What skills do you have.....

[cozietoesie]

.....in your family? Or are lacking and need to develop them?

It occurred to me a number of times, recently, that I may be the last person in my own family that has ever milked a cow by hand. The current youngsters would most likely spend a couple of days during any difficulty checking their mobiles for signal and would then start rushing around and faffing.

Compared to, for example, my great grandfather who could have kept on going in the event of most things - because he was actually more on top of his living, hard though it was.

Are you raising your own DCs to be able to do practical things?

Strange question, my answer would sound like a cv, which I don't think you're interested in. Practical skills, no, absolutely none other than map reading.

Ah, just realized this is in preppers! As you were...ignore me

Map reading is actually a useful skill, Spring. Well being able to read and work out things from pieces of paper generally! (Our family youngsters have apps on their phones for navigating on foot in the city centre. They don't seem to know the names of the streets they're walking on even. As for using cars?............)

This is one of the main flaws with most prepping plans. Most of us spend a lot of time reading about the skills we would need but not much time actually practising them.

I can filter water, start a fire, build a decent shelter. The rest of it is theoretical knowledge.

I am about to start a vegetable garden though (partly as a result of what is happening in the country and the fact that food prices are likely to be impacted).

Even theoretical knowledge - and knowing where to go to get it - is better than no knowledge at all, I think?

And actually being able to filter water, start a fire and build a decent shelter are pretty critical skills I reckon.

It's a start. The DC can start a fire and name every Marvel superhero/Star Wars character. I think I need to work on their skills....

Although - the power of language and storytelling etc etc They might be prime candidates for rekindling the oral tradition.

I'm a Tudor re-enactor.... It's amazing how many prepping skills you learn just doing that; from cheese-making, herbal medicine, sword fighting, cow-milking, fire-starting, sewing, gardening etc. Along with basic engineering/plumbing skills becuase your kit costs so much that you have to learn to make do and mend at home.

Ah, sewing.

I fear that that's an alien concept to most of the youngsters in our family. They just don't understand, for example, what it means to darn. Just don't understand it.

I could deliver a baby in the absence of a trained midwife (2 years of midwifery training)
Other than that, I can sew and grow a few vegetables, that's about it If the SHTF, my plan is to seek out my FIL, he has an incredible engineering mind and can make anything from anything and sort out any practical problem. Also, MIL can sew, cook, grow all manner of tasty things, so theirs is definitely the place to be if it all goes wrong

I'm about to start a vegetable garden. We used to have one but it was something we inherited from the previous owners of the house and we didn't appreciate it at the time.

I'm now getting large raised beds right outside the kitchen to grow veg and herbs and I'm going to rope in the DC to help. So that will be another skill they have.

I can grow veg, start a fire, build a shelter, sew, crochet, knit. Mil keeps chickens and grows veg. The rest of the family are shit, they have skills like playing a flute, or designing websites which are hardly going to help.

I'm planning on heading to mils and teaming up with her.

I'm a microbiologist so I have a fair bit of useful knowledge, some only theoretical but also some practical. Making beer, wine, cheese, fermentation for food preservation, sterilisation, sanitation, healthcare etc.

However, my most important skill if the SHTF would be caring for my glasses, without which I am blind as a bat and incapable of doing anything

We're quite practical people. I grow a good amount of veg and preserve it for the rest of the year. I can shoot and butcher most things, sew, knit, crochet, all really a make do and mend attitude.
Dh is adept at electrics, plumbing and fixing pretty much anything.

i think we'd manage ok.

Well done, field.

So you'll be acquiring some spare pairs, Mewling?

I suspect the older generation would fare much better than the younger generation.

Im going to make it my aim to acquire a couple of new practical skills.

Red hat that's exactly why I've recently taught myself to crochet. I enjoy learning practical skills.
We'd really love to have a small holding and become as self sufficient as possible.
I'm not sure how well Dd 13, would cope. She'd flounder around trying to find wifi for a while I'm sure!

I've been known to ask our youngsters whether they 'do' books. They always grin and say 'Of course' - but I suspect they're indulging me.

I can knit, start a fire, read maps, use a bow and arrow and shoot clay pigeons. That's about it.

That's a heck of a sight more than many people.

really? Thanks cozie

I think so - because those skills are pretty basic and some of them are multi-purpose, potentially. OK, you're not eg making the needles/spinning the wool (I guess) but even a few centuries back, there was a degree of specialisation and trading.