Today I read this Daily Mail article: [
link here]
"The days of cheery domestic goddesses could be a thing of the past as traditional household skills like making pastry, baking and sewing buttons are dying out- because modern mothers are too busy to learn them.
Researchers found millions of mothers struggle with skills their own mothers would have carried out with ease.
Knitting, baking cakes, making jam and altering clothes also made the list of tasks that many mums just don’t know how to do.
The study also found most modern mothers wished they had the skills their own mothers had but said they didn’t have the time or patience to learn them.
Built-in oven brand Neff commissioned the research of 1,000 mums under
Brand manager of built-in oven brand Neff, who commissioned the research, Sue Flowers said: 'We know that modern mums are under different pressures today compared with 40 years ago.
'As a result, many mums find it difficult to do some of the daily tasks their own mums may have done.
'However, our research has shown that many do want to learn how to do these things and feel as passionate as we do about ensuring skills such as baking and sewing don’t die out.
'Mums from previous generations learnt how to do these everyday tasks from their mums and their mums before them. Despite not necessarily having the know-how, many mums today are taking a real interest in learning traditional skills to help with their daily life or to enjoy as a hobby.'
The survey found nine out of ten younger mothers don’t know how to starch a shirt, while more than half struggle to sew name tags in their children’s clothes.
Three quarters couldn’t make gravy from scratch, while nearly half couldn’t rustle up a Victoria sponge.
Four out of ten young mothers still rely on their own mother to help them do things like cook a casserole and bake bread because they have never learnt how to do them.
While it emerged more than a third were embarrassed at not being able to do typical ‘mum’ tasks, a fifth said they couldn’t be bothered to sit down and learn a new skill while 21 per cent said they just didn’t have the patience.
More than two thirds said that they intended to pass the skills they did have on to their own children while more than a fifth said they considered most of the skills unnecessary in the modern age.
The research also showed that mums who live in the south of the country were more likely to be reliant on their own mother than those who lived in the north.
Sue Flowers from Neff added: 'We all like to rely on our mum for help and advice, which is why it’s such a shame that younger mums today find themselves too busy to enjoy time spent baking with their children and other traditional tasks.
'What’s really encouraging is how so many mums want to do something about this.
'In fact, just under half of all younger mums questioned said they had either been on - or were considering - taking a cookery course to help them become a baker or cook."
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In my opinion, women were a little too fast to the workplace without devising strategies before them. However, I believe that women should have the same rights as men, we should be treated equally in all regards such as voting, making decisions, in the workplace and in home place.
On the other hand our 24/7 lifestyles are out of hand. At least the traditional roles, lead to each partner being delegated certain tasks and even though it's nice we share those now, we all are running around like headless chickens, burnt out and too exhausted to cook home cooked meals and take time to teach our children our pastimes.
Moms used to economize to afford the luxury of staying home, and in some respects we could learn from that. On the other hand our lifestyles today afford dreams that our grandparents couldn't even dream of.
I suggest a balance. A balance of career, of home life for both men and women. Although not possible for us all, we can then establish a fullness of teaching pastimes and making a name for ourselves in our work.
If only it were that easy, hey?
