling what's quality and what's crap in a garment, a fabric, food, that KIND of thing.  What to look for on the inside for finished seams, what different fabrics for clothing MEAN .. understand why different fabrics fall apart differently or look like crap faster.

Where possible, I'd integrate some of these into other lessons.  Knitting in european history.  WHY did people knit, that sort of thing.  The CONCEPTS of knit or freeze, farm or starve - the CYCLE of production and consumption.  WHY idle hands were considered evil.

Give people the connection, not just the basic details.  Because sure, it's cheaper to just go buy socks than make them(or whatever).  But in making socks, we're also connecting with history, we're making personal artwork, etc.  Cross-connections are good.

[MadZealot]

DEFINITELY financial literacy.  I LOVE the fact that the kids in my son's third grade class have a year-long econ thing going with credits and debits and the like.  Get them used to invisible money NOW.

 
All this, including something on personal credit rating and how it can be used/abused.  Also, tax prep, how to file your 1040EZ and equivalent short form for your state.

Sewing etc. has been mentioned.  I remember learning how to darn socks, sew on buttons, and hem pants.  I've done plenty of buttons and socks, but the hem thing was always tricky. ymmv

Dunno if it belongs in a home ec class or not, but I think learning responsible waste disposal is important; what's trash, what you can recycle, and what you can compost.

[beachglass]

... if possible, some idea of telling what's quality and what's crap in a garment, a fabric, food, that KIND of thing.  What to look for on the inside for finished seams, what different fabrics for clothing MEAN .. understand why different fabrics fall apart differently or look like crap faster.

This, definitely. It's always tempting to buy the cheapest serviceable thing, but quality is usually more economical in the long run (and environmentally friendlier).

[rocquelaire]

Where possible, I'd integrate some of these into other lessons.  Knitting in european history.  WHY did people knit, that sort of thing.  The CONCEPTS of knit or freeze, farm or starve - the CYCLE of production and consumption.  WHY idle hands were considered evil.

Give people the connection, not just the basic details.  Because sure, it's cheaper to just go buy socks than make them(or whatever).  But in making socks, we're also connecting with history, we're making personal artwork, etc.  Cross-connections are good.

This. Knitting helps me to feel connected with my ancestors and very grateful for what I have. It also feels really good to provide for my family with things I've made, knowing that my work is keeping them warm.

[sailor]

I was reading this article about the lack of home-ec courses or useful home-ec courses in this day and age and it got me to pondering. What would you include in an ideal home-ec course for the 21st century?

My top choices would be financial literacy (Credit cards, rental agreements, apartment leases, choosing a checking account, wtf a 'minimum payment' REALLY means), how to shop for healthy food and make a dollar squeal while you do it, how to maintain your home without expensive cleaning supplies, and a healthy dose of work life balance and the reality of life outside your childhood cocoon.

Thoughts?

 
Everybody's had great ideas and points.  I especially like HeartShadow's point about integrating this stuff into other classes. I'd expand that to include more than just one year of junior high for Home Ec.

The only downside I see is we already have a ton of kids who graduate unable to read, write or do basic arithmetic so adding this important stuff might crowd it out. The flip side though is that it might make learning the 3Rs easier.

We had basic business & money in 6th grade as part of English.  Some were writers, some kids were editors, some were publishers, etc.  Different people got starting cash and then had to buy stuff closer or from the writers.

There used to be a couple of board games - PayDay http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pay_Day_%28board_game%29 Careers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Careers_%28board_game%29 (albeit sexist since it was written in 1955)

[rocquelaire]

Dunno if it belongs in a home ec class or not, but I think learning responsible waste disposal is important; what's trash, what you can recycle, and what you can compost.

Definitely. You could show the environmental impact of landfill sites but also show the financial savings that can be made by reusing things.

[Jack]

The only downside I see is we already have a ton of kids who graduate unable to read, write or do basic arithmetic so adding this important stuff might crowd it out. The flip side though is that it might make learning the 3Rs easier.

So I haven't looked at education since I escaped but I think the problem is usually money, not time, when classes are reduced. I mean, I had home ec, shop, PE, music, art... All the things that have been eliminated in so many school districts. And we weren't lacking in Reading, Riting OR Rithmetic. So I'm not sure time is really the problem.

[HeartShadow]

So I haven't looked at education since I escaped but I think the problem is usually money, not time, when classes are reduced. I mean, I had home ec, shop, PE, music, art... All the things that have been eliminated in so many school districts. And we weren't lacking in Reading, Riting OR Rithmetic. So I'm not sure time is really the problem.

 
It's usually not about time but about the kids either not having resources at home or the school being more of a day-jail than a school.

I mean, focus all your resources on dealing with fights and the like, and there just won't be anything LEFT for teaching.

And, of course, focus all your resources on *teaching the test* and care only ABOUT *teaching the test* and there won't be room for anything .. not on the damn test.

[Enid]

I was reading this article about the lack of home-ec courses or useful home-ec courses in this day and age and it got me to pondering. What would you include in an ideal home-ec course for the 21st century?

My top choices would be financial literacy (Credit cards, rental agreements, apartment leases, choosing a checking account, wtf a 'minimum payment' REALLY means), how to shop for healthy food and make a dollar squeal while you do it, how to maintain your home without expensive cleaning supplies, and a healthy dose of work life balance and the reality of life outside your childhood cocoon.

Thoughts?

I would also include basic car care (How to check the oil, coolant, change a tire) and basic sewing, such as how to repair a fallen hem and how to sew on a button.

I also think that kids need to know what their basic rights are in situations with the police.

[Carla]

I was reading this article about the lack of home-ec courses or useful home-ec courses in this day and age and it got me to pondering. What would you include in an ideal home-ec course for the 21st century?

My top choices would be financial literacy (Credit cards, rental agreements, apartment leases, choosing a checking account, wtf a 'minimum payment' REALLY means), how to shop for healthy food and make a dollar squeal while you do it, how to maintain your home without expensive cleaning supplies, and a healthy dose of work life balance and the reality of life outside your childhood cocoon.

Thoughts?

 
I cannot agree with the financial literacy choice more! I shudder when I think of the financial dumbassery I committed in my late teens and early 20's. I really had no idea what I was doing and am still paying for it! A class that taught topics like time value of money and inflation in a practical sense would be very helpful.
Basic sewing and cooking should be a must, too.
There was a home ec class at my high school but hardly anyone even knew about it or what it was about. I basically learned everything by necessity when I got married and moved out of the house.

And HeartShadow: I agree wholeheartedly about the teach-to-the-test problem. I am seeing this in a BIG way in my son's school. They have taken away anything fun and replaced it with monotonous nonsense and the kids hate it and rebel. Things are a little better for my son now that he is in advanced classes where there aren't as many behavior problems, but there is a lot missing from when I was there that made school more interesting.

[savveir]

It's usually not about time but about the kids either not having resources at home or the school being more of a day-jail than a school.

I mean, focus all your resources on dealing with fights and the like, and there just won't be anything LEFT for teaching.

And, of course, focus all your resources on *teaching the test* and care only ABOUT *teaching the test* and there won't be room for anything .. not on the damn test.

 
Standardized testing is the devil. They don't help anything, just put more pressure on teachers(and subsequently students).
I'd love to see more life skills being taught in schools, however it's hard to fit it in. There are only so many hours in the day etc.

[sailor]

Standardized testing is the devil. They don't help anything, just put more pressure on teachers(and subsequently students).
I'd love to see more life skills being taught in schools, however it's hard to fit it in. There are only so many hours in the day etc.

 
Standardized testing was the deal for increased funding when the best funded schools had the worst educational results.

[savveir]

Standardized testing was the deal for increased funding when the best funded schools had the worst educational results.

 
doesn't change that standardized testing isn't actually helpful.