Thursday, April 19, 2007

Parents...please teach yout kids common tasks

I grew up on a ranch in southwest Oklahoma where we had cattle, sheep, goats, and horses. My parents made sure that I knew how to do the common tasks needed in order to keep things in running order. I worked mostly outside with dad but mom still taught me to sweep, wash dishes, cook, dust, mop, etc. I was lucky to have a Dad that lived with his work and taught me everything he knew about building things and tearing things down. I was taught resposibility in and out of the house and I think all children should be taught the same.

I live in a fraternity and you would be suprised how much city kids don't know about common cleaning tasks. I had to teach several of them how to sweep during there first week at the house. We have this awesome dish washing apperatus in the kitchen...you know the one that makes you want to do dishes just to use the sprayer and slide in dishwasher. Some of the guys had NEVER done dishes in their life. I couldn't believe it. One guy even told me that his idea of clean must be different than mine because we were discussing the need to clean the dining room and there was thrash and dishes on the tables and he was like, "doesn't look dirty to me."

As for the outside of the house, some of the guys had never ran a lawn mover...EVER. I guess they just watch some lawn company do it...or maybe they never noticed that grass needed mowing. I don't know but it's really sad that men at the age of 18 don't have the common skills that I had when I was 13.

Parents, please do the world a favor and teach your kids common tasks. I think a chinese guy once said that if we sweep if front of our own door, the whole world would be clean.