NOTE: I wrote this blog post 10 years ago this week. It’s a look back to my school days — wedged into a visit with my son and his girlfriend (now wife) while I was visiting them at UC Santa Barbara. Also, there’s a link to my daughter-in-law’s poetry.
During my weekend visit with my son at UCSB, we discovered how far women have come from my generation to his. (Yes, I’m talking about the same son that tried to give away the cat on Facebook — read about that HERE. And, he’s the one that wrote about his crazy mom for his senior project — read about that HERE)
We were out to dinner at The Palms in Carpinteria, where you grill your own steaks or halibut, with one of my best friends, my son Robert, and his girlfriend (She’s a poet and an CCS English Lit major. You can read some of her poetry HERE).
My friend and I talked about home ec, and we wondered if it was offered as a major in this day and age? My mom was a home ec major in the 1950s, by the way.
My son said, “They really DID have an MRS degree!”
“Not only was it a college major,” I said, “but we were required to take home ec in high school.”
“Only the girls, that is,” my friend said.
“WHAT?!” both Robert and his girlfriend were horrified. How alien to their lives is a gender-based school requirement. We explained that the boys took wood-working or shop.
My son thought for minute and asked, “What did you learn in home ec?”
“Scrambled eggs, sewing an apron, sex ed, how to clip coupons and general household budgeting,” I answered.
“All of those things should be taught to men and women,” the kids said.
I think they are right.
Thinking of those days, made me remember Helen Reddy, and her song, “I Am Woman”
Do colleges or high schools still offer home ec?
Do you think home ec should be required for both men and women?
What other life skills do you think need to be taught in school?
Your home ec class included sex ed? Wow, mine was pretty dull by comparison. We did learn how to scramble eggs, though, like you!
I too remember vividly the days of home economics! I know by the time my kids reached that age the class had morphed into what was called Life Skills and it was co-ed. Wood shop was non-existent by then. I’m sure the impetus for that was liability with kids around power tools…
Isn’t that interesting that your kids had Life Skills. I remember talking to a fellow parent wishing we had that class. I homeschooled my youngest for middle school and made sure I gave her all those lessons, from grocery shopping comparing prices, sewing, to checking oil and filling the car with gas.
That’s a perk of home school- tailoring the curriculum to what kids really need beyond the basic stuff. Not sure about AZ but WA right now is cutting so many programs/positions in many of the major school districts because of lack of funds. I suspect that is why many of these courses were dropped, or integrated into other classes between the span of time that we were in school versus our kids. Every district in every state makes choices and sadly they often aren’t best for the kids.
We’ve been in Arizona shy of three years. In my 60s I don’t know much about the school system here. I’m glad I had the opportunity to homeschool for a few years, because I was underwhelmed by my kids’ school.
Yes, I don’t actively follow school issues but they are just so prevalent in our news right now you can’t miss them.
I do know that our schools in Arizona are near the bottom of all 50 states. Glad I’m past those days.
I did take Home Ec in HS, but guys took it too and we girls also had to take wood shop. I made a stool. 🙂 LOL at your son calling it a MRS degree.
Isn’t that funny about the MRS degree? My parents insisted my brother take pre med and told me I was getting an MRS degree. I laughed out loud when my som said that.
Our children can make us laugh so often! 😄
Yes!
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When I tell my kids about shop class and Home Ec, it’s always interesting seeing their faces. They think that it’s such a long time ago. In some ways it is, and in some ways it isn’t. It really hit my daughter when I explained that it wasn’t until the 70s that her grandmother could get a credit card on her own. Crazy.
How crazy is that about your grandmother’s credit card in the 1970s? It really is a long time ago!
I enjoyed home ec but was terrible at sewing. The shop class would have overwhelmed me although I did meet plenty of women in the military and civilians who could easily outdo me in shop class, along with others. Some good poetry!
I took both home ec and wood shop—and that was in Guatemala! We had life skills and cooking for singles class in high school in Ohio, co-ed. I still don’t think they teach enough of that stuff in any school. How about your rights as an employee or tenant? Those sure would have been good to know in my case! My mom also got her college home ec, MRS, degree. Eek.
My mom got her home ec and MRS degree. in. college I want to hear more about how you were in Guatemala. My husband’s Aunt graduated as an architect in the early 60s from UC Berkeley and couldn’t get hired as a woman. She took a Berlitz course in Spanish and went to Guatemala and got another degree and then went to Rome where she was hired as a city planner — after learning Italian.
We were in Guatemala in the mid-70s. It was a good time to be there. A lull in their usual political upheavals. It was an interesting school experience. I should write about it sometime.
Please do!
It’s funny, I was thinking about this topic a while back, and even wrote the 4 things I think we need to be “fully formed”m and they include things like critical thinking … and empathy 🙃
Great thinking and good ideas. Our schools could teach more practical things.
Was it Einstein who said “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge”? Can you imagine if schools focused on that?
Wouldn’t that be wonderful!
Yes, home economics should be taught to both girls and boys. In fact boys need it more than girls.
I agree. Girls pick up a lot of household skills from their mom. At least I did and my daughter did, too.
Exactly! Boys/ men need to be able to do simple household tasks without the help of their moms/ sisters etc
I homeschooled my daughter 6-8 grades and focused on life skills as well as curriculum. I think she benefited from that. My son does grocery shopping and prepping for the week in advance, but it took more time.
Girls are more practical minded and attuned to what life demands of them
I agree.
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Do colleges or high schools still offer home ec? I don’t know.
Do you think home ec should be required for both men and women? Yes. In my small town school system it wasn’t required for both but in my husband’s bigger city school system it was.
What other life skills do you think need to be taught in school? Personal finance, interior design, real estate transactions, gardening– things that your life will be about when you’re an adult.
I think personal finance should absolutely be taught. There’s so many things we have to do in adult life that should be taught.
Oh, this is such an interesting look, Elizabeth. I remember when I was in jr. high they’d altered this a little. All of us, boys and girls, each took a semester of home ec and the other semester in woodshop.
That’s very interesting. I’m glad they gave equal opportunity to everyone.
I have two older brothers and I remember being angry that I couldn’t take woodshop instead of Home Ec in high school. I’m still bitter… (not really, but I think woodshop would have been way more fun).
I agree woodshop would have been more fun. I played golf along with one of my best friends. We didn’t have a women’s golf team. We were allowed on the men’s team in high school, but not allowed to compete. Also, we were sent off as a twosome at the end after the boys played in foursomes.
I don’t know if they still offer home economics, but I took it in high school and liked learning how to cook for myself, having discussions of household finances, etc. I definitely think there should be mandatory education about money, including setting responsible budget goals and knowing how best to attain them.
I agree with you. I homeschooled my daughter for 6, 7 and 8th grades and tried to cover basic life skills like comparing prices at the grocery store, car maintenance and balancing a checkbook.
At my school both sexes had to take a semester of Home Ec. It was so interesting. They covered cooking, sewing, finance, sex, and cooking. Just the basics. Hugs, C
Those are the topics we had in my high school but the boys didn’t take it.