To wonder if there’s a need for basic home maintenance training

[butterybiscuitbasic]

Ok this is inspired by another thread, but there seems to be a basic lack of knowledge when it comes to basic home maintenance. Things like bleeding radiators, draining washing machines, preventing damp and the like.

I know when I moved into my first home it was my dad who showed me this type of stuff, so perhaps as we become more a nation of knowledge type workers these skills are being lost, or we are just more likely to assume problems and call someone in.

However I think it would be useful if these “skills” were perhaps covered in school, or even if letting agents/mortgage providers offered some sort of basic online training or manuals.

Laughing at the suggestion that people ask their parents, or someone they know.

I'm lucky I have a dad who I get on with and who is able to tell me about these things. Many people are not so lucky.

When we insist parents do all these things and not schools, we forget the thousands of people who grew up in care who don't have this opportunity.

@thatmuppetshow because when people are at the point of googling - something is already an issue.

Issues can only be prevented if people are already aware of things that cause them and that they can even occur. An example (from me) - didn’t realise that sticking led bulbs in what are halogen fittings would blow the dimmer... therefore new dimmer needed. That’s not a common one but I think the damp issue is.

When we insist parents do all these things and not schools, we forget the thousands of people who grew up in care who don't have this opportunity.

That’s an extremely small minority.

DD gets two hours of PE a week.

that's exactly my point, that should be 2 hours A DAY!
yes, there are clubs, but optional and - in my school - not free unless teacher led.

there are many other non sporty kids who are the same.
there's a HUGE difference between a child with a disability and "non sporty" kids - no kids should be non sporty! They should be active just because they are kids.
Offering non-sport clubs for those who really cannot join is of course needed to (drama, chess, music) they all benefit everyone anyway.

For example, kids should be taught swimming at school from reception! It's scandalous they are not - and I am not blaming the school. There are non-academic kids, they still have to sit more or less still and learn for hours every day. Being active and outdoor should be just as important.

I would much prefer longer school days with more physical activities. It wouldn't make much of a difference for my own kids, but for all those plonked in front of the tv from 3pm until bed time, it would.

@DDIJ surely you’ve just contradicted yourself there. You were “taught” by Mumsnet that your extractor isn’t just for cooking smells. You didn’t pick it up by common sense.

@Bellasblankexpression I’ve never ever been given a manual (outside of those for white goods etc) when renting.

kids should be taught swimming at school from reception! It's scandalous they are not

Huh? Are there even enough pools? Why isn’t it parent’s responsibility to ensure their children understand water safety?

As it happens, school swimming lessons caused my water phobia. Want to know how much that affects my adult life? Very very little (mainly DD wanting to snorkel on holiday but as That’s fairly infrequent and her dad is a fully trained scuba diver that’s taken care of).

I agree, I've only ever rented but I've always regularly opened windows, dusted the extractor fans, cleaned tumble drier filters etc because I want to live in a nice clean flat.

Other stuff like radiators and boilers and minor repairs have been more flat and what the land lord prefers specific but if its a 10 minute/half an hour job DH has usually done it.

Why isn’t it parent’s responsibility to ensure their children understand water safety?

why isn't parent's responsibility to ensure their children learn to read and write?

Why do we need school?

Want to know how much that affects my adult life? Very very little
good for you, learning to swim is first to be safe - why wouldn't you want your child to learn a life saving skill?

Most people genuinely believe you need to treat burns with all sorts of crap, butter/oil/cream (poor kids!)

and ignore the very very basic first notions of first aid

how can you expect them to be interested in basic home maintenance?

I am hopeless at learning things from Youtube, l need someone showing me how to do it, and guiding me while I do it, several times. So one-off jobs are out for me. Also, my stuff is always slightly different from what's on the net. And there are things l wouldn't think of, like checking pictue hooks are clear of wiring. I am now on cordial terms with my ex, who kindly tackles minor jobs in my flat, thank goodness.

But the main thing is that whatever l do practically, l always get wrong the first time l do it. If there's a way to bugger things up, I will do it.

I think everyone should equip themselves with the basic knowledge of keep your home well maintained.

My mum taught us everything as we grew up ( re wiring plugs, bleeding radiators, painting, cooking, baking, money management, de-icer in the car, air in your tyres and stoking a fire ) she should have started a life survival school

If it's not taught to you by your parents you definitely should "do a class". My brother was taught exactly the same as me, but does not have the inclination to do such things so for house maintenance he "gets the guy/girl in" and they eat out most of the time or live on quick snacks

I think part of the problem is our culture shift. Children spend far more time out of the home now in wraparound care or at activities so don’t always see the basics of home care being done in the way they did a generation or so back. When skill sharing between generations get missed some children don’t get to learn basics first hand.

With that in mind basic college courses would be handy, if they don’t already, for DIY skills etc for those who haven’t had a chance to learn at home. Don’t think it should be added to school curriculum though. I do think home mathematics should be added to the curriculum though - how to balance salary and bills and savings etc.

learning to swim is first to be safe - why wouldn't you want your child to learn a life saving skill?

I did. She was in water from 4 months old and started private lessons aged 2. Why should school have to do that? Lessons at 5 at school would have been a bit pointless if there even was a pool they could go to.

She started school at 3 and was writing and speaking 2 languages before that.

The Readers Digest DIY Manual is actually very good. I presume it is rather dated now. Most charity shops have a few copies.

It used to come in a hard plastic cover, with pages on a ring-binder.

Keep a copy under your pillow for nightly reading.

If I move into a rental with no manuals and I have a hotpoint model 800 washing machine or X name boiler you can look up most manuals for pretty much anything electrical online. If you buy a 2nd hand TV it’s the same. You can pretty much find what you want.

Yes I usually have been given a heating manual and whatever manuals go with appliances when I have moved in somewhere

I moved into my first HA house a year ago from private and it doesn’t come with any white goods but it had a boiler manual and instructions about bin day, tenant info etc

I think I just assume it isn’t that complicated if I don’t know how to do something I will just find out how to do it. When I was in private rental I had a horrible LL who wouldn’t do anything I ever asked so I got quite good at sorting things out, I don’t have much choice. I don’t have any men in my life or tradespersons I know, and limited money

I think it can be something to do with affluence if I am honest, my parents had no money and paying a tradesperson was unheard of. You either fixed it or went without. I probably learned more from them than I realise

Oh dear, this is me! Not only do I not know how to rewire a plug, I don’t even know what would cause me to need to rewire a plug!

I’ve bounced about in shitty rentals for too long, I suppose.

oh great NeedAnExpert
your child didn't need to go to school as she knew everything by the time she was 5.

The rest of the country doesn't. Why should swimming be part of the curriculum? Because it's a basic skill, and because physical activity is just as important of academic skills.
If you decide that schools and education are needed in the first place, PE should be a big part of it.

Nothing to do with basic skills that should be taught at home.

Our old landlord gave an instruction booklet which basically came down to damp always being the tenants fault.

The reality of that house was that it was a damp shithole with a subpar boiler, no wall insulation and a stream running underneath the property.

The bathroom in particular was almost impossible to heat up.

When dh and I moved into our first flat circa 1994, dad bought us a huge hardback diy book which we read/flicked through the sections to see what it included. We used that and called on family/friends when stuck and learned as we went along, more recently we use the Internet.

Schools have enough to do without being responsible for general/basic life skills which can be independently researched without too much effort and if it is too much effort pay someone, if you can't afford/don't want to pay someone, then you make the effort.

People need to move away from the default of schools teaching to remedy every identifiable fault and failing. It’s got to the point when if a post like this doesn’t end with ‘should be taught in schools’ it’s a refreshing surprise.
YouTube, as Maidenmothercrone said. It’s the teacher of choice now.

I think this is just because society has shifted. Work is far more “service culture” now rather than manual, and generally it’s more high level. I do find it irritating when people harp back to the days when everyone could change a plug or sew a button like it’s desirable- IMO it’s far more desirable to know how to code, produce a set of quality board reports, project manage or qualify as a barrister (random examples)

Many people would just prefer to employ w handy person, and they’re creating jobs at the same time. Otherwise, google, you tube etc these things aren’t important enough for someone else to need to waste their time
Teaching

I skipped through a lot of the posts, but yes. I think there should be more availability of 'adulting 101' courses. Like an evening course that cover different modules of adulting - home maintenance, finances, cooking, etc.

It's easy to say that parents should teach these, but if your parents don't know, or if you don't have that relationship with them, or they aren't close by, then it's not that simple.
There's also a lot of people who rely on their OH to take care of certain aspects. When they are no longer around or capable of doing it, it can be very intimidating.