What’s a thing you wish schools actually taught?
I wish schools still taught home economics. There’s something about watching kids leave high school and realizing that some of them genuinely don’t know how to do basic adult things that makes me think, maybe we should bring this class back.
I know the argument is that it’s the parents’ responsibility to teach their kids how to be functioning adults. And, to a degree, I completely agree. As a parent, it will be my responsibility to teach my daughter how to take care of herself, manage money, cook, clean, do laundry, and generally navigate life.
But I would love for there to be a class at school that could teach my kid something I don’t know how to do.
Because that’s the thing about home ec that I think gets lost when people talk about it today. It wasn’t simply “here’s a recipe, now make dinner.” At least historically, these classes could cover a surprisingly broad range of practical skills.
Some schools had simulated homes, with mock living spaces, kitchens with multiple workstations and appliances, and sewing areas where students could actually practice the things they were learning.
There were practical labs where students learned things like setting a table, doing laundry, ironing, sewing, and constructing garments. You weren’t just sitting at a desk memorizing information. You were actually learning how to do things.
The curriculum could also cover food and nutrition, including meal planning, baking, and cooking. There were lessons on clothing and textiles, such as reading patterns and operating a sewing machine. And there could even be lessons on child care, budgeting, and managing a household.
Now, obviously, some of the old curriculum is incredibly outdated.
I don’t need my daughter learning how to be a perfect housewife whose primary goal is to support her husband. And I definitely don’t think the solution is bringing back a class where girls learn to cook and sew while boys go off and learn something else.
I think everyone should take it.
Boys need to know how to do laundry. Girls need to know how to change a tire. Boys should know how to cook. Girls should know how to balance a budget. Everyone should know how to sew on a button, clean a bathroom, grocery shop, understand basic nutrition, and take care of a home.
And honestly, I’d love for the curriculum to go even further than the traditional home ec classes did.
Teach kids how to make a budget. How credit cards and interest work. How to read a lease before signing it. How to grocery shop without spending your entire paycheck on snacks. How to meal plan. How to do basic sewing and clothing repairs. How to properly clean different surfaces. How to read a nutrition label. Basic cooking techniques instead of just following recipes. Maybe even basic car maintenance and household repairs.
Because there are so many things we assume kids will just magically learn once they become adults.
And sometimes they don’t.
Not because their parents don’t care. Sometimes their parents weren’t taught either. Sometimes they’re working constantly and don’t have the time. Sometimes a kid grows up in a household where certain skills just aren’t needed often enough to learn them. And sometimes you simply don’t know what you don’t know.
That’s why I don’t see a practical-life-skills class as replacing parents. I see it as another resource for parents and kids.
If I can teach my daughter how to cook, great. If her school can teach her how to sew, budget, change a tire, understand a lease, or safely use a power tool, even better.
I don’t want to recreate 1950s home economics.
I want to take the useful parts of it, throw away the outdated gender roles, and create a modern “how to be a functioning adult” class.
Honestly, I think I’d sign up for it now. There are definitely things I still don’t know how to do.
