General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: McDonald's losing business to home cooking. Is this a bad thing? [View all]NanaCat
(1,539 posts)However, I realize that cooking from scratch seems overwhelming to many people because no one ever taught them how important organizational skills are to cooking in a timely manner. They don't know how to gather together what they need before they start a meal at all. They don't understand the order for preparing what when. They don't understand cleaning up as they go while food is cooking.
It's a skill set that even a child can learn, but the opportunity for learning it the right way seems to be a vanishing one these days. That's why I'm all for bringing back Home Economics classes, but only as a requirement for all students, not merely the girls. I was shocked in the 80s when I was in basic training with young women who didn't know how to sweep/mop/Hoover a floor or make a bed. Because mummy had always done everything domestic for them.
Every kid needs to know how to cook a meal, make a bed, keep a floor clean, wash dishes, and so on, before they're 18. They need to know how to do domestic tasks in a way that saves them money, time and effort. We need those classes, more than ever, because not every parent is a good housekeeper, and more than a few parents coddle their children rather than having them learn essential domestic skills to live on their own.