To be furious at this article?

[CatThiefKeith]

Article linked to our local paper listing 50 things that lazy mums are failing to teach their children.

Presumably their fathers can't teach them anything because their penises get in the way!

https://www.mykentfamily.co.uk/primary/the-top-50-forgotten-skills-120839/

List is a load of claptrap, of course, but quite enjoying thinking of more genuinely useful skills I am/will be teaching my dc.

How to read online content critically
How to weigh up the various factors when making a purchase and make the right choice
How to deconstruct advertising
How to put a meal together from the contents of a fridge/store cupboard
How to do a tax return
Few simple meals/cooking techniques - yes yes to white sauce; cauliflower cheese, a good tomato sauce for pasta, soup (basic recipe and variations), potato wedges, stock, stir fry, eggs of all varieties, salad dressings. Pastry, scones, cookies, sponge, crumble.
Techniques for switching off overactive thought patterns and getting to sleep
What's necessary for good home hygiene (and what's overkill)

What on earth is a Boolean search?

I'm 53 and can't do half the things on that list so don't think I've passed on much useful to the 3 DC's, ( two girls and a boy). They can all cook and bake, none of them can sew or knit or make jam. They all know how to use the washing machine and iron, but generally choose not to.
Dd1 excels at arts and crafts, dd2 has an amazing singing voice and Ds plays bass guitar and drums. I can't claim credit for any of that. I can,and do claim credit, for their decent manners and ability to write a thank you letter.

I'm teaching my daughters to search for and watch YouTube how to videos. Job done.

Yesterday I taught my sons how to recognise a phishing email and the various ways scammers might try to get your bank details. Much more useful than brass polishing or reheeling shoes (which is taking them to a cobblers, you don't do that shit yourself!)

Of course, most marketing to women relies on making us feel inadequate. The entire beauty industry and most fashion relies on this, though of course they disguise it up as pampering and self-expression. We are just noticing the sexism here because it is perhaps a new low to be slagged off for not darning socks by a mop bucket manufacturer

Of those, 4 are useful skills: white sauce (f*gravy!) , sew a button, hem ( not just dress, anything -I am short) & sort laundry (for avoidance of pink or greige formerly whites). A lot of it is hobby stuff - crocheting, knitting, gardening, & the rest can be learned from books or products, to wit, - to clean stains off carpet & soft furnishing, buy cleaning product & follow directions.
My mother was a terrible cook; her mother had servants for that sort of thing! So no hand me down knowledge for me.
I cook well as I got basic cook books & followed directions - simple

I learnt most of that at girl guides tbh

I have taught my lovely daughters how to go on a demonstration, how to make a tomato sauce (I have no idea how to make gravy and I have no interest in learning) and how to negotiate London public transport.

White sauce - isn't the only point how to make a cheese sauce, should you feel the urge? (DD2 makes cheese sauce. She learned off the internet.)

No, you need white sauce for lots of things, not just cheese. It's a mother-sauce.

motherinferior [waves though you probably have no idea who I am post name change]: I have taught my daughters to be social justice warriors. Backfired when the eldest organised a petition to get the school to reinstate fancy dress for World Feckin Book Day.

Even I can make white sauce and I am the world's worst cook. I can also embroider, knit and weave baskets. I see all these as strictly optional, though. Essential skills are things like reading the London tube map, understanding how advertising persuades you to buy things, and knowing sexism when you see it.

Am in my 50s and learnt at least half of that list in school so no need to learn at home. We did all that sewing stuff, knitting and some cooking in school. Maybe we should blame schools. My dm was an expert at all that stuff and she equally had learnt it all in school and still has the textbooks to this day.

Re-heeling shoes? Put shoes in bag, take to shoe repairs, pay money, collect reheeled shoes in a week.

Never made jam/chutney/marmalade in my life. We eat jam but maybe only 1-2 jars per year, so cheaper to buy.

Recycling vintage furniture? Put on FB selling site> sell item.

Very few of the things on the list that I can do were taught by my mother. I found out by trail and error (father was absent so no chance there)

Really a crappy click bait article.

My dad taught me half the stuff on this list my mom taught me how to kill spiders from a distance and how to get my dad to clean up sick

OP dont kill spiders it is cruel - live and let live

Snorting at the idea of going to my mother for fashion tips. She still gets her hair permed regularly and only buys trousers with elasticated waists in bright florals ffs.

I'd have to imagine this article was written (on a typewriter) about sixty years ago and has been sitting in the editor's inbox waiting for a quiet day.

Or alternatively that the reporter would is a twat and the editor another!

I'm nearly 50 and I can do about four of the things on that list. I think my mum can probably do most of them but was sufficiently canny to realise that being of a different generation I - thankfully - would have no need for most of those skills.

Oh those nasty mummies spending too much time working to support the household to teach their children to make trifle

I can't do a good chunk of those things so hee haw chance of teaching the dc.

How will these poor girls find husbands without these skill though. It's just so selfish of mothers to spend their time working and raising their children rather than teaching essiential life skills. I've even heard that some of them have their own hobbies that don't envolve their children or their husbands

Or involve

I think a lot of it is a bit outdated for a lot of people. However if you don't have time to teach a child at these things then you obviously are not using the skills yourself. Kids learn by what they see. how hard is it for a child to stand by and watch as you use the skill?

My son can do about 24 of those.

He is 4 so I have taken a few liberties on what I think is age appropriate.

His dad taught him how to do gravy, white sauce and how to iron. To be fair his dad also taught me how to gravy, white sauce and now refuses to teach me anymore ironing.

I also have a zombie apocalypse plan and when is of a certain age, his dad is going to how to kill and skin animals.

Bar sewing the odd button back into place (and I hate sewing) I do virtually nothing of the stuff on that list, and certainly don't consider them useful life skills.

Socks that are full of holes certainly aren't darned. They are binned.