Basic stuff you were taught to do but couldn’t do now…

[GwinGwyn]

I just moved house and bought a new lamp which didn’t have a plug, so I had to fit one myself. I had to look it up on YouTube as I couldn’t quite remember how to do it and didn’t fancy frying myself on my first night in my new place.

But it made me feel a bit regretful that I couldn’t remember how to do it, as my mum taught me when I was younger. A bit like changing a tyre, one condition of her paying for my driving lessons was that she taught me how to change a tyre… that said my car has locking wheel nuts that were last changed using a machine, so even if I could remember how to change a tyre (which again I would have to YouTube to remind myself) I physically don’t think I could undo something tightened by machine.

What other skills did you used to have but can’t recall anymore? (This is essentially a ‘please make me feel less bad for being a bit useless’ thread!)

I seem to have lost my baking skills. From my early teens I could bake a good cake, pie and even chocolate souffles and for many years afterwards, including bread.

Now it's a waste of good ingredients. I can still embroider and sew though, just lack of will, time (wasted on MN,etc). But I can fix and build more things now and still proudly wield a 22" chainsaw in my 60s.

40 years ago, I was fluent in Russian. (Did it at uni.) I'm not now.

OP - "locking wheel nuts" just means that at least one of the nuts can only be turned with a special cap that fits over it; these caps can usually be found with your spare tyre toolkit. Sometimes the tightening machines can make the nuts harder to loosen, but with determination and stamping on the 'turny-tool" thing, they will eventually loosen.

In secondary school I used to be a sprinter, hurdler and high jumper. I can't run now. I look similar to Phoebe from Friends. My pants never stay up either. I can't remember how they used to.

Knots! I used to know so many different useful knots when I was in the guides, but I've forgotten them all except a reef knot and one other one where you make 2 loops and layer them over each other.

I remember being taught how to wire a plug. Wouldn't want to try it now though!

I'd love this skill! Surely this would come back if you were to spend time immersed in the language again?

I used to be able to tie a tie in a few different ways (old fashioned schools, proper ties at both primary and secondary) and now can only just about manage a half Windsor if I shut my eyes.

I used to be a skilled baker and decorator (if I do say so myself 😂) but a health condition and zero time to do it have contributed to my skills plummeting, sadly.

Everything! Knitting, sewing, writing a plug, wallpapering, changing a tyre…

Same but a different language. I rarely even mention it to anyone. Let alone converse in it!

Can't plait myself but can do other people's pretty well. Don't have the coordination to work it out behind my head.
Used to plait horses quite well. Used to ride them too. Could probably still plait, not sure i'd even be able to mount these days.
I'm good at pruning trees/roses, cooking (not attempted Yorkshire's in a while mind you), can still knit and basic sewing. Can't read music any more. Still just about get by in french. Maths stuff like trigonometry, yep, cos I've tutored it on and off for years.

@TheHateIsNotGood

What on earth are you cutting that needs a 22in saw?
(Another thing I can still do it seems, although I think a 14inch bar is more than enough)

Reading and playing music. At one point I played three instruments, now the only quavers I can reliably identify are the cheesy snack ones.

God so much

Speaking Spanish to a decent level

Embroidery- used to know all the stitches

Knitting

Any maths. Any maths at all.

Servicing a diesel boat engine. Most of my boat skills.

Ballet positions. Did 4 years of adult ballet. All gone.

Lots of recipes I picked up on my travels as a young adult, and had memorized. Stopped making them when I had a kid. Now can’t remember them and not written down.

I could go on.

But there’s also so much I’ve picked up, that I could never have imagined knowing and doing before- from how to look after a newborn, to being able to make a perfect Victoria sponge without weighing scales 🤷‍♀️

Knitting. I could make a pretty decent scarf aged 7 and now I wouldn't know where to start

I wore a tie at primary school so I knew how to tie one, but when ds started secondary I had to watch a Youtube video so I could remind myself so I could teach him. He didn't wear one at primary. Although he just used to undo it a bit and tighten it up again so I wonder if he still can!

I learnt to knit and crochet a bit as a child but can't now.

I was just checking when appliances had to come with a plug and it was 1992! I thought it was earlier than that.

Also simultaneous and quadratic equations.

Thought query if knowing how to do them is "basic".

Who needs to cut anything with it? You just hold it when you open the door to cold callers, right @TheHateIsNotGood ...?

😁

When I was at school we had sliderules that we used in maths. I can vaguely remember using one but can't remember what it specifically did or how to use it!

Speaking French. Used to be fluent, not now
I had a teacher when I was about 4 and she went via immersion, you learn quick when you need to ask for the toilet!

tie a tie. did it every day for secondary school for six years, couldn’t do it now if you held a gun to my head.

I can still, however, knit, crochet, sew, and spin. So i’m not completely useless!

Long division. Tried to do it the other day when I didn't have my phone (aka calculator) to hand. Thought it would all come flooding back once I got started - in reality I got as far as writing out the numbers in the bracket thingy, then just sat and stared at the paper with no recollection of how to even start.

@KnitnNatterAuntie - Oh there's a from the past - slide rules. I couldn't use one now to save my life but I suspect I only had a hazy grasp on it when we were given them to use in maths class. My friend & I used to extend the middle bit and pretend to stab ourselves with them . Which is probably why I am not a world class mathematician 😁

Oh the boy deserved favours according to my piano teacher which sounds a bit iffy as I think of sexual favours! I like yours better

@GwinGwyn …. Ditto @TheHateIsNotGood regarding getting extra force onto power tightened nuts……

Standard wheel braces in a cars spares kit aren’t up to much. An upgrade is to use one of the 4 way cross type wheel braces, and even better to use a long or extendable wheel brace to get the extra leverage.
Some car kits include a short wheel brace plus an extension tube

If it is just the basic one, or it is still tight then ‘kicking’ can help - but that’s how many people injure themselves when missing it

Always loosen wheel nuts before raising the car, otherwise you’re adding force to an already partially unsteady jacked up car

….. and before removing the wheel I was taught to place the spare under the corner of the car so that if the jack slipped when you remove the car it would land on the spare rather than falling to the ground….
(Ideally have a helper who hand you the spare and then pop the flat into the corner as you are placing the good tyre)