tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post8409142460634585028..comments2024-03-25T20:18:21.478-05:00Comments on Diary of a Stay at Home Mom: Home EconomicsSandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00448386993712122412noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-79006596360829893282013-02-07T16:17:33.808-06:002013-02-07T16:17:33.808-06:00I had home ec in middle school. We also had wood ...I had home ec in middle school. We also had wood shop, but that was in elective while home ec was required every year. We learned to cook and sew. I'm sure we learned other things, but that's what stuck out to me. I don't know if they offered it in highschool because I went to a magnet school for college prep. My mom stayed at home with my sister and I, and then later my brother. My grandma majored in home economics in college. That's what I would have loved. I didn't know they took it out of schools honestly, but come to think of it, my brother hasn't taken any of those classes that I know of. I think there is a lot of important things that you learn from home ec regardless of gender, but I also do think parents hold a lot of responsibility there as well. My parents made my sister and I each cook one meal a week. We also had to clean our rooms and do dishes every night as well as help with laundry and any other cleaning in the house. We both are really decent cooks and know how to do dishes and laundry, clean the floors, bathrooms, etc. If my parents hadn't forced it on us as children, I'd hate to think of the status of our homes and families... Hahah!Lizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09791408808472762904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-45104919953255692142013-02-07T12:41:57.187-06:002013-02-07T12:41:57.187-06:00I took a form of Home Ec in HS - FOODS 101 and we ...I took a form of Home Ec in HS - FOODS 101 and we had a co-ed class. Also wood shop was co-ed. My mom taught me the basics. <br /><br />I enjoyed your blog post - It was similar for me as well. I just wanted to be a mom and a homemaker. I hate to work outside the home!Debby https://www.blogger.com/profile/02574297621214864538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-77744858177349160022013-02-07T12:16:57.620-06:002013-02-07T12:16:57.620-06:00I learned cooking, sewing, baking, laundry, ironin...I learned cooking, sewing, baking, laundry, ironing, and cleaning from my mom, who was able to be a stay-at-home mom when I was growing up. I also had a good school, which offered home ec and woodshop as electives (I took both). Nowadays, the general economic situation means that often both parents work and school funding has been greatly reduced, meaning most schools no longer offer these really useful courses. It's a bummer that these courses get dropped right when they are needed the most, because working parents don't have time to teach these life skills. I'm able to be a stay-at-home mom now to my one-year-old, and it is really important to me to be able to teach him these skills!<br /><br />Thanks for your blog!Virginia Valeriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06312184950645209933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-50721443360977180482013-02-07T10:42:52.611-06:002013-02-07T10:42:52.611-06:00Home Ec was my favorite subject. We never did lea...Home Ec was my favorite subject. We never did learn how to knit. My grandmother was the one who taught me. I honestly wanted to major in home ec in high school. The home ec course for me was just a half of a semester. We made an apron. I gave it to my grandmother for Christmas one year. She still wears it today. The fabric I chose was bright. I often wonder what I was thinking. LOL! She loves it tho. Our second part of the semester was learning all about food. Yes and the Chemestry that went along with food. ICK! We made everything from pancakes to meatloaf and everything in between.<br /><br />My children are slowly learning how to keep a house. My Hannah is more like me when it comes to homemaking. She loves to shadow me. It keeps me working diligently. We have been using the Mennonite home ec course to teach the kids various tasks. It was given to us when we began homeschooling. I love it!<br /><br />Miss chatting with you on facebook. But that has given me the nudge to get back to handwritten letters. Be expecting something soon. Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17452626776404143974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-17836954254093514732013-02-07T08:19:15.603-06:002013-02-07T08:19:15.603-06:00I had a year of Home Ec in high school, and I thou...I had a year of Home Ec in high school, and I thought it was ok. I remember sewing a pillow and making pancakes, but I don't remember much else! However, I LOVE the topic now, and since we homeschool, every day is filled with opportunities to teach my kiddos about cooking and sewing and crocheting and all of those other skills that are so helpful and practical. It's actually my favorite part of homeschooling!Amberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01520682388731742925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-4305817703714177072013-02-07T06:22:31.218-06:002013-02-07T06:22:31.218-06:00I did take Home Economics in high school but it wa...I did take Home Economics in high school but it was not a year long course, just a quarter, so maybe 12 weeks. I remember making a pillow and pancakes. :) I would have liked to take more but that was all that was offered. I think it would be important for all young men and women to take these classes. So much time and money is wasted in our culture. It seems like this generation is at a crossroads...do we scale back and live simply or continue to run and go, go, go like a hamster in a wheel. Our family has chosen to live simply. My son is just 2 but he already spends time with me in the kitchen and you can bet that as he gets older I'll teach him more and more. Jenna Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07605515194266720347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-51481730929291180322013-02-07T05:00:59.328-06:002013-02-07T05:00:59.328-06:00Home Ec wasn't offered at my high school and I...Home Ec wasn't offered at my high school and I doubt I would have taken it if it had been since there were so many interesting courses to fill my schedule. So much of the content you mentioned in your post are hobbies of mine (cooking, baking, sewing). I don't mean to denigrate anyone who considers them more than that, but it's my choice to cook nearly all our meals from scratch, not a necessity given modern conveniences. In other words,it is very possible to live on prepared foods or takeout--my husband did it for years before we were married. Moreover, truly basic cooking, cleaning, and sewing a button are imo common sense things, ie you follow a simple recipe, scrub till clean, etc. I think it's the pride in making a home run that's special and that can't be taught.<br /><br />To make a long-winded answer short, I disagree that home ec-type courses are must haves of the curriculum but fully support electives of a domestic nature such as culinary arts, sewing, woodwork, auto repair, etc if the school's budget permits.Learning at home or on your own is still probably the best way to teach such skills to our kids and impress upon them the importance we attach.TheFishiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14904039253142110255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-40876713383508165882013-02-07T00:36:43.798-06:002013-02-07T00:36:43.798-06:00Oh Sandra, Sandra, I think we were split at birth,...Oh Sandra, Sandra, I think we were split at birth,lol! I read cookbooks for fun back in high school!<br />My son is going to gr 8(high school in my city is 8-12), and he will be taking one semester of electronics and woodworking, and one semester of Food and Nutrition and Sewing...I'm so excited! I'm with you, everyone needs to know the basics! By the time I was seven, I was hemming pants by hand, polishing my dad's shoes(every Saturday for Church, and earning quarter in the process). Crocheting and crafting...my daughter is the same. My son is very into science and technology,but he's not leaving my house without some basics skills, if his wife works, or is ill, he needs to do his share, everyone needs to contribute in a family. <br />Sandrocashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03944998851056008140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-45667748394577308512013-02-06T21:49:40.874-06:002013-02-06T21:49:40.874-06:00I didn't enjoy Home EC mostly because the ladi...I didn't enjoy Home EC mostly because the ladies who taught it didn't want to be teaching and shouldn't have been teaching.<br /><br />But my grandmother taught me how to knit, sew, crochet, embroider, quilt, etc. However, even though both my mother and my grandmother were great cooks, they were lousy teachers. I'm still more talented at opening a can than at actual cooking, although now that I am eating healthier there are more salads and fewer cans, frozen foods, etc.<br /><br />I do think that home economics and wood shop should be taught in school, I think if I'd had decent teachers I might be a decent cook by now!Suellen Roleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09347192521634583340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-77816615363219369702013-02-06T20:39:31.796-06:002013-02-06T20:39:31.796-06:00Amen Sandra! I wholeheartedly agree with you. I ...Amen Sandra! I wholeheartedly agree with you. I didn't realize that they didn't have this anymore in the schools since we have homeschooled for so many years. <br /><br />I even took Family Management in high school and loved it. Like you, being a wife and mother were the things I knew I wanted and more than anything. The only other thing I pretended as a child was teaching.... and now I get the best of both of those worlds (like you) with teaching my children at home too. <br /><br />This is truly sad. It seems everywhere we turn the family is being torn down. <br /><br />I love being a wife and mother....and it truly has the greatest rewards! Great post!<br /><br />Blessings,<br />Tammy Tammy ~ Country Girl at Home ~https://www.blogger.com/profile/15357964198971943168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-91959439430963663732013-02-06T17:37:21.426-06:002013-02-06T17:37:21.426-06:00I took Home Ec in high school as well, my kids too...I took Home Ec in high school as well, my kids took Living Skills in middle school.. It was required in the 8th grade in Iowa... My daughter took CAD in high school...it was learning about your car...How to change the oil and rebuild an engine.. She knows the sounds of the car and what to listen for.. Which I think is very important for girls these days.. My boys did not take the class and she will tell them that by the sound of their car that it needs oil.. She knows how to change the brakes and can rebuild a alternator if she had to.. But she does take the car in to be serviced...She sews, knits and crochets.. Does not like to bake.. My boys love to bake... My son who is married does the cooking.. My other son who is dating a wonderful old fashioned girl and they just made those tie blankets together.. I do believe the schools need to teach Home Ec or life skills...I am not sure if they do now or not because all my kids are through college...<br /><br />Love your blog...We choose for me to stay at home with our kids to.. I loved every moment of it.. <br />Have a great evening..LisaAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10476106116117964270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-82976081549950582192013-02-06T14:54:05.677-06:002013-02-06T14:54:05.677-06:00I enjoyed home economics more in high school than ...I enjoyed home economics more in high school than junior high. That was when the sewing and cooking was split into two separate classes as opposed to junior high when the two were combined. Loved the cooking but the sewing gave me hives! And it's still the same today. LOL.<br /><br />As far as who teaches young people? Ideally, of course, it would be wonderful if the parents taught their children. I think as a society we rely all too often on schools, teachers, coaches and Sunday School teachers to teach what really is what we should be passing on. But realistically that just doesn't happen for every child so I'm glad and thankful that schools have programs that teach kids everyday basics such as that.Susannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-81907102655388274772013-02-06T14:06:27.041-06:002013-02-06T14:06:27.041-06:00I definitely think it should still be offered. So ...I definitely think it should still be offered. So many young girls do not have the skills to be a homemaker. Since the 50's and 60's society has wanted to remove the women from their homes. Fortunately my mother had stayed home with me as I was growing up, and I learned a lot from her. I was also not taught Home Economics in a school classroom. I was homeschooled. My mother taught me to cook and clean, and then I went to a local Sewing shop to take a sewing class for my credit. <br />I believe that it should primarily begin in the home, but that schools should still offer the class. Not all girls are as privileged as you and me to have such wonderful family members to teach us. Stay at home momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10444399093224974627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-42398976484925086362013-02-06T13:49:20.703-06:002013-02-06T13:49:20.703-06:00I never took home ec because there were too many o...I never took home ec because there were too many other electives I wanted to take, but I don't think that not taking it hurt me in any way. (Of course I knew how to cook/clean/sew already because that's just how it was at my house). I think home ec/shop might still be offered in our school district, but I'm not sure... But I do agree that it is a shame kids leave school without knowledge of so many basic things. Here, we have a community service requirement for high school graduation. I think kids should also have to pass "Life Skills" class that mention the things you wrote about here.Carolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16655001796403152210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-51466078571917123362013-02-06T12:49:42.886-06:002013-02-06T12:49:42.886-06:00Wonderful post!! Beautiful photo's. I too love...Wonderful post!! Beautiful photo's. I too loved Home Ec we also had a Home and Family class that everyone had to take girls and guys. Most of what I picked up was from our Grandmother who we lived with after our Mom died. I so agree that we need to bring back LIVING skills in our schools. The challenge I am working on this month shows how much basic kitchen skills are needed to make ends meet. Debbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17319991952705204675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-60713536527890963702013-02-06T12:11:32.489-06:002013-02-06T12:11:32.489-06:00I loved Home Ec! Do they really not offer it at al...I loved Home Ec! Do they really not offer it at all anymore? I mean, the class I took in Jr High was still pretty basic, cooking and a little sewing and a 5lb flour bag baby to take care of, but I enjoyed it. And I took a foods class in high school that was fun. I still have the recipes we used somewhere, I need to find them because the minestrone soup we made was amazing. And I loved shop class too!Karahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06825366006877044399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-18151383881032300562013-02-06T12:10:38.586-06:002013-02-06T12:10:38.586-06:00I took Home Ec in school but didn't like the s...I took Home Ec in school but didn't like the sewing part. I learned to love sewing a few years later but knew the basics. I think Home Ec should definitely be taught in school because many parents today know very little about the basics of keeping a house, cooking, or mending. If there's no one home to teach, how are the kids going to learn? My mother also taught me to cook, clean, knit, sew, crochet, embroider, etc. I taught my children but who is teaching the next generation. It is not feminism; it's survival!Kathy Skinner (Kat)https://www.blogger.com/profile/12062260189125326781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271473.post-57929195265888400292013-02-06T12:08:02.977-06:002013-02-06T12:08:02.977-06:00I had a year of home ec in high school ... I loved...I had a year of home ec in high school ... I loved everything but the sewing. I am just now learning to really sew and finally have a sewing machine of my own!<br /><br />My Oma (German Grandmother) learned Home Ec as a Hitler Maid in 1930s Germany ... She wasn't a Nazi by any means ... all the girls had to do something like this or were expected to. My Oma worked for farmers with big families and cooked, took care of children, and such ... She was THE BEST cook ever!!! :) I miss her and wish I'd learned more from her. She died when I was about 20 yrs old. Connyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12140942085281292589noreply@blogger.com