New essential subjects for school
By urbandekay
@urbandekay (18278)
December 23, 2008 6:20am CST
Since parents don't seem to teach kids essential life skills here is a list of new subjects
1. How not to spend more than you earn
2. What food to buy on a budget
3. The uses and abuses of gaffer tape
4. How to do basic cooking and household tasks
5 Basic parenting skills
6. First aid
Then, what about advanced courses
1. Welding
2. Car Maintenance
3. Child training
These would be more useful to a lot of people than much of the nonsense taught people
all the best urban
1 person likes this
6 responses
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
23 Dec 08
You're right! How would government overseers turn these into mind-bending tests? Could we add character education? It's needed more and more each day.
Holiday happiness,
Joanne
@urbandekay (18278)
•
23 Dec 08
Character education? Could you be a little more specific?
all the best urban
1 person likes this
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
23 Dec 08
Too few kids these days have a cklear picture of proper behavior and manners. They also have some pretty warped values, which I suspect is a lack of home training, not bad home training. They pick up whatever from their poorly informed friends, and swear it's definite truth! I guess I mean sort of a course in living among humans without too much conflict.
@urbandekay (18278)
•
23 Dec 08
Ok, yes that's what I mean by child training, pretty much like training a dog
all the best urban
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
27 Dec 08
Parents do a better job than the schools who are too busy teaching our kids how and what to think and believe and what political party to back, than to teach them much that's useful in real life. Most parents I know do a very good job. But what education teaches the citizens (we're animals for one, also there is no truth/right and wrong, all things are relative, for another) is ruining the entire world. Most parents try to instill good values, wisdom and work ethics in their children but education all too often these days seems to teach them the opposite of both.
@Poison_Girl (4150)
• United States
9 Jan 09
It seems to me that a lot (if not most) parents hardly even RAISE their own children let alone teach them anything. It's really sad. Kids are so screwed up these days. Most of them don't even have manners. *sigh*
@urbandekay (18278)
•
28 Dec 08
It is certainly true that the incoherent doctrines of post-modernism (Relativism by another name) and the like have grasped certain elements within the educational establishment and the like, here in UK at least still there is much of value taught in schools and universities.
It is also true that some parents do a good job, many however fail to teach much that is basic.
all the best urban
@Poison_Girl (4150)
• United States
9 Jan 09
I'm all for that! Sounds good to me. Although, I would suggest that in addition to the parenting skills, we teach the kids that they don't HAVE to have kids and to take all precautions necessary to avoid having them if they really don't want them. Also, make them the sole responsibility of a kid or two for a little while to give them an idea of what it would be like to be a parent.
@urbandekay (18278)
•
9 Jan 09
Yes, that's a very good idea, have to be well supervised though
all the best urban
@maildumpster (3815)
• United States
11 Jan 09
I have a tendency to agree with you. I started homeschooling a few years ago. They have fallen somewhat behind academically but they are gaining invaluable life lessons from how to keep house to how to stretch the food budget and childcare. My daughter is now doing school nights and weekends cause she's providing full time childcare to an infant and a preschooler.
to tell the truth I don't remember most of the garbage they taught me in school!
@betsyraeduke (2670)
• United States
24 Dec 08
Yes, more people should teach their kids that stuff...or at least most of it. I teach my kids most of that stuff.
Except...errr...what is "gaffer" tape?...
And as for welding, my husband could teach our kids that because he is a welder, but I can't because I don't know how to weld either...Why do they need to know how to weld anyway? Just asking...It's not a skill that I have ever needed...
Good post though, most of it seems to be a good point.
@urbandekay (18278)
•
24 Dec 08
Gaffer tape is a plasticised wide cloth tape, both strong and flexible. Useful for effecting all manner of temporary repairs some of which turn out to be not so temporary.
The welding was an advanced course, optional. I have found being able to weld extremely useful.
What about how to tie knots and splices, people just don't seem to know this stuff these days?
all the best urban
@mzplased (255)
• United States
23 Dec 08
I have to agree. It seems that kids are not taught the everyday life skills they need to. I understand that some of these things should be taught at home like cooking, but if the kids were learning it at school I think it would reinforce the importance of knowing how to do it. The schools that my children attend do not even have a home economics class anymore! I think that should be a basic class everyone should have to take.
