When I told some people that earned a “Best in Home Economics” ribbon, awarded to me at my eighth-grade graduation banquet in 1984, those people erupted into snickers and giggles. Those same people laughed harder when I told them that I took home economics through all four years of high school.
“Had some hours to fill?”
“Needed some easy credits?”
Some people in my circle saw home economics as brainless fluff, but I ignored their chiding, as I did not consider nutritional education, healthy eating, and home finances as “fluff.” And can’t everyone benefit by knowing how to sew a button back onto a garment rather than to just discard it and buy a new one, or how to cook a healthy meal from scratch? Then there was the nutrition, as well as life skills like balancing a checkbook or changing a baby’s diaper (but we never did the “carry a pretend baby around” assignment).
As time went by, big box stores grew, offering ready-made anything and everything. That, along with cuts to public school education, brought the demise of home economics programs in many schools. I found it sad that the skills taught in home economics classes were considered disposable.
Sewing skills I learned in home economics rewarded me throughout adulthood. I created Halloween costumes that won cash prizes in contests, and I operated a part-time costume and sewing business that brought extra money into the household. My use with needle and thread saved me a few bucks by repurposing cast-off clothing from resale shops into unique garments that had a custom fit.
Then there’s the food. By studying the alchemy of cooking and baking, I mastered the process of turning a pile of milled grains into a scrumptious loaf of bread. While I can’t say that I’ve never consumed instant macaroni and cheese or used a boxed cake mix, through home economics I learned how to fine-tune and polish the cooking and baking arts I learned at home, giving me an appreciation of real food. But some kids don’t learn those skills at home.
Photo: Fotolia/Alex Tihonov
With the resurgence in food awareness and sustainable living that we are fortunate to experience today, I was pleased to hear that some schools have added urban agriculture and homesteading classes into their curricula, as well engaging students in community garden projects. Several farmers in my region I spoke to over the last couple of years have developed programs and classes for kids and have welcomed hundreds of students to learn farming and food growing basics.
Some day soon, I hope to see a new generation of “Best In Home Economics” winners – or maybe “Best In Urban Agriculture,” or “Best In Consumer and Household Sciences.”
Photo: Fotolia/Maygutyak
