General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: How the Fast Food Industry Destroyed "Home Ec" to Hook Americans on Processed Crap [View all]AnneD
(15,774 posts)at my Mom's high school. Mom stayed at home until we reached high school. She may not have brought money home, but she grew an acre kitchen garden, canned, reupholstered dad's truck, did minor plumbing, wiring, and car repair. She had us helping out in the kitchen at an early age (I could cook a complete breakfast by 7.)
In high school, she wanted me to take home ec. While I did want to learn the sewing part, I already did everything else. In fact I was cooking dinner when she started working. Our argument went something like this....
Why don't you take home ec.
Why should I, all they do there is burn biscuits and how to set the table if an ambassador comes to dinner.
Well, it is good to know how to cook.
Mom, who makes the grocery list and cooks dinner-you do
Who picks up the house and tends the other kids-you do
And don't you think if an ambassador came to dinner that I would have enough smarts to call a caterer.
At that point she laughed, gave up and let me take my science and chemistry classes.
But she set a great example for me. I do all my minor plumbing, minor car repairs, bake from scratch when I find time, always have a kitchen herb garden and a small patio garden, laid tile, repaired a washer, repair my vacuum cleaner, reupholstered chairs, painted the house inside and out, repaired and replaced screens, windows. I even do a minor amount of sewing. Now, an ambassador has never come to my house but I could set the table, cook the meal, and come up with an interesting group of dinner guests.