[Artemisia] The teaching children life-skills (was "The Fossil State") (long)

[Georgia Foster]

I have always been of the firm opinion that children need to know basic life skills (cooking, washing and mending) by the time they reach adolescence.
 
For my own part.
 
Three of my four children (now ages 23, 22, 17, and 12) were taught the basics of cooking by age 8.  By the time they were 14 the older two could prepare biscuits and gravy starting with flour, milk and butter.
 
My now 17 year olds’ cooking lessons were somewhat delayed due to an abundance of energy combined with a lack of eye-hand coordination.  She learned the basics of cooking when she was 11 and I was fairly sure she would not cut herself with the paring knife.  I was wrong there by the way.  We visited the emergency room for stitches thrice that year, and one of those was for six stitches related to a cooking instruction related cut.
 
All four of my children learned to mend simple tears and sew on buttons by age 10 ... oddly enough, though it did involve sharp objects, my younger daughter managed these tasks with ease and grace.
 
All four of my children learned how to sort and wash laundry by age 12.  Yes, the boys each had to wear pink undies at least once ... and learned from the cause and effect relationship regarding the necessity of sorting the laundry.
 
Both daughters learned the basics of knitting as soon as they asked about how it was done.   Again, my now 17 year old was somewhat ... erm ... tardy with the lessons.  Eventually she came to me in a fit of frustration and announced " It MUST be brain surgery ... it involves NEEDLES".
 
side note here ... one of my favorite momilies is "It is neither nuclear physics nor brain surgery ... it CAN'T be that hard!".  Hence the 'brain surgery' comment.
 
Neither son has asked about knitting wool, though the older son did ask about knitting chainmail around age 14.  I set him up with a chunk of open-cell foam, rings and pliers.  He now turns a fair hand at that task.
 
The things I learned when I was a child that I wish I had the wherewithal to teach my own?
 
How to:
- saddle and ride a horse.
 -buck hay.
 -feed the livestock.
-milk a cow.
 -churn butter.
 -cook on a wood-burning stove.
 
Cheers
Malkin
Otherhill
Artemisia
 

Jo (Georgia L.) Foster
 
Never knock on Death's door.
Ring the doorbell and run ... he hates that.