Handy mum, but are your children handy.

[deste]

I can turn my hand to lots of things, sewing, decorating, cooking but last night my DD aged 26 threaded a needle for the first time ever in her life. I then had to instruct her using FaceTime on how to fix a dress. I said "I don't believe this" and she said "its because I've never had to", so she has a point. Anyone out there similar, with children similar.

Good god yes, mine are hopeless but then so am I!

The reverse with me - I'm a complete incompetent (althought I'm a goodish cook) and DD can sew, knit, crochet etc. My mother was really good at that sort of stuff - I think the skill/interest skipped a generation. My DSs all seem as incompetent as me, unfortunately.

I am far more willing to get my hands dirty than any of them, though - when the drains are blocked I'll get the rods out and deal with it. They'd run screaming.

Did you not teach her when she was younger? My Mum taught HE (specialising in dress and design no less!) and we were all taught how to sew. She is horrified that I now get a dressmaker to alter my clothes (gosh that sounds posher than it is, i'm talking about getting trousers taken up because I'm a shortarse). That's about timer ather than anything, I use to darn my wooly tights when I was a student.

I am ridiculously unhandy. I can cook, and am just about learning to bake, aged 35. I can't even sew a button on and I was the only one of my class who just could not get the hang of knitting (aged 6). DS (10) doesn't seem much better...

Ditto what Hassled said.

Well why didn't you teach your children to sew etc when they were small? I am "handy" and have taught both dds to sew and fix things....they're 8 and 5...the 8 year old can make a basic bag, a basic soft toy and dolls clothes as well as use super glue and a screwdriver...the 5 year old can sew with a larger needle and do basic cross stitch.

I can cook, do DIY, great at flat packed furniture, I used to be able to fix my cars. I am awful at sewing, my sewing teacher at secondary school despaired of me and told me not to carry on. After spending 20 mins trying to thread a needle I could messily mend a small tear or sew on a button, beyond that I don't have a clue.

They are, actually! They can sew a little- I don't think enough to alter anything though, cook, decorate, garden and things.

I was really surprised when my nephew couldn't change a lightbulb the other day, he's 17!

My Mum is handy, knitting, sewing, baking, decorating, tiling etc and so am I.

She brought my brother and I up alone and did nearly everything herself, teaching us as she went along.

My brother doesn't knit, but he can sew by hand or machine and we both are able to do the rest.

mine can do most things, but only because if I'm doing something they haven't done before I demonstrate, then they do it. Watch one, do one, teach one, is how it goes here.

they have their own power tools, and having spent their lives hanging about(we never had childcare) on building sites and in work shops, they know how to do most things, and muck in with most tasks,

they are far better on a sewing machine than I am, but only because they like making massive kites,

their cakes are far better than mine, because if they want gack food, they have to make it, so they make a lot of cakes and puddings, I just provide the
ingredients, as long as the kitchen is clean when I go in, I don't care what they make.

Well that's the thing because I could do it I just got on with it. She would have said I'll do it later and by that time I would have finished it. She had lots of after school things and homework so I just did it. I loved sewing so really enjoyed it, I didn't find it a chore.

Interesting. I can cook, change lightbulbs, wire a plug, change a fuse, paint and wallpaper, sew a button and take up a hem. Apart from cooking, dds can't do any of the above.But, my mother can do all of the above plus make clothes from scratch, knit, darn, name all the trees, birds, wildflowers and constellations.
On the other hand, my dds are highly computer literate, travel the world with confidence, can get by in more than one language and have friends of all colours, creeds and nationalities.
I suppose this is life across 3 generations.

Forgot to add she is a great cook and baker so not entirely hopeless and she keeps her flat clean and tidy.

My mum can stitch but I can make a dress pattern from scratch and make the clothes.

I can turn my hand to almost anything practical and crafts/making things/cooking and baking (and I used to service my own motorbikes too) and I fully intend to teach Dd to be the same. She is 6.3 and can peel vegetables, make gravy and make Yorkshire puddings from scratch, so she's already started.

Ds 14.7 can bake and does his own mountain bike and skateboard repairs/tinkering. He's never sewn anything (properly) yet though and his knitting and 'sewing' in primary school was disastrous!

I?m good at hand sewing, mending, embroidery, patchwork etc ? but my Mum had trained as a dressmaker and tailoress, and could make anything ? so my early efforts seemed (to me - Mum was always encouraging) like a waste of time and material, and I never learned her skills. She was also the best knitter I have ever known, producing exquisite garments without a pattern, while I found knitting slow, boring and difficult ? result, 20 years of wishing that I?d made more effort to learn, as she died 20 years ago tomorrow and I miss her every day. On the plus side, I love cooking (it helped having an Aunt who taught me to experiment - and that you don't have to weight everything!) can do any basic job round the house (Dad taught me to wire a plug, change a lightbulb etc) and assemble flat-pack furniture, so don?t feel too helpless..!