Yes! I remember hearing that brass is the same way!

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MeatierShowa@reddit

Yes, because brass is an alloy of Copper and Zinc.

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50yo GenX Female - all boys and girls had to take home economics and shop. Home economics was just that - skills on how to adult and run a home- cooking / making a budget / the egg you had to mind for a week - eg parenting. Shop class I learned the basics of fixing things, a little carpentry and the basics of how car maintenance like tire changing etal.

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claytionthecreation@reddit

Exactly. Now is they would just teach these kids some basic skills like balancing a checking account, some economics/accounting, interpersonal communication (just talking to each other without texting and messaging), and some basic knowledge about home repairs.

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in-a-microbus@reddit (OP)

Home economics was just that

The problem is that we were 14 and don't remember most of what we learned at 14.

You seem t have forgotten what "learned" means.

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IAm5toned@reddit

I think you forgot what "cool" means.

Because it ain't you.

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NoodleSchmoodle@reddit

gif

I am older than all of Gen X

My daughter went to an all girls private Catholic high school. I asked for a short finance class with how to avoid credit card debt, how to balance a checkbook, basic budgeting. They told me their husbands would do it.

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NightGod@reddit

My kids' high school had that, called something like "Principles of Adult Living". I always argued it should have been a mandatory class instead of an elective

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ColdShadowKaz@reddit

It should have been mandatory and included all of home ec and shop. Kids should have to have this stuff down. All of it.

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ideknem0ar@reddit

I never took home ec in HS but I grew up looking at my mom's notebook sheets of the biweekly budget magneted to the side of the fridge and I double checked the math for funsies and hung out while she did the bill paying to spend more time with her so, in hindsight, I just picked that stuff up organically from a young age. I've now reached the time of life where I look back and have a lot of "ohhhhhh!" moments.

Yup, in hindsight we did pretty good, even with some debt that piled up now and then. It was always manageable, though, and I've never paid a penny of interest on my credit card since I got one in college. The concept of interest has always offended me. lol

When I was in 8th grade I was the only boy to take home ec. When people asked me why I always told them "because two of my uncles are mechanics, one is a carpenter, and another is a general contractor. everything you are learning I already know. But I don't know how to cook, or sew, or do any of this stuff and it seems like it might be important later".

While that was all true - it was a nice bonus to be the only boy in the class.

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JaBe68@reddit

I was the only girl doing woodwork, because I came from a family of five and already knew how to cook and sew.

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Commenting on What's a tradition that our generation (or the boomers before us) eschewed or rejected that you now realize was valuable?.We had that version as well, and something with timing the egg drop to calculate the gravitational constant. Nothing resembling taking care of anything beyond plants, and that was only during class hours

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candykhan@reddit

I did have the science/physics project where we built a bridge from to gue depressors, toothpicks & Elmer's glue.

I remember ours didn't hold very much at all, but my teacher did mention that he thought our design should have held more weight than it did.

Public or private school? I know people who went to both in CA & they never did it.

I went to a private school during the time one would likely have had that exercise & we definitely didn't do anything like it.

Then again, they might have just been banking on the kids growing up to be career focused and/or make enough money to have a nanny take care of all the "hard parts" of having kids.

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EruditeKetchup@reddit

I went to public school in southern California and my high school did the egg baby thing.

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HildegardeBrasscoat@reddit

Public school in Florida

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tonna33@reddit

Our school had it in Minnesota, but only if you took a specific parenting/child education class.

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FAx32@reddit

My jr high everyone took a survey class in 7th grade which included sewing, cooking, shop, pottery, painting, music and a few others (those are what I remember….). In 9th grade everyone took a full semester of personal finance which included how to budget, use a bank, how loans and interest work, how your taxes and paycheck work, how to calculate and file taxes. The final project was “you are 18 and have a job making $4/hour” and you had to show your take home and then use real world prices (that you found and researched in the newspaper) to budget rent, transportation, food, clothing, etc.

Mechanical drawing: I learned I can’t visualize figures.

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At my middle school, all boys and girls had to take home ec and shop. Home ec was just cooking and sewing, no budget, no parenting. In shop we did mostly woodworking. We each had to build a bridge out of square wood sticks, to span a gap of about 2 feet. We then had a contest to see which bridge could hold the most weight. I won. The girl won. And now I'm an engineer!

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Traditional_Fan_2655@reddit

We had an e tire series of them.

Home ec - cooking
Home ec 2 baking and cake decorating
Clothing design (I stunk at this, chose linen) had to choose fabric and make an outfit.
Child development (started at pregnancy and delivery and went through 8-10 years old

It wasn't just about repairing lawnmowers, but it also taught me methodical troubleshooting and how and when to use your tools properly.

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Rishtu@reddit

I still remember the shark pillow I had to cut, stuff and sew. That taught me I have approximately zero talent for sewing, but I can do a passable repair when needed.

I still have the scars from shop class… and the clock I made horrified my shop teacher.

HermioneMarch@reddit

Righty tightly, lefty loosey. I hear my shop teachers voice every time I use a screw driver.

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doornumber123@reddit

Just taught my daughter this tonight, well again but this time I saw a dawn of comprehension in her eyes.

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illiteret@reddit

In Utah, home ec for girls and Shop was for boys. Accounting was more 50-50. I learned more about finance, budgeting, and accounting my first week in community college Bus. Math 101 than I learned all the way through high school though.

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Specialist_Air2158@reddit

I wanted to take home ec and shop so bad but I took French so I didn't get to.

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Traditional_Fan_2655@reddit

I a tually learned quite a lot in my home ec class. The basic cooking principles don't seem to be taught today.

I also liked both wood shop and metal shop. It gave me the accomplishment I needed to know I can do it myself.

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shadowstar36@reddit

Loved that class. Just wish I had the denim duffle bag i made and sewn in class. That thing was solid.

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412_15101@reddit

We had in middle school homec where we learned about the food pyramid, basic cooking, sewing both by hand and machine as well as home tips.

We all also had to do a semester of both wood shop where we got to use lathes and other tools I made a pen holder and letter opener out of multiple woods. In metal shop I cast some dog head and then filed it nicely. Not sure what else we did there being it was 40ish years ago.

Budgeting came high school can’t remember what the class was but it was mandatory. Those that opted for an elective geared towards homemaking/ early childhood education got to have a flour sack as a baby for a couple weeks.

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requiemguy@reddit

They got rid of shop and home economics at my school in favor of computer classes.

So, kinda double edged sword I guess?

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mrtoad47@reddit

I love that everyone had to take both — and that it was generalizable skills. As a boy, I hated shop. I didn’t need to learn freaking metalworking and I was bored making ashtrays. So I took “high country stitching and mixing”. Didn’t learn anything there either.

I’ve eventually learned all the shop/ maintenance / building skills I need, and cooking is a major hobby (my wife fortunately likes both “stitching” and proper woodworking”) but no thanks to those classes.

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LesterMcGuire@reddit

We still have scouting that teaches these things.

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cjc4096@reddit

I learned everything I know about drafting in 6th grade shop. I'm an engineer now. The lessons for a lifetime

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This! Both boys and girls had to take home ec and shop. Such valuable skills. Now I come across so many adults who don't have basic kitchen skills or know how to use a hammer. It's sad that education has failed them.

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crazyplantlady007@reddit

Also 50yo GenX F- Every time I take a hammer out to my front porch to hang a sign or a flower thing my older (well-meaning) next door neighbor comes over and asks if I need help with something. I’m like no, I took shop. I can handle a hammer, some nails, and a level.

And I remember our teaching assistant the year I took home ec actually being a guy. So we all had it and he was really good at it!

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IBroughtWine@reddit

This should be taught in the home, in my opinion. Everyone, regardless of gender or gender identity, needs to learn basic life skills like cooking, cleaning, changing tires and oil, sewing, etc. Life fundamentals should be learned at home, academics should be learned in school.

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I had to labor over thank you notes as a child and write letters to my grandparents, great-grandmother and great aunts. I developed valuable relationships with them. I pray so much! And they took genuine interest in me.

I make sure to text and email with my younger cousins and build bonds with them. Nothing matches getting a letter in the mail, tho.

Finally, via a vis thank you notes— no one ever got mad at me for taking the time to write a thank you note. I still do it!

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Spiteblight@reddit

I have gotten every job I interviewed for, twelve total, and I attribute that to my excellent manners including sending handwritten thank you letters on stationary to my interviewers. People remember small things like that. I also make it a point to be very personable to the receptionists. I am not at all extroverted, but I make this effort and I know this has helped me (I got the feedback).

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badtux99@reddit

We had a job application who was rude and obnoxious to the receptionist who he clearly dismissed as a stupid little know-nothing girl. Bad news — she was the CEO’s daughter as well as the receptionist and bookkeeper.

NeighborhoodNo4274@reddit

This my response, too. I don’t have kids but I’ve watched my niblings grow up. One sibling’s daughter was brought similar to us—eat what’s in front of you, try different things (the kid was eating sushi as a toddler!) She has a broad palette now and is fun to have as a dining companion. My other sibling’s kids were raised on chicken nuggets and pizza and it’s annoying as hell trying to go out to eat with them, let alone cook for them.

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PresidentSuperDog@reddit

We have that rule but don’t dare give our kids sushi! What if they actually like it!? They already run up my grocery bill with the tons berries they eat, I’d have to get second job if they wanted sushi.

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Bazoun@reddit

Yeah we ate what my mother graciously made for us, or we had bread and butter. But no one complained or insulted the food.

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badtiki@reddit

I have one from the greatest generation. My Grandma, born early 00s (1900s) ho lived through the Spanish flu, always wore gloves when she went out in public. I never understood until the pandemic, she must have been keeping her hands clean, she wouldn’t leave the house without them.

You know, I never enjoyed this aspect. I have a lovely family (well, my parents, lol. I’m 48, divorced, and moved back in with them a few years ago) and we (plus my brother) grew up mostly eating at the table. It just seems like forced conversation or awkward silence when you see the same people day in and day out though. There’s just no new conversation to have.

This could, I will readily admit, just be MY quirk. I really don’t like small talk, and generally steer clear these days. But when you spend so much time with people, even small talk runs out, and there just isn’t anything to discuss anymore.

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Twisted_lurker@reddit

This comment is weirdly triggering. This is how I grew up and thought everyone did this. My spouse did not and does not do this at all, and does not understand my need for it. It seems like such a silly thing to complain about, but I want a casual conversation where I am not competing with a phone, the tv or chores.

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Stephreads@reddit

When I was about 21, I worked for a man who had a fantastic relationship with his wife - I asked him what the secret was, and (I’m paraphrasing, of course) he said, Every day when I get home from work we sit down together at the table and have a cup of coffee and talk. It’s our time.

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Upbeat_Shock5912@reddit

This is a non-negotiable for me. Sit down to eat meals together. It’s about connecting and about building habits of healthy eating, manners, and cleaning up after.

Prestigious_Ebb_9581@reddit

Learning what’s considered “traditional women’s chores”. I was never taught how to cook, iron, sew, do laundry, etc and had to teach myself. Learning those skills is needed and saves money. Even basic clothing knowledge like how to remove stains and mend clothes can save so much.

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MeatierShowa@reddit

People may not realize Scouting America (Current name for Boy Scouts of America) teaches these skills. Scouts usually go camping once a month (say 6-10 times a year), and Scouts from 11 years old, as part of a patrol, plan their meals, shop for them, cook and clean their gear. By the time they are 13 they've learned how to do this and become the patrol leaders who teach the newer Scouts. By 15-16 they are Senior Patrol leaders who plan and lead the overall program. Of course, Scouts are responsible for their uniform too. Thrifty and Clean are 2 of the 12 parts of the Scout Law.

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MichaSound@reddit

My kids are in Scouts here in Ireland and it’s the same - my 10 year old had to help plan a menu, shop, cook, clean up.

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Textiles_on_Main_St@reddit

I mean it’s just an outdoors organization. I absolutely loved scouting and it changed my life for the better by giving me a love of nature. I can build a fire with just one match and I’ve swum a mile and shot guns for points etc.

Not sure how cool any of that is. But I liked it. Could be lame though!

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IKnowAllSeven@reddit

Not lame! All of the boys I know who did scouts turned out awesome! And an organization I work with often has Eagle Scout volunteers and they are just the nicest!

And shout out to the Girl Scouts who are also awsome!

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LongjumpingDebt4154@reddit

Yep, my kids are scouts (7 & 9 y/o). The best part is they LOVE learning this. They WANT to feel independence & soak all of the knowledge up. We camped last weekend actually & my 7 yo girl & 9 yo boy set my tent up entirely by themselves. Poles, stakes, rain guard, air mattress, the whole 9 yards.

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grandmaratwings@reddit

I understand that feeling. But you should be aware that there is nowhere near the level of protection for children in many programs today as there is in Scouting. For example, in Scouting, all activities require two deep leadership. This means two over-21, background checked, fully trained adults must be present at all times. Youth Protection training must be taken every year. There is never any one on one contact between any adult and a scout. If you are having any discussion with a scout it must be within earshot of others. If you email a scout, a parent must be copied.

Contrast this with when I was asked to chaperone for Marching band. I was not background checked or trained. I was asked to escort a special needs student alone across a giant suburban HS campus to use the bathroom. I refused to do this alone, for my protection and his.

It's truly a shame that Scouting learned this the hard way. I hope other organizations follow suit.

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samurguybri@reddit

I had a great experience in Boy Scouts. Eagle Scout and recovering addict😂

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DiscoFriskyBiscuit@reddit

My kiddo (11f) LOVES participating in her troop! Its a really great group of boys and girls, the leaders (M and F) are absolutely wonderful and so very engaged.

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Dorsai56@reddit

I was one of four boys, and my mom wasn't having that. We learned to cook basic stuff, changed beds, did laundry, washed dishes, cleaned house. "Women's work" my ass. It's stuff that needs to get done.

camelslikesand@reddit

My dad made a lot of beer money in the army, sewing and darning.

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Cranks_No_Start@reddit

I used to do taxes to. I charged a 6 pack and we had a massive party afterwards.

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camelslikesand@reddit

That's why it's called Home Economics.

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PositiveStress8888@reddit

We used to have home economics in highschool , they taught you how to cook, budget, mend clothes.. it was mostly young girls who took it, but even more so I think young men need to take it now. However I don't even think it's a thing anymore.

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Guilty-Pen1152@reddit

Very similar to me. My grandma was the one who did teach me to “live frugally.” My parents eschewed any traditional skills as unnecessary and cumbersome. Truthfully, my grandma taught me more about “reuse, recycle, and repurpose” than most today who try to save the earth by recycling plastic or cans alone ever will.

Save twist ties, reuse aluminum foil (unless it’s soiled), hand down clothes, know how to sew, darn, and fix tears/holes in clothing. How to repurpose worn out clothes, sheets, towels as dusting cloths, dish towels and rags.

Great-Wishbone-9923@reddit

Yeah, I’m 48 now, but we used to have huge family reunions and BBQs when I was a kid…ever god damn year. So many relatives at these things. I hated them so much, I’ve just never really liked my family outside of my parents, brother, and a few aunts. A lot of them are, well, a bit racist and bigoted.

But mostly I just have nothing in common with these people. They slowed down over the years, and now thankfully stopped. There was just too much pressure to go and to host. Not to mention it seems most people only attended out of obligation 🤷 Seems I’m not the only one who didn’t enjoy them.

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TheFemale72@reddit

I get that. With me it was the opposite— my mom and stepdad were awful. My older brother and sister basically ignored me. Visiting with my aunts and uncles and grandparents was the only time I felt safe and loved.

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nutmegtell@reddit

You need to be the grandma/matriarch or grandpa/patriarch and invite everyone over if you want those memories for your kids!

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Mysterious-Dealer649@reddit

First thing I thought of too but from a slightly different angle. When I was a kid there was my dads side and my moms side and that was it, now with everyone being divorced and remarried at least once you gotta worry about what 8 different groups are doing for everything that comes along and it’s just bullshit.

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purplechunkymonkey@reddit

Be the person that hosts. We have gatherings all the time. Saturday we are gathering to celebrate a friend's birthday. Last month we took the kids to see Minecraft and then to dinner afterwards. I did call ahead to let them know a group was coming.

4th of July has been bring your own pool themed the last two years.

The problem is that no one wants to initiate the invites.

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OGREtheTroll@reddit

Nobody has time. Either they have kids that need constant supervision and transportation to dozens of after school activities, or if they don't have kids their employer expects them to work all day and night.

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notevenapro@reddit

Turn off the lights and close the door.

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gypsytron@reddit

Everyone is wrong and so are you. Just let that dog sleep.

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TapeFlip187@reddit

I use that as a quick litmus w/people...

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Neck-Bread@reddit

Church. Because family support, community and combatting the loneliness of later life

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BucktoothedAvenger@reddit

Not a single damned one of them.

"Traditions" are just peer pressure from dead people, and this isn't their world anymore.

805falcon@reddit

Generally speaking, rights of passage have disappeared from modern life and I see that as a really big loss for the younger generations.

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Lmcaysh2023@reddit

Yes! Childhood used to be marked by milestones that have disappeared and now kids are rushed into premature adolescence. I remember playing with toys until we were 9 or so, and board games thru teenage years. We weren't allowed to wear sheer pantyhose until a certain age, and getting them was a big deal. Same with makeup, most of us had to be 15/16 for a little lip gloss and mascara. No hair color until adulthood. It was common for young couples to live apart until they got married, and moving into the "first place" was a big deal.

Anyway, now we have everything, everywhere all at once. No waiting, no anticipating.

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Great-Wishbone-9923@reddit

I don’t see living apart until the first place as good. You have GOT to know if you can live with that person.

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vhc8@reddit

What rites of passage have disappeared?

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Busy_Daikon_6942@reddit

Limited TV (aka "screen time")

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Sensitive-Question42@reddit

Our children have to earn screen time through household chores.

As a result both of them (12m and 10f) are awesome at pretty much everything (though the 10yo still needs help/supervision in the kitchen).

Yes we unashamedly use our children as hired help, but it’s a win/win because they are happy to earn extra screen time, plus they are learning essential household skills.

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Plenty_Hyena_2677@reddit

“Go outside and play!”

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vectorology@reddit

Learning to be bored, let your mind wander and entertain yourself.

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Uffda01@reddit

as an only child raised by my grandparents..... this was rough....

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Calling people by Mr/Ms Last Name instead of everyone being on a first name basis.

Because it turns out I only want my friends addressing me by my first name.

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TrentWolfred@reddit

Really? Why? When did your internal monologue start identifying as anything other than [your first name]? What do you suppose is the disconnect with identifying as [your first name] with certain people?

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amroth62@reddit

For a while there my friends and I all called each other by our surnames only. Turns out it was fun that we were on last-name only basis with each other.

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MyriVerse2@reddit

First names are more respectful. Last names are just cold.

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Igmu_TL@reddit

Being embarrassed to have a Vietnam Vet father and WW2 grandparents always talking about how to be self reliant since there could be a time I might not be able to rely on my neighbors or I might be the one they would rely on for survival.

I'm not a pepper, but Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts,... with war veterans made outdoor into a training exercise.

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nevadapirate@reddit

Paying workers an actual livable wage so they don't need three jobs to pay the bills. My dad paid for 2 kids, 2 cars, an rv. a 2 week vacation every single year and a decent house on a single job until the mid 80s when my mom had to get a job too...

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Diocletion-Jones@reddit

British advertising executive Rory Sutherland explains how we evolved from one income households to two incomes and it's about the switch between single earning households into dual income households.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnJeXTC3nkU&t=3s

The TL;DR was that the extra income got vacuumed up spiraling property prices fueled by dual income households. There was a short period in time when two income households had it really good but that soon became the requirement rather than a luxury.

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TrentWolfred@reddit

Consider the redundancy of your first sentence, and also sentence number one, in your comment above.

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LittleCeasarsFan@reddit

There were a lot of people who couldn’t afford that lifestyle then on o e income, and many who still can today.

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Monogamy has/had some evolutionary upsides, but at this point, it is largely about puritanical values and avoiding social conflict. I’ve never been married, but about half of my friends who are a part of a committed, long-term couple (and who’ve chosen to share their situation, one way or the other) have introduced some measure of mutually-agreed-upon flexibility into their monogamy.

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OpenLinez@reddit

Pretty much what you say here, with some specific examples that, since becoming uncommon, have utterly changed society and American life:

Marrying in your early twenties, or mid-twenties for those in college.
Living close to at least one set of grandparents, for when you had kids.
Knowing everyone on your block, including phone numbers.
Going to church because that's what people do, and it's where you see everybody, and where you have baptisms, weddings and funerals.
Not having hardcore pornography EVERYWHERE all the time, including directed at your kids through tablets, phones, the television.

Too formal, too stuffy.

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in-a-microbus@reddit (OP)

That's sad.

On a related note I once met someone who went from being a stand up comedian to being a funeral home director. I thought that was an odd transition and he responded with something like "Why? Both jobs are a performance designed to make people feel good."

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toqer@reddit

Gardening and Canning.

Gardens are easy these days. Drip irrigation, and water according to what your climate is. In the bay area that means right now (80 degree days) 1 hour at night, every other night, which gives each plant about a gallon of water.

Canning has also gotten easier. There's some instant pots that double as canners. Ball makes a fool proof machine.

The importance of family...

As dysfunctional and crazy as my extended family can be, I know I have folks that would have my back and be there for me no matter what.

Real men eat whatever their spouses cook.

My wife makes awesome quiche. I love it.

She also makes turnips au gratin. I eat it.

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Workersgottawork@reddit

Real men can cook for themselves too

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bughunter_@reddit

Been cooking since I was 12, and I'm damn good at it.

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flicman@reddit

Beheading the landowners.

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Temporary_Second3290@reddit

Jews from my communicate rarely opt for it it’s not a tradition and most families will give them a standard Jewish funeral and burial.

I’d be open to it myself as it seems more efficient and take up less space plus I’ll be dead so I won’t care ;)

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RCA2CE@reddit

I open doors for women. I always have, my whole life.

I taught my daughter to wait for me to get to the car or get out and around the car so I can open the door

As time went on I ran into women who did not like that, so I got into the habit of just asking: “I normally open the door for someone, if that bothers you that’s ok” or something like that. I want to say that in my life there was maybe one woman who didn’t prefer it, most were like genuinely surprised- which in turn surprised me cause I thought everyone did it

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purplechunkymonkey@reddit

I almost never open a door or push the buggy. My husband does. I knew it was bad when my sister and I approached a door and we both just stopped. Her husband opens all her doors too.

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cornodibassetto@reddit

Letting the stupid people get sucked into threshers.

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Cocktail hour! A drink before the meal is lovely, maybe one with the meal, but not after eating. (At gatherings & evens not on the daily)

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Ok_Schedule5017@reddit

We sit at the table. Rarer occasions allow for other settings. We have always done that as a family because when we got married, we both worked 24 hour shifts and not on the same days, then he worked 24s, I worked 12 hour night shifts. We did the table every chance we could. We don’t work that anymore and we still do it, even our grown children expect it. It’s an easy norm for us.

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West-Cabinet-2169@reddit

This isn't one we hated... but both my partner and I sit at our dining table to eat. Most evenings I prepare us dinner and we sit and eat together. We both grew up with this in separate countries - Central Europe versus Down-under.

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Xistential0ne@reddit

Men Crying