When talking to people in public, I often get strange looks when I tell them that I teach Family and Consumer Sciences. I tell them we do food and nutrition, childcare, interior design and more. Most people then reply – “Oh, Like HOME EC” but really we are NOT like Home Ec anymore.
Gone are the days of preparing “girls” to graduate, get married, have children and stay at home doing all the meal preparation, laundry, cleaning and more…
This is an excerpt taken from a 1950’s Housekeeping Monthly article showing what was expected of a woman in those days…
- What do you think about this?
But gone are the days of women staying at home and doing all the housework. Today, more and more women are entering the workforce and helping to provide for the family, often times not being home to prepare meals for the family – leaving dad and the kids in charge (That could be a scary thought). So don’t you think it is important for both boys and girls to prepare themselves for life inthe future by having FACS classes on their resume?
With the change of the name (made over 15 years ago) come changes to curriculum. We are not longer “Stitch and Stir” – We are so much more than that.
So what do we do in Family and Consumer Sciences? We teach Healthy Food lifestyles, Financial Management, Careers, Interior Design, Vacation Planning and so much more. There are standards that we meet which help to cover the Virginia SOL’s in all areas of our program. Students in FCS classes are learning about the chemistry of the food they eat and the nutritional content, and how to improve their food choices to create a better being. Students are leaning how to create a budget for their failies and to balance a checkbook (even though many times the computer will do it for us – it is a skill that needs to be known how to do so that we know how much money we really have). Students are learning practical skills and knowledge that will be used later in life when they decide to get a job, or attend private colleges, state universities, and technical schools. They don’t just learn what “fat soluble” Vitamin A, D, E, and K do, they learn where they can get it, how it works, and what happens if you do not get enough of it.
Family and Consumer Sciences isn’t a thing of the past – Is is a window to the FUTURE – Kids NEED Family and Consumer Sciences to prepare them for life – Just as this poem says…
Most of what I really need to know about life and what to do and how to be…..I learned in Family and Consumer Sciences.
I didn’t learn it in math or science or Spanish…I learned it in my Family and Consumer Sciences classes.
This is what I learned…..
Choose food from the Food Pyramid. Avoid fats and sweets. Keep food safe.
Choose clothes to flatter your body type. Clean and fix them when needed.
Budget your money wisely. Shop sales. Read labels, leases, sales and mortgage agreements very carefully.
Don’t be a parent too soon. It’s also a good idea to be married first.
Choose someone you get along with…then have the baby. Nurture it, love it, give it the right discipline and know when to let it go.
Learn to balance work and family. Learn to get along with others…Learn to like yourself!
Think of what a better world it would be if we were all equipped with the life skills taught in Family and Consumer Sciences…
If we all had strong happy families….Had balanced budgets…Could resolve conflict without violence.
It’s still true, no matter how old you are…Whether you are male or female… What career you’ve chosen…
It’s still best to go out into the world equipped with basic life skills.
These are all skills that we are teaching in the 7th and 8th grade curriculum and it is great when you have high school students come back and THANK YOU for teaching them all the things that they need to be a responsible adult. That is what The FACS of Life are all about!
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I think if I was back in the 50’s I would fail as being a good wife. I couldn’t live doing all the work around the house and being quite when my husband got home. He wants dinner, well he better make it himself if we’re living together.
after reading this article i was really surprised….if i had to do that to my husband i would die. if my husband wanted food he would have to make it by himself.my mom doesnt do that and she never have. ♥
This article is quite rude to women. My mom and dad both work and they both cook and clean. Therefore, I do not believe women should have had to do all of the work. :)))
Thats nothing like today. Women now usualy have jobs to help with the family and some familys have divorse parents, so only one parent cant help with the house and money. Also kids do house work and stuff the moms used to do now.
i DEFINITELY disagree with this. Both of my parents work hard everyday and still my mom finds time to do house stuff. I think the women in the 50s were pretty tolerant if they put up with this! Today, these things are more like favors, and they should stay that way. Now they can get up and make their own stupid sandwich!! 🙂
After reading this, I strongly disagreed. It is not fair that women had to do all the house work when the husband is supposed to be the “man of the house”! I don’t think I would be a “good wife” in the 1950’s, I wouldn’t be able to do all the scrubing and cleaning AND taking care of the children. I think that all women should have the same rights as men do!
alot has changed since those days and house wives work and come home tired and dont do that. it would be awesome if they were like that, though…
Man, would it be nice to have a wife in the fifty’s. But, I still can’t believe that people expected wives to do all that work! Yeah i bet the man is extremly tired but so is the wife, she had to get the kids food, keep the house clean, make sure the dishes are done, and much more! All the husband did was type on the typewriter. There is no way i would make my wife do all that it said on the article, that is WAY to much.
After I read this, I knew that it was back in the 1950’s because women have jobs.
well back in the 50’s everything was different and it was good to have a good house wife to do chores and having them to do those thing’s but, today in modern days alot of house wifes dont do that.
um i think that its pretty wrong and that women should be treated better than this. But i wouldnt mind women being like that everyday. That would be the life
well to men and women are equal do same amount of work that women and men should same amount of work as the women does
I think that this would be absolutly unfair to the wifes of these men that are working even though I know that I would like it to be this way but I think that women should have to work as hard if not harder to satisfy your husband every day like this.
after reading the post i thought that it could go both ways boys way or the girls way.
This article is very mean to women. Both of my parents have jobs and they both make dinner & clean the house. Not only women should have to do all of this.
My mother (who was a house wife in the 60’s) taught me and my sister to cook and clean and thought going to college was for finding a husband. How crazy is that thought??!! I have a daughter in the 7th grade (Meghan Partington) and I am trying to teach her differently. Learn to cook and clean for YOURSELF!! You could very well be a young, thriving, single career girl for a few years before you meet special person you want to have a life and family with. And that is OK by all definitions!! Also, a man who can cook and clean by himself would make a wonderful match!! Yea, Mrs. Allen to teaching these life goals to all!!
Are you kidding me?!? This article is very demeaning to women and mothers EVERYWHERE! My family is exactly the opposite. My dad is retired, and my mom is working. You also wouldn’t see my dad doing everything for my mom. When I grow up, if my husband tells me to make him something, he will get slapped upside the head.
Great article by the way! it shows how things have changed within 60 years.
After reading this artical… I am so glad that this is history and not in today`s time. I don`t think that back then women got the respect that they deserved. Sure both men and women had an equaly stressed day.But by the end of the day that would be to much to handle.
Are you kidding me? This is totally wrong. If I had lived back in the 50s, I would have been the worst wife on the surface of the Earth!!! I have already told my mom that my life plan is to buy a house a few blocks away from hers so that way when I have kids I will send them to her house so she can take care of them and me throughout the day! Once the day is over and its time for my kids to go to bed, I will drive them back down to my house and put them to bed and watch tv for myself! On days that my mom is sick my kids will have an untoasted bagel for breakfast…mac and cheese for lunch…and chef boyarde ravioli for dinner (everything microwaveable)…and if they arent happy with that, they can pick out whatever they want in the fridge or pantry!!! My husband will go to work all day come home @ nite and make himself whatever he feels like (while im in bed resting after a long day):-) This will be the perfect life for me!!!:-)
After reading this, I certainly had a few thoughts. It is pretty insane that people back then thought that the husband was always in charge. Women should have had just as important as a role in a household. After all, if their husband was working, they would be cooking, cleaning, and preparing for his return! And the fact that people believed that “his problems are far more important than yours” is far from the truth! Women had just as big of issues back then as men! It’s great to see that we sure have changed. Men nowadays sometimes cook for their wives, because that’s a true relationship: When you appreciate one another and you repay them by doing the same kinds of acts. I don’t know about you, but men sure didn’t seem that appreciative back then!
Sorry for all of the rambling, but it is just remarkable how people were back them.
after reading this…boy do i have alot to say:
it’s all about he he this, he that, he he he he he he he he he, oh and all the women do the work. THIS IS REDICULOUS! men back then, if they wanted a sandwich, they could make their own sandwich. my dad enjoys cooking for my family (and he’s not half bad) and he is proud. he makes the best boxed mac’n’cheese EVER! i am so glad that those customs have passed, because, let me tell you, my husband wouldn’t be a happy camper (:
haha great article by the way 😉
After reading this…I disagree, woman were expected to do everything. Well, life has luckily changed. Thank God. I would have not survived if I was a women in the 50’s.
After i read this i was really happy that we aren’t living back then. I would not have liked that i’d probably be a bad wife. Both of my parents work and my dad is usually the one to cook.
After reading this post, I disagree. Woman were expected to do everything for the man, who THINKS he is in charge, The woman does all the work. Today, both my parents work and both cook and they are both happy. There shouldent be rules to making your partner happy or pleased. Id like to see somebody make “a good husband’s guide”, then we can see who works harder(:
After reading this, i thought that it was harsh back in the day. My parents work and it would be very hard for them to get him to cook.
After reading the post i do not agree with it. If it was still like that today my parents would not be happy. Both my parents work and they cook together most of the time.
Well, after reading that post, I thought that life back in the 50’s were well…more interesting then what we are used to today. I can’t believe that women had to stay home all day and scrub, scrub, and scrub… sigh… I could never get used to that… I wouldn’t be homesick, that’s for sure. 🙂