Little Homemakers in Training

[LadyBlue]

I just did a quick search and didn't see this blog listed anywhere. I stumbled on it today and am...bemused. Most of the pictures are of little girls in skirts doing all kind of "home-making" stuff. Like making their own lavender oil, laundry soap, body washes etc,etc.

The subtitle of the site is "Encouraging little girls to embrace their sacred calling in the the home and family." This is from the About side bar "Our family seeks to honor God and give Him glory in all we do. This site is for our little girls as they grow in the call on their lives. With much love it is our hope that we may be an encouragement to little girls (the whole family is welcome) in serving our King by learning to help our families and the beauty of homemaking."

I'm not sure there's much to snark on here, other than child labour, but thought someone might find it interesting/disturbing.

littlehomemakersintraining.blogspot.com

[imokit]

So sad to think of those girls (and all the other girls in other fundie families) who's family see them as housewives from the first hint of vagina.

Also - how hard is to keep a home? I wasn't trained from childhood, my childhood was spent playing & studying, I was reasonably spoilt and even as a teenager my only chore was emptying the dishwasher. But I've picked up skills along the way. I can cook and clean well enough when I want to. I can manage a budget, pay bills etc. I also know a bit about childrearing, though I have no kids yet.

Are they calling their children mentally deficient, if they're saying that their daughters need to be trained from the age of 0 to do those skills?

[CTRLZero]

Our former neighbors (fundie-lite-ish) enrolled their little daughters in some sort of mothers-in-training classes through their church. This was a long time ago, and my eyes were rolling back in my head, so I didn't catch the name of the course. I was very interested to see this blog to confirm my recollection, so thank you! :roll:

They also have an entry regarding the Duggar rules they emulate, but I didn't see the "lock bedroom doors" rule, so perhaps it was pre-Joshgate.

[Guest]

I'd rather get my daughter into STEM stuff. :ew:

[LadyBlue]

I'd rather get my daughter into STEM stuff. :ew:

If I had one, I would too. I'm a terrible "homemaker". I suck at cleaning and do it as little as I can get away with. Which isn't as much as I'd like with 4 boys. :lol: I'm trying to get them to do more cooking and cleaning, but the two eldest both have OCD/anxiety problems and getting the eldest to do anything the least bit different or "dangerous" or the next to do anything "dirty" is....not fun.

[countressrascal]

When I got married (1978), I wanted to leave out the honor & obey BS and insert that he promised that I would always have a cleaning lady. It is a gene that is lacking in my family going back four generations on my Mother's side. Rabbi would not do it.

[RosyDaisy]

The word obey wasn't in our wedding vows, and I'm a non-fundie, non-submissive SAHW for now due to health reasons. The only headship I have is of the feline persuasion, and he's not feeling well.

[AmazonGrace]

So sad to think of those girls (and all the other girls in other fundie families) who's family see them as housewives from the first hint of vagina.

Also - how hard is to keep a home? I wasn't trained from childhood, my childhood was spent playing & studying, I was reasonably spoilt and even as a teenager my only chore was emptying the dishwasher. But I've picked up skills along the way. I can cook and clean well enough when I want to. I can manage a budget, pay bills etc. I also know a bit about childrearing, though I have no kids yet.

Are they calling their children mentally deficient, if they're saying that their daughters need to be trained from the age of 0 to do those skills?

It's probably not so much that they can't learn all that stuff when they get older but the earlier you start the brainwashing the more likely it is that they believe that this is all they're ever going to be good for.

[polecat]

I don't have a daughter, but if I did, I'd like to think I'd encourage her to pursue whatever career she wanted (or stay home, if that were something she and her partner wanted). I cannot imagine "training" any of my kids for a specific job just because *I* thought it best for them. That's not my choice to make.

[Jana814]

So sad to think of those girls (and all the other girls in other fundie families) who's family see them as housewives from the first hint of vagina.

Agree!

[Jana814]

I don't have a daughter, but if I did, I'd like to think I'd encourage her to pursue whatever career she wanted (or stay home, if that were something she and her partner wanted). I cannot imagine "training" any of my kids for a specific job just because *I* thought it best for them. That's not my choice to make.

Agree!

[uber frau]

I don't have a daughter, but if I did, I'd like to think I'd encourage her to pursue whatever career she wanted (or stay home, if that were something she and her partner wanted). I cannot imagine "training" any of my kids for a specific job just because *I* thought it best for them. That's not my choice to make.

I've taught my daughter lots of housekeeping skills. At nearly 12, she knows how to cook, how to clean the bathroom (she likes it :shock:), and how to operate a washing machine. But I've taught her these things because they're basic life skills, not because housekeeping and breeding is her only career option. I will be teaching her brothers the same things.

[Four is Enough]

I'm so subversive. I've taught (NOT trained) my daughter, but also all three sons, the necessary skills to run a home: some cooking, some cleaning, some laundry, some money management, some car maintenance, some yard maintenance. We started when they were old enough to wash a dish without giving it to the dog to lick off, and they've all done just fine. Fundies piss me off.

[church_of_dog]

I'm so subversive. I've taught (NOT trained) my daughter, but also all three sons, the necessary skills to run a home: some cooking, some cleaning, some laundry, some money management, some car maintenance, some yard maintenance. We started when they were old enough to wash a dish without giving it to the dog to lick off, and they've all done just fine. Fundies piss me off.

What? I didn't even know there was another way!

"Here, Soap! Here, Water!"

:lol:

[countressrascal]

What? I didn't even know there was another way!

"Here, Soap! Here, Water!"

:lol:

Agreed-my two would be upset if they did not get to lick the plates before loading the dishwasher. One of mine would bark at the dishwasher when it was running. I think he thought that it stole his food. :cracking-up:

[Terrie]

My dog just climbs into the dishwasher while I'm loading it. Once, she got stuck. :lol:

[Crocoduck]

The word obey wasn't in our wedding vows, and I'm a non-fundie, non-submissive SAHW for now due to health reasons. The only headship I have is of the feline persuasion, and he's not feeling well.

I have 2 feline headships. In retaliation for their demanding ways, I had their testicles cut off. :shifty-kitty:

[EmmieJ]

So sad to think of those girls (and all the other girls in other fundie families) who's family see them as housewives from the first hint of vagina.

Also - how hard is to keep a home? I wasn't trained from childhood, my childhood was spent playing & studying, I was reasonably spoilt and even as a teenager my only chore was emptying the dishwasher. But I've picked up skills along the way. I can cook and clean well enough when I want to. I can manage a budget, pay bills etc. I also know a bit about childrearing, though I have no kids yet.

Are they calling their children mentally deficient, if they're saying that their daughters need to be trained from the age of 0 to do those skills?

Growing up, all of us kids had various chores around the house, but it wasn't until I went away to college that I realized how much my mom did. A boyfriend had to explain to me about separating whites/lights from dark colored clothes for laundry purposes, how to put in the detergent properly and run the damn washing machine. I did have some cooking skills (spaghetti and meatballs, tacos, scrambled eggs, pancakes) but had to learn how to pick out ripe (versus under or over-ripe) fruits and vegetables, etc.

However, I figured it out a little at a time. In other words, the fact that my parents let their kids be kids has not negatively impacted my ability to learn the skills I needed once I was an adult and on my own.

It always makes me sad when I read about any family that has such a limited vision for their daughters, as if female children should only aspire to one path in their adult life.

[salex]

My family was (and the siblings with kids continue) to teach life skills of every type to all kids in the family. Couldn't drive a car until you could change a tire (in the pre cell phone, rural area where we lived, it was a key skill) Had to be able to sew at least the basics, everyone knew how to cook, wire a lamp, mow a lawn, etc. Of course, we were also in every sort of outside activity you can think of... so we weren't little slaves, just people learning how to do things. That said, I"m not a natural at cleaning.... but between us, we keep the house livable and presentable.

BTW, I didn't have obey, nor did my mom and don't think at least one of my grandmothers, mabye neither had it either. Mom just celebrated her 59th wedding anniversary....

[Caribou]

Growing up, all of us kids had various chores around the house, but it wasn't until I went away to college that I realized how much my mom did. A boyfriend had to explain to me about separating whites/lights from dark colored clothes for laundry purposes, how to put in the detergent properly and run the damn washing machine. I did have some cooking skills (spaghetti and meatballs, tacos, scrambled eggs, pancakes) but had to learn how to pick out ripe (versus under or over-ripe) fruits and vegetables, etc.

However, I figured it out a little at a time. In other words, the fact that my parents let their kids be kids has not negatively impacted my ability to learn the skills I needed once I was an adult and on my own.

It always makes me sad when I read about any family that has such a limited vision for their daughters, as if female children should only aspire to one path in their adult life.

THIS!! So much this!

I was a pampered, spoiled only child 18 year old when I got married during my first year of university to an equally pampered and spoiled "baby boy". We may have been spoiled but we weren't stupid and learned to run our household PDQ. Today I LOVE being domestic and take great pride in my home and in entertaining friends and family every weekend.

We went on to have a son and a daughter and I admit, other than school, we didn't expect much from them around the house. Both left home at 18 for university and again, they learned fast how to take care of themselves and their households.

Today our son has completed his masters, has an amazing job overseas, has married a wonderful woman and shares in all their household tasks - cooking, cleaning, organizing. He even irons.

My daughter is working on her masters in NYC, has lived on her own for 6 years and is as domestic as she is academic. Her apartment is spotless, her closet organized by season and colour (!) and she experiments with recipes and different foods all the time.

Really, this is not rocket science. The idea that you have to "train" girls from birth for domestic duties is insanity. As long as you have the Internet and can read, the answer to any question you may have is at your fingertips. AND boys as well as girls should be expected to be able to take care of themselves.

And, of course, you can always hire a housekeeper if domesticity is just not your thing!! Fundies are so ridiculous and obtuse in this matter.

[DaisyD]

I always thought it was to love, honor, and cherish... :?

[AmazonGrace]

I don't get it really. Why are the girls/women who make their own washing powder from store bought ingredients more holy and embrace their sacred calling more than their sisters who buy washing powder in a package? I don't remember anything in the Bible about what kind of washing powder you should use.

[JemimaPuddle-Duck]

I don't get it really. Why are the girls/women who make their own washing powder from store bought ingredients more holy and embrace their sacred calling more than their sisters who buy washing powder in a package? I don't remember anything in the Bible about what kind of washing powder you should use.

They aren't. And it's a darn shame that some of us are having to work to squash this attitude out of some of the young moms who've come to feel this way.

[salex]

I don't get it really. Why are the girls/women who make their own washing powder from store bought ingredients more holy and embrace their sacred calling more than their sisters who buy washing powder in a package? I don't remember anything in the Bible about what kind of washing powder you should use.

It is cheap, and if you have a dozen kids and a single income that may or may not be adequate, cheap is holy.

I used to read a frugal site that gave this recipe for laundry soap, and I have actually used it. It left a soap ring in my washing machine, didn't seem to clean all that well and I needed a mask when I was shredding the soap. I'd rather keep buying detergent on sale.

I believe it is busy work for homemakers, because frankly, it does not require as much work to manage a household as you have hands to do the work once you have several daughters plus mom working at the task.

So, we see people making their own detergent out of store bought soap, canning potatoes (seriously? potatoes?) and other things that probably aren't cost effective, but take up time.

[socalrules]

For all their talk, fundy women really aren't that spectacular of homemakers. You would think there would be more gardens growing vegetables and fruits. Or more healthy foods made from scratch. I see nothing wrong with canning if it's food you have raised in your own yard. These people don't seem to do any of that. Look at the Maxwell post where Mary was making something with canned pumpkin. She couldn't make it from scratch? It's not like she has anything else to really fill her time. I know a working mom with two kids who always makes pumpkin bread from scratch during the fall season. What else are these people doing because it's not like they are hardcore homeschooling? Everything is out of a can or likely frozen. I don't get it. They so badly want to go back to the good old days, so I say why not start with dinner.