Needful Thing 101

Photo by Theresa Thompson

Being an editor has its perks.

Not only do I get to read for a living, but every once in awhile, I discover jewels like this little article from The Journal of the American Medical Association dated May 12, 2010. It begins:

Home economics, otherwise known as domestic education, was a fixture in secondary schools through the 1960s, at least for girls. The underlying concept was that future homemakers should be educated in the care and feeding of their families. This idea now seems quaint, but in the midst of a pediatric obesity epidemic and concerns about the poor diet quality of adolescents in the United States, instruction in basic food preparation and meal planning skills needs to be part of any long-term solution.

And as much as I love the American Medical Association--which I do--I must say that they overlooked nearly 100 other reasons why Home Economics (aka Life Skills, Consumer Sciences, who-cares-what-you-want-to-call-it) should be encouraged in schools today. Of course, who wants to open the mailbox only to discover a phonebook-sized journal?

Here is a riddle for people who think Home Economics is a waste of time: What happens when you downplay the importance of a class about life skills? . . .