Is DIY M.I.A?

In a recent UK survey, it was revealed that 1 in 10 people aged 18-25 have actually gone to the trouble of calling out a repairman to change a lightbulb and more than half of all surveyed under 35 said they were unable to do basic household repairs (unblocking a toilet, gardening, cleaning etc).

Where have all the practical skills gone? Are the generation of young 'uns so busy or preoccupied with their smartphones and gadgets that they have forgotten what their parents taught them – or were they never taught in the first place?

The same goes for cooking, laundry and financial independence – it seems that the pool of skills young adults go out into the world with is shrinking.

It seems obvious that there are basic skills that everyone should leave home with. As parents and grandparents, it is our job to teach these. Think of the younger members of your family – if they are lacking in some skill areas, it's an excellent opportunity to spend some time with them and teach them.

Inside

Kitchen

Everyone should know the basics of cooking. Not only does it help hungry young people fend for themselves, it teaches them about planning, budgeting and nutrition.

By the time they are teenagers, every child should know how to cook:

– eggs in several styles – with eggs in the house, there is always a meal; in an omelette, scrambled, poached or boiled.

– a basic soup, using ham bones, stock and vegetables

– a pasta sauce from scratch using canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, herbs and a dash of wine or stock

– how to cook protein; which to leave rare and which to cook through

– porridge

– a simple smoothie using yoghurt, fruit, milk etc

– a roast dinner

– and one signature dish eg a curry, that they can impress friends with 

Teach your children basic kitchen hygiene – using a separate chopping board for vegetables and poultry, cleaning up after themselves, cleaning an oven, how to clean a pot that has food burnt on to it and the like.

Teach them how to keep a fridge under control (removing food that is past its best and wiping it down before adding fresh food, only keeping leftovrs for a day or so, coverng food to store it).

Laundry

As we all wear clothes, we should all know how to care for them – how to remove stains, what to dryclean, cold wash or delicate wash, how to operate a washing machine, what not to put in a drier, how to iron and how to do basic repairs (buttons, tears etc).

General cleanliness and order

Educate your family about putting things away regularly, so that they are easily located, rather than having one big tidy up every few days. Get them into the habit of making their bed and keeping their 'impact on the home environment' to a minimum. Habits formed early in life tend to stick! Ask them to help with the regular cleaning – it is amazing how much more careful people are with cleanliness and tidiness when they have to keep it that way!

Lightbulbs, gas bottles, filter refills and rangehoods all need regular maintenance. Show them how to do it – that information does not always come by osmosis. 

Outside 

Once they are old enough to drive, young people are old enough to participate in vehicle maintenance. Teach them how to fill the car with petrol, check the tire pressure, clean the car effectively and check fluids. With rights come responsibilities…Similarly, bike chains need to be oiled regularly, gears need maintenance and tires need to be checked.

Being able to fix things is empowering and saves money. If you are doing DIY jobs, ask your kids to tag along, so they learn the basics of electrical safety, handling chemicals (eg for pools), building and the like.

Teach them about what plants in the garden are weeds and which are useful (or poisonous). Tell them the best times to prune, plant or harvest and impress upon them the virtues of growing their own food.

If they break a window, get them to follow the repair process through – calling a glazier, removing the glass safely, and have them watch how it is replaced. 

It is never too early to teach your child or grandchild how to be practical, independent and multi skilled!