About the sewing machine thing...
When I posted my summer bucket list, a lot of you noticed I put down, "Teach the girls how to use the sewing machine."
And you've wondered why only the girls are learning, thinking maybe I feel that sewing is only for girls.
But I promise you that is not the case.
I have nooo problem doing things that are stereotypically men's work (faucet installation, appliance repair, etc.)
That's where the whole, "You don't need whiskers to do that!" thing came from! 😉
And I have no problem with men doing things that are stereotypically women's work.
If you're good at something or have an interest in it or you just flat out need to do it, then who cares what the stereotyped gender is for that role?
So.
Lisey and Sonia, my two craftiest kids, have been asking to learn how to use the sewing machine and this summer I'm gonna try to make time to teach them.
Joshua and Zoe haven't been clamoring to use it, and since I'm not of the opinion that sewing machine skills are a super-duper necessary survival skill (You can do a lot of small mending by hand), I'm probably not going to push it unless they show an interest.
On the other hand, they ARE all going to learn to cook this summer. 😉
And they all sweep, clean bathrooms, fold laundry, declutter, vacuum, and wash dishes.
So yeah...the sewing machine thing has nothing to do with gender, and everything to do with interest (or lack thereof!)
You are so right!
Children should be taught to use the sewing machine once they show an interest in sewing. Trying to teach a child that isn't interested in sewing is like trying to herd cats. *laughing* As me how I know this.
Oh dear. You must have tried it!
Makes sense. It is so important to let each kid be him or herself, and encourage their individual talents. I just get sad thinking about kids who might feel confined or limited by the "traditional" gender stereotypes. You know, maybe there are boys who want to sew, but are afraid to say so, or girls who wish they were football players or what have you. So many things are unnecessarily gendered. Obviously that doesn't mean many kids aren't happily drawn to traditionally gendered stuff, nothing wrong with that. You sound like a great Mom who wants to encourage your children's talents and interests. thats awesome 🙂
Great job on the pizza, Lisey! It looks delicious!
I don't sew terribly often, but I just completed my most recent project and one thing I learned is that both of my boys enjoy watching me sew. The oldest (who is 6) was excited to tell everyone about the dress I was sewing for a friend's little girl and wanted regular updates on my progress. I don't know yet if this translates to something he would like to learn for himself, but I'm totally fine with teaching him if he'd like to learn. The ability to use a sewing machine is certainly helpful (if not completely necessary).
My mom (as a single mother through my teen years, and the woman who taught me how to sew) was very keen on making sure I could live without a man in my life to take care of me - why not teach our boys the skills they need so they don't feel they need a woman to take care of them? Also, I don't have a daughter to pass the tradition on to, and I feel like I should teach one of them since I know they won't learn any other way.
And I think part of that is teaching our kids to have a can-do attitude and the skill of teaching themselves. No one ever showed me how to install a faucet or fix a washer, but with a can-do attitude and some work, I managed to figure both things out.
So even if I don't teach Joshua specifically how to sew, if he leaves home with a can-do attitude, I think he'll be able to teach himself what he needs to know.
That helpless, "I need a man!" or, "I need a woman!" (Or, "No one ever showed me how to do this, so it's impossible to figure it out.") attitude is what gets us into trouble more often than a lack of skills, I think.
And he can look at tutorials on YouTube, an option we didn't have when we grew up.
He and I were just discussing that last night, actually! The internet makes it simple to learn SO many things!
(And we mentioned that I have a button-sewing tutorial on my blog that he could always access too. Hee.)
You are so right! I've done all kinds of repairs that could be construed as "men's work" because I was confident I could figure it out. I'm also very aware of my personal limitations, which is almost as important as having a "can-do" attitute, as well. I can't tell you how many bolts I've had to recruit my husband to turn just because I couldn't get the thing to budge!
Both our son and daughter learned to clean, cook, do laundry, do yard care, fix things, and do basic sewing. Both have put all these skills to use in their adult life and their spouses are very thankful. 🙂
I think that is awesome you are going to teach the kids that want to learn to sew. My mom didn't teach us much growing up. We just had to learn it on our own if we wanted to know something. With that noted I never learned how to sew and regret it. When my husband and I were dating he had a problem with his dog chewing the buttons off his shirts. He would pull out his sewing kit to sew them back on. It cracked me up when he asked if I had any shirts that needed sewing. He is a law enforcement officer. Not the stereotypical type to sew. He doesn't see it as one gender or the other. It's come in handy more than once in our marriage:)
Thanks so much for clarifying that! I thought it was your blog where you did repair and other things that some people think require whiskers. I think that is why I was so surprised and sad to see that you were going to teach "the girls" to sew. I appreciate your clarification. I felt so bad posting and knowing I was bumbling my words badly. I DO think you are an awesome mom and great example to your kids. That's why it seemed out of character. BUT I can totally respect following your kids passions. As long as they know they have equal opportunities to try things that interest them with support, I'm sure they'll do just fine!
As always, love your blog. You seem like a very real, kind-hearted person and I appreciate your writing from the heart! Best wishes to you. 🙂
Oh no, I wasn't offended! But I just wanted to make sure that I clarified what I was doing and why. 🙂
Anytime you want to send Lisey over to cook..... 😉 Her pizza looks simply amazing 😀 I'm excited to see what the other kids end up making!
I know, right? She made such a round pizza!
My MIL thought sewing, cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. were all skills all people should have. Came in handy when my husband decided he wanted a down sleeping bag so made his own. I love that he can take care of me and the household things when I'm sick.
I will forever be grateful to my in-laws for (among other things) teaching my husband how to manage a home (budgeting, cooking, cleaning, home repairs). My mother-in-law taught my husband how to sew badges onto his Boy Scout uniform...and now he is the go-to button guy in our house 😉 he says he fine-tuned his skills in dental school learning how to do sutures, but I still credit his mother! I completely agree- having a desire and willingness to learn new things is a crucial life skill. I have been reading your blog for a long time and I always enjoy! Thanks for sharing!
I've just always tried to keep the attitude, "if other people can do it, so can I". In other words, it takes no super powers to cook, sew, whatever...it's just a matter of trying and then practice to get good at it. I've never told anyone this, but I also applied this thought to first-time childbirth and parenting! It's a comforting attitude, really.
Lisey, your pizza literally makes me want a piece for breakfast! GREAT job!