The Wifely Duties

[jamespowers]

In all honestly, public schools main job is to prepare children for the workforce. The smarter kids can go on to higher learning, but the majority of them are taught how to listen, follow orders and how to read.

I agree it's the parents job or even the kids job to learn how to live day to day.

They do a lousy job at that then. What the heck are they prepared for? McDonalds? Great.

 

[scottyrocks]

Schools today prepare students for standardized tests. Everything else is secondary because colleges look at standardized tests first, then grades and extra-curriculars.

 

[scottyrocks]

I loved PE and wish we had had more of it - I think I had a lot of energy to burn off as a child/teen - I would literally run myself ragged until the class ended. I was no good at playing netball or tennis or the likes - I found them really boring and had zero interest in them (the netball team garnered a lot of respect - perhaps a little too much - maybe I just wasn't a team player) but I could literally run for miles - in one afternoon I won the 200 metres, the 400 metres and the relay race - I didn't bother with the 100 as I thought it would be too easy!!!!!!

PE today in many urban areas is the majority of exercise many children receive, due to unsafe outdoor conditions, and/or the preponderance of video games.

 

[sheeplady]

And there's the rub. In the end, it isn't the responsibility of the schools to teach the kids these sorts of basic life skills, and frankly, if you don't know how to sew a button or wash dishes or cook a simple meal by the time you're in junior high, your parents are the ones who need to be kicked in the backside, not the schools.

In all honestly, public schools main job is to prepare children for the workforce. The smarter kids can go on to higher learning, but the majority of them are taught how to listen, follow orders and how to read.

I agree it's the parents job or even the kids job to learn how to live day to day.

I am going to warn everybody that I am totally talking about the US here, but I think it is quite obvious that many parents (but not all) are doing a very poor job taking care of themselves, yet alone teaching their children about many life skills- in things from finance to health. Children aren't the ones getting into major unnecessary credit card debt, buying houses they can't afford, or giving themselves serious diseases. It's the irresponsible parents. The ones that are supposed to teach their children all these things that either they don't know or don't care enough to do for themselves.

And when somebody makes a serious mistake in these areas, we ALL pay for it. In particular, the responsible adults and parents of all ages pay for it. It's not like people who don't know just fail on their own in little isolated bubbles. We as a society pay for it, and it is much more expensive to pay for it later than to simply try to educate someone when young and prevent it in the first place.

And as a general aside, although there is a strong section of society that believes public schools should prepare people for the workforce, there has been a century-long debate about if the goal of public education is to prepare people to be good citizens or to prepare a good workforce.

 

[PoohBang]

They do a lousy job at that then. What the heck are they prepared for? McDonalds? Great.

I think originally it was for factory work, but since all our factory work is now overseas I guess it is McDonalds or Walmart...

 

[jamespowers]

I am going to warn everybody that I am totally talking about the US here, but I think it is quite obvious that many parents (but not all) are doing a very poor job taking care of themselves, yet alone teaching their children about many life skills- in things from finance to health. Children aren't the ones getting into major unnecessary credit card debt, buying houses they can't afford, or giving themselves serious diseases. It's the irresponsible parents. The ones that are supposed to teach their children all these things that either they don't know or don't care enough to do for themselves.

And when somebody makes a serious mistake in these areas, we ALL pay for it. In particular, the responsible adults and parents of all ages pay for it. It's not like people who don't know just fail on their own in little isolated bubbles. We as a society pay for it, and it is much more expensive to pay for it later than to simply try to educate someone when young and prevent it in the first place.

And as a general aside, although there is a strong section of society that believes public schools should prepare people for the workforce, there has been a century-long debate about if the goal of public education is to prepare people to be good citizens or to prepare a good workforce.

Both.

 

[Miss sofia]

I agree. My son only has P.E twice a week at school, whereas we used to have at least an hour a day back when i was at school. Including swimming in an unheated, outdoor swimming-pool all year. (Good for the physical and moral fibre dontcha know). I had a verucca for about a year, even my mother, who was very strict, drew the line at winter swimming lessons and gladly wrote me a sick note!

I hated P.E, i still shudder at the humiliation of having to compete in high jump against the tallest girl in the school, while i was tubby, 4'9''er! Sadly the ritual humiliation the teachers used tio bestow on us non-sporties was also deemed to be character building.

However i do think there should be more than the one hour of P.E a week my son is offered at school.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Some other countries teach skills for students to learn how to work, what it will take to have a job and how to manage an income. We do not teach children this in our schools.

P.E. when I was in school was more than a lets go out and exercise, it was involving the classes in learning about sports, in many areas of sports. I enjoyed it very much.

But in viewing all this withing the topic of the thread, wifely duties, would or should a wife do this? Well....not on her own, for sure a MAN best be able to put his time and effort into his child.

 

[LizzieMaine]

And as a general aside, although there is a strong section of society that believes public schools should prepare people for the workforce, there has been a century-long debate about if the goal of public education is to prepare people to be good citizens or to prepare a good workforce.

I don't think you can be a good citizen unless you're also a good worker. The idea that they're somehow mutually exclusive is a big part of what's wrong with our culture.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Wow..'the Wifey Duties' has kinda morfed into another 'General Decline' thread..!:eeek:
Luv it..!!
Sincerely
Good Citizen..but no 'work'*yucky*...Retired

 

[LizzieMaine]

Wow..'the Wifey Duties' has kinda morfed into another 'General Decline' thread..!:eeek:

All roads lead to Rome.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

All roads lead to Rome.

:eusa_clap

 

[scottyrocks]

I guess we're not happy in general about the direction in which 'things' are moving.

 

[rue]

^ Bingo.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

All roads lead to Rome.

New York? Georgia?

 

[LoveMyHats2]

No..the topic was about "wifely duties".....that road!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

You can say that again. All the aspects of life are part of the decline, so it's easy to find yourself back on that topic.

I guess we're not happy in general about the direction in which 'things' are moving.

I agree 110%. Work ethic isn't taught by schools OR parents. I think Parents expect the schools to teach too much. Now, sure you should learn reading, math, social studies, etc, etc in school. Mom and Dad are still supposed to teach though, too. My dad taught me how to work on cars, remodel houses, and fix anything you can fix. I had chores to do, helped paint the house, barn, etc. Always mowed the lawn or whatever else Mom and Dad asked of me. My brother had the same thing, as did my sister. She was taught how to cook, do laundry, and such, moreso than my brother and I were, but we all learned what we needed to know to be functional adults. I don't think that's the school's job.

I don't think you can be a good citizen unless you're also a good worker. The idea that they're somehow mutually exclusive is a big part of what's wrong with our culture.

 

[Edward]

I guess we're not happy in general about the direction in which 'things' are moving.

Hey, count me out of that - you couldn't pay me enough to live in the so-called "Golden Age" as opposed to now. I think an awful, awful lot of people would be in for a very rude awakening if they were forced to go back when they discovered it wasn't the Disneyland / Hollywoodised place some vexpect nowadays.

Ok, how about this:
Do people think that the removal of home economics from the curriculum in primary and secondary schools has devalued the stay at home parent or housekeeping in general? Or is the removal of home economics just a symptom of a greater problem of the devaluing of home keeping in society?

I would like to see a general "life skills" curriculum introduced in secondary schools that includes some of the home economics, tech class, and health education I got in school, but really expands into other areas of "homemaking" such as budgeting, loans and credit, small engine repair, basic home repair, caring for children, first aid, etc. Ideally, I'd like to see enough depth in each of these areas that 3 years is required in secondary school, and maybe 2-3 years before entering high school as well. Perhaps it could even begin as early as 2nd grade (about 8 years old) with nutrition, simple cooking, first aid, and things like bike repair.

I think that caring for a "home" is more complicated than we give people credit for as a society.

It horrifies me now that, when I look back on my schooldays, for the first few years of my Grammar school education, one morning a week we would be segregated on gender lines, the girls being sent off to "Home Economics" while the boys did "CDT" (Craft, Design and Technology - woodwork, metalwork and "graphic communication"). In three years I don't think I learned a single useful skill in CDT - certainly nothing of anywhere near as much use in the rel world as the girls would have. My brother, two years behind me, was put into a new scheme where throughout the year both genders did both things - in, I believe, mixed groups. Sensible approach. One of the more useful practical classes I had was during my Lower Sixth year, my penultimate year at school. WE were put through short, unexamined classes in culture, first aid, cookery, and political discussion (I think it had a title of "News awareness" or something like that). Extremely useful lifeskills, and I wish there been more of that instead of making the spatula, nutcracker, keyring, two coothooks, and other pointless stuff I was obliged to make when younger. In particular, health food awareness and cookery skills are something I think far more important than most of the other stuff mentioned, and I think it's great that schools these days have cut free from the old gender-role stereotypes and teach these to both genders equally.

 

[C-dot]

I would like to see a general "life skills" curriculum introduced in secondary schools that includes some of the home economics, tech class, and health education I got in school, but really expands into other areas of "homemaking" such as budgeting, loans and credit, small engine repair, basic home repair, caring for children, first aid, etc. Ideally, I'd like to see enough depth in each of these areas that 3 years is required in secondary school, and maybe 2-3 years before entering high school as well. Perhaps it could even begin as early as 2nd grade (about 8 years old) with nutrition, simple cooking, first aid, and things like bike repair.

My parents taught me everything I needed to know about finances and household management, and they still said there should be a class for these things in schools. I say so too - When I was about 18, someone my age watched me write a cheque with their eyes bugging out of their head.

Despite my experience, I say these things should be taught in school. Remember driver's ed? The first thing your driving instructor will tell you is to forget what everyone else taught you, because they haven't been teaching you the right way, they've been teaching you their method. Soon after you start learning, you're noticing the errors your friends and parents make while driving. The same principle should apply with household management, because as it has been stated, parents' methods with things like finances these days aren't ideal. Most people develop methods that work for them by studying the standard way and trying it out for themselves - Theory is almost always different from practice. I'm sure more students would become successful if they had the same opportunity.

 

[scottyrocks]

Hey, count me out of that - you couldn't pay me enough to live in the so-called "Golden Age" as opposed to now. I think an awful, awful lot of people would be in for a very rude awakening if they were forced to go back when they discovered it wasn't the Disneyland / Hollywoodised place some vexpect nowadays.

That was perhaps way too vague a generalization. I was referring more to certain aspects of the evolution of society. I am all for many of the technical advances, as well as, let's call it 'tolerances' of differences berween peoples. However, what I object to is in not only the way morals have degrdaded, but also the way that is celebrated by so many. Maybe that flies in the face of the tolerance I just mentioned. All I know is that there has to be a happier medium somewhere.