topic Re: Home Economics in school? in Kitchen

Home Economics in school?

chihuahuamom — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 02:01:17 GMT

If you didn't grow up in the 50's and 60's you may not have ever had this subject in school. I took it in 7th and 8th grade (I think it was an elective but not sure). Anyway, what we learned was pretty much useless even back then. Sewing included making an apron and a dress (my mother wound up making both), learning about different wax and had to wax a floor,cooking something you'd never eat.....I'm sure there was a lot more, but don't remember. I do remember that we'd better finish up what we were doing by the time the bell rang (mostly cooking) and clean up.

Times are SO different now with all our conveniences and how easy it is to grab fast food. So many women work outside the home and who waxes floors anymore?

If we had home economics today, what should be taught? (I am assuming home ec is no longer taught but maybe I'm wrong?). I would suggest how to put together easy meals in a short time, tips on keeping rooms tidy,, balancing a home budget......

Re: Home Economics in school?

granny me — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 02:08:03 GMT

I made my grandmother a robe, when she died I was surprised she had kept it all these years.

Re: Home Economics in school?

TX-starlight — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 02:09:13 GMT

I had Home Ec. in high school (60's). I loved it & can't believe they don't still have it. My G-mother taught me a little about sewing before I started HS. My mom bought me a sewing machine just before starting hs. I sewed that whole summer. My teacher was quite surprised I knew how to sew. We cooked in HE. & learned alot of basic "housekeeping". My teaceher liked me, this was my best subject in school,lol.... My g-kids (boys) are amazed that I know how to sew by hand (buttons & such).

Family's are nothing now compared to how I grew up. They eat on the run, take clothing to cleaners for alterations & such. I am so very thankful for what I learned in HE.

Re: Home Economics in school?

Kachina624 — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 02:11:40 GMT

My home economics experience was quite different from the OP's. We had the sewing and cooking... no floor waxing or other silliness. So the programs have been discontinued and we now have a generation who panic when a Denim & Co pant is too long, not knowing they can hem it in 30 minutes. They're scared to death of pressure cookers and have no idea of what their advantages are. Sad because this practical information is needed.

Re: Home Economics in school?

Mz iMac — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 02:12:21 GMT

I took "Shop." My parents still uses the book shelf I made & this steel thingy I made hangs on the living room wall.

Me and my best friend were the first females in the school's district history to take "Shop." This was back in 1963.

Re: Home Economics in school?

itsmagic — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 02:15:04 GMT

That was one of my favorite classes! I remember making a pleated skirt with a waist band which was quite an undertaking for a first time sewer. Also remember making some sort of stuffed prunes as an appetizer. I actually did a lot of sewing after that class. And I enjoy cooking too.

Re: Home Economics in school?

tucsongal — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 02:16:44 GMT

I made a hot pants set, lol. Today I would suggest budgeting/money management, nutrition/cooking healthy food from scratch, environmentally sound products for the home, recycling, etc.

Re: Home Economics in school?

sandy53 — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 02:16:59 GMT

Now called Family and Consumer Sciences, it is still very strong in my state. It is part of vocational and technical education. In my local school it includes courses in culinary arts, child development, interior design, textiles and clothing, and personal development. Teachers graduating in FCS from our state university are in strong demand.

Re: Home Economics in school?

x Hedge — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 02:26:16 GMT

Wow! @chihuahuamom, your post sure took me back.

I too had home ec in 7th & 8th grades and what a waste of time!

I remember we had to learn to make hard boiled eggs, but one egg broke and it turned out all the eggs were rotten! Phew! what a STINK!

And after airing the room the teacher had us boil those rotten eggs anyhow!

Re: Home Economics in school?

ALRATIBA — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 02:43:21 GMT

I grew up in the 50s ... went to parochial schools - we didn't have any classes like that. But, we did have "etiquette" classes in grammar school.

My mother taught me how to sew (and knit, crochet, embroider) - but sent me to classes at a local shop on how to use patterns, select fabrics, fitting, etc.

All that other stuff - learned at home. My mother wasn't a very adventurous cook - good cook, but simple - nothing exotic.

I learned to "cook" by watching Julia Child and from cookbooks.

Re: Home Economics in school?

sunshine45 — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 02:53:35 GMT

i took home ec during the mid 70s.

in junior high we had it split into three sections......sewing (gosh how i hated that), cooking, and a section called "family life."

boys were not allowed to take home ec and girls were not allowed to take shop.

by the time my kids were in middle school they mixed it all up and they got to take it all.

in sewing classes i made a scarf, a pillow, a skirt, and a sundress.

in cooking we did things like making bread and pretzels, pizzas, vegetable casseroles, breakfast, and complete dinners. you were even graded on how well you cleaned up.

Re: Home Economics in school?

QVCkitty1 — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 03:02:39 GMT

My Home Ec. experience was not good. Sewing was not my thing, and I got a friend to finish my projects. We learned how to make an omelet, fine, however the teacher insisted that I try some, and I hate eggs, really hate them. However, she insisted and I promptly threw up. Ah , good times.

Re: Home Economics in school?

shoesnbags — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 03:08:51 GMT

My experience was very different from the OP's experience, too. I loved to sew, and made a tailored jacket in Home Ec. I remember it was styled after the Beatles' jackets - no collar. (We chose our own pattern and I was a big Beatles fan lol.) It was a beautiful royal blue wool. We had to pre-shrink the wool before cutting the fabric. That jacket was lined, faced and interfaced, quite an undertaking for a teenager. And it was all done in class, so there was no parental help.

The other part was cooking. The only thing I remember is lamb patties, because I had never eaten lamb and hated the taste! We studied a lot of nutrition during the food portion of Home Ec. Absolutely NO housework.

My other memory of Home Ec is not so pleasant. I remember my Home Ec teacher crying and crying on the day JFK was shot.

Re: Home Economics in school?

GCR18 — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 03:09:15 GMT

I remember sewing class in 8th grade. I made two pair of pants. I remember actually wearing them. I don't think it was called home economics. All we did was sew. Boys took shop.

Re: Home Economics in school?

151949 — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 03:15:23 GMT

My grandmother taught me to sew making doll clothes and her & my Mom taught me to cook so Home Ec was such an easy A for me. I loved it. I took sewing in high school as my elective every semester.I have always loved sewing.The sewing teacher recognized my love and spent a lot of time showing me techniques.

Re: Home Economics in school?

Gram W — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 03:16:15 GMT

I also took HE in 7th and 8th grades. I made a skirt and vest from fabric from Scotland. I already knew how to sew. My mother had already taught my sister and I. My teachers were surprised I knew how to put in zippers, inverted pleats and make homemade button holes. We also learned basic child care, how to cook and bake. We chose our menu and got to eat what we made the last 10 minutes of the period. Eight weeks of the program we switched with the boys and the girls took shop. I made a large 2 sided magazine rack that was used in our living room for Moms magazines for years. The boys loved cooking and of course the eating. We all learned how to budget while we ate. I never heard anyone complain as we had a great time. I think all young people should still have HE to learn simple basics adapted for current times. I hear alot about latch key children and they need to have basic skills to make things such as simple food prep and child care so they can care for themselves and siblings when necessary. I had regular babysitting jobs when I was 12. Every Saturday I worked for the same family from noon until evening while they played golf and had dinner at the country club. I started with the first baby and took care of all 3 girls until high school. I later had a regular weekly schedule with 2 other families. My father took me to the bank each week to deposit at least half of my money. The balance I could spend but I found it hard to make purchases. I think I got my budgeting ability from father. It sure was not from my mother. Her "secret" spending was a private joke between Dad and I. He was aware of figures and finances even with his Alzheimers until toward the end. I would take Mom to lunch every Saturday and then we would visit him until supper. He would ask to see our lunch receipt so he could check the tip and math. Each time he would say I tipped to much. I would tell him it was no longer 10%. He would laugh and say he better get up with the times. Great memories with all. I taught my son's to cook early. Both married ladies that did not cook or sew. One DIL is now a wonderful cook and she learned to sew for simple things. The other hates to cook so my son does it.

Re: Home Economics in school?

Katwilks — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 03:19:33 GMT

I took Home Ec in high school. Sewing was NOT for me - if you put a sewing machine in the same room with me, I will leave! Cooking was interesting to me - we had a project where we collected recipes and organized them. I still have 2 plastic containers with the index cards and all of my recipes.

I think the basics still need to be taught - how to plan meals, make a grocery list, how to make ahead and freeze, etc. My niece is almost 30 and has no idea what to buy at the store so she can go home and make a meal. Even with all the online resources, she just has never had anyone teach her. She spends A LOT of money eating out as I'm sure many in her age group do as well.

Re: Home Economics in school?

151949 — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 03:35:28 GMT

My final semester of high school, I needed a math class to graduate and I had a choice between physics or math review. Of course I took math review. Another simple A . Most of the kids couldn't add 1 + 1 so the teacher taught us some life skills instead - how to make a household budget - how to write checks and balance the checkbook - how to shop for food and find lowest prices - how to find and figiure out how to pay for tradesman like plumbers etc. It turned out to be the most useful class I ever took from Hs to nursing school to college.

Re: Home Economics in school?

x Hedge — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 03:45:06 GMT

@Mz iMac wrote:
I took "Shop." My parents still uses the book shelf I made & this steel thingy I made hangs on the living room wall.

Me and my best friend were the first females in the school's district history to take "Shop." This was back in 1963.

Good for you @Mz iMac! I was also the first girl in our school to take metal shop. The school principal came in during the first day, saying he'd heard a rumor there was a girl in the class and he wanted to see for himself if that was true.

I made a hacksaw and painted it shocking pink.

I got to cast liquid metal, use a drill press, and I remember the first time I worked on the grinder the shower of sparks put dozens of tiny runs in my pantyhose!

I also took 3 years of mechanical drawing, but they got over that.

I mentor a young adult who knows NOTHING about shopping for food, cooking, laundering, gardening, cleaning, nature, and much more basic knowledge we used to learn at home or in school.

I take her to the grocery store and show her how to select fresh produce. We took a field trip to a laundromat, and we're planning a beginner's garden. I want her to SEE food grow. She has swept floors, washed dishes, sewn appliques and learned to clean a bathroom.

She never was taught to do these everyday tasks.

She's a college graduate.

Re: Home Economics in school?

on the bay — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 04:03:11 GMT

I would love for kids to learn how to sew a button, and simple hem, how to make a bed, how to write a check and balance a checkbook, how to prepare a simple dinner from scratch with fresh ingredients, simple spices, and how to clean up and wash dishes.

I guess how to make a budget would be helpful.

Oh and how to iron! My father taught me to iron and my mother taught me to sew a button on.

WE had home-ec and had to make a dress on the sewing maching. I got a c+ just barely! It had to be one of the ugliest shapeless dresses ever! I also disliked cooking. I thought it was terribly boring and only liked eating cookies if we made them. Also did not like the budget lessons. I guess there wasn't much I liked about home-ec!

I think I either took shop or did it with the kids I assisted (special needs kids). I didn't like shop either lol!

Let me out of here.

For some reason my son took home-ec and shop. He irons everyting and can sew. I'm always proud of him for that!

And all my children say they learned how to cook out of necessity! Its true lol! I did cook lots of things but tended to burn things. I didn't mean to , I just would get distracted with other things.I used to make the best cookies and I think it would be good to teach kids baking too. That is fun.

I am the best cleaner though if I do say so myself and good at decorations and putting things where they look best.

I loved reading everyone's responses and also am so impressed with those who learned how to sew, and embroider, and everything. Course in the south, that was something young girls and women learned all the time years ago. I know a lot of ladies who quilt and I am amazed at the process but again I wouldn't want to do it!