At what age should you be able to sew on a button?
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (341700)
Rockingham, Australia
April 7, 2016 10:19pm CST
I rang my sister last night and had a lovely chat with her. She have five sons, various grand-children and a few great grand-children. But she despairs about the young ones sometimes. Her 18-year-old grand-daughter has asked her to sew a button on a coat. This young lass has her drivers' licence and is very capable in many ways. Surely sewing on a button isn't rocket science?
My sister has no objections at all to doing it for her but wonders how come she got to 18 without somewhere along the way learning how to sew on a button. What basic skills have you noticed lacking in today's young people?
36 people like this
40 responses
@randomarts09 (1405)
• Indonesia
8 Apr 16
@ElizabethWallace Yes, the practical is way more important than theoritical.
But yeah, the young people should improve the basic skills like these, but people given by its talent, some don't cook, don't drive, don't do mechanic, electricity, carpenter etc,
I think the ladies somehow should improve the skills that the men usually do too, as long as not so risk and dangerous to woman, it'd be good. ^^
4 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
8 Apr 16
@randomarts09 Makes no sense to me for normal lifetime skills to be relegated to one gender or the other. Everyone eats, wears clothing, has little things go wrong in the house. We should all know the basics of everything. Talent is for careers or hobbies.
3 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
8 Apr 16
They don't. Most people do not even talk to their children, let alone teach them anything practical.
5 people like this
@puddleglum (1380)
• United States
8 Apr 16
When I first went to university, I would go to the communal laundry area and see many girls and boys calling their mothers to find out how to wash clothes. This is something my mother taught me when I was nine or ten years old.
4 people like this
@puddleglum (1380)
• United States
9 Apr 16
@JudyEv My mother taught me to sew on a button. I cannot do it quickly, though. You're right, it's useful to have this simple skill.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (341700)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Apr 16
@puddleglum I don't think 'quick' matters. At least you can do it if you need to.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471968)
• Switzerland
9 Apr 16
@JudyEv She always cook her own meals, she is health conscious and does not want ready made products. For what concerns the buttons I tried many times to teach her how to perform this very simple task, I cannot understand why she refuses to learn.
2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (50580)
• United States
8 Apr 16
I have some nieces that are nearly thirty, but don't cook.
3 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
8 Apr 16
omgh that's gorgeous! that aside, these youngsters aint'd the need to learn the basic skills'f life. heck, most graduate college with masters degrees 'n can't e'en tell time'n a "real" clock. one'f the best lessons yer sis could teach that grand's to sew that button'n herself with her guidance :D
3 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
9 Apr 16
@JudyEv so very true 'n to sew a button proper aint rocket science, lol.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (341700)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Apr 16
@crazyhorseladycx However it seems there are many who have dodged learning this skill :)
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
8 Apr 16
They are great with electronics, but not so good at anything practical. They need to have more life skills. They used to be taught in schools at the seventh grade, but no more. No one wants to spend money teaching kids how to live anymore.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (341700)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Apr 16
We learnt at school. Some basic 'living on your own' skills would surely be really useful for young people - as would managing their money.
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
8 Apr 16
I was about 17 when I first figured it out - rarely had to since though
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
9 Apr 16
@JudyEv I only have a few button shirts for interviews or formal occassions, and mostly wear button free tee shirts
2 people like this
@JudyEv (341700)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Apr 16
@arthurchappell My great-niece-in-law is very proud of not even owning an iron which I think is taking things a bit too far. Okay to not use it but not to even have one seems a bit rash. Mind you, I don't iron nearly as much as I used to.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (341700)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Apr 16
I guess I over-reacted. I learnt at school and it never crossed my mind that this lass had never seen a button sewn on. My pride wouldn't have let me take it to my grandma - not MY grandma anyway. I might have taken it to someone else's. Mine was a real tartar.
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Apr 16
I am 28 years old but was never taught to sew on a button or darn a pair of socks. We have needlecrafters in the family but this was never a skill offered for me to learn.
A friend of mine, only a year younger, knows how to sew buttons on and can do other basic sewing things.
2 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
9 Apr 16
many how to fix it yourself skills, I wish I had more of those around the house!
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
9 Apr 16
@JudyEv Oh I agree, I just never was taught and am not good at teaching myself! Would love to learn if I was able or had someone to teach me. granted I can sew on buttons.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341700)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Apr 16
@Jessicalynnt I've been shown and had help lots of times with sewing but I'm still bad at it.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (220068)
• Walnut Creek, California
15 Apr 16
The writing among my students varies from very good to "how did they graduate high school?" I think social skills in teens may be waning due to technology. Also, some kids who might have learned guitar or bass 30 years ago now generate "beats" on their computers, which teaches nothing about music.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (341700)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Apr 16
A lot of the younger musicians at the music festival we just attended are really clever at 'looping', if that's the right word? They put down a segment (maybe 4 bars) on a machine then play harmony over it and end up with quite a complex and harmonious background that they then sing to. It looks impressive. :) One of Damian's friends (free-lance bassist) can't stand musos doing this and, if he is playing with them, as soon as they try to tape something to add to, he changes key. Not sure you'll understand and I don't really know how to explain it.
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
8 Apr 16
Very interesting. All my kids learned how to sew a patch and sew on a button. It must be a sign of the time. We used to make our own clothes and we rarely hear of people doing it now unless they are in the business.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
9 Apr 16
@JudyEv My sister was a home ec teacher , they still have it in the Junior high schools but it has a new name that I can't remember....
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341700)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Apr 16
@PainsOnSlate But do they teach you how to sew on a button? 
Our classes were called Domestic Science then Home Science then Home Economics. I wonder what the new up-market name is?
Our classes were called Domestic Science then Home Science then Home Economics. I wonder what the new up-market name is?
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
8 Apr 16
Unless it has to do with texting, all of them? An entire generation is due a massive wakeup call. NOW YOU KIDS GET OFF OF MY LAWN! (Just kidding.)
2 people like this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
19 Apr 16
I am surprised at how many people I meet, even of my own age, who do not have the least idea how to cook a nutritious fresh meal. No, sewing a button on is not rocket science. The 18-year old could have asked your sister to teach her how to sew her own button. That is a skill my grandmother taught me when I was 6 years old and she taught all of my girl cousins at the same age if they were willing to learn, but not the boys.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341700)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Apr 16
When it first happened I just thought it was such a basic skill but of course if they don't learn at school and Mum never teaches them then of course they won't know how to.
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
14 Apr 16
I think that by 10 both boys and girls should be taught the basics. I think it is just a matter of someone actually teaching them
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
18 Apr 16
@JudyEv All of my children were taught these skills but I am not sure I could say the same form the grand-kids. I think I will ask them.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341700)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Apr 16
@BelleStarr Perhaps Grandma will need to teach them :)
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
9 Apr 16
Ummm, I hope there is a senior citizen exemption to that question, since at my advanced age, it is something I never mastered. I did generally find a nice woman to do it for me though, so I get a C for Charm, right?
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
9 Apr 16
@JudyEv I dunno; During some years when I was single, I even bought one of those things that are supposed to make it easy. It didn't.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341700)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Apr 16
@JamesHxstatic I've never heard of anything to make sewing on buttons easier! That's news to me. You didn't think to just staple your shirt-fronts closed?
1 person likes this
@just4him (317250)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
20 Apr 16
A lot of them. My son doesn't know how to sew buttons on either. He asked me to do two pairs of shorts a couple weeks ago and he's 38. Other lacking skills is cursive writing. They're not teaching that in schools anymore. I have no idea what they are teaching kids, but it doesn't seem to be the basics.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317250)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
20 Apr 16
@JudyEv I think it matters. We still have forms that need to be signed. I think the teachers think with the electronic age that the kids won't need to know how to sign their names as everything is done through electronic signatures now, or almost everything. It's a lost art that shouldn't be lost.
1 person likes this
@Telynor (1763)
• United States
14 Apr 16
@JudyEv I have always felt that by the time you leave home, you should be able to handle having a bank account, be able to mend your own clothing (and wash them), cook basic meals, and clean a house. Yes, I did call my mother a few times in my adult life, but it was for specific recipes. I don't know if that counts...
1 person likes this
