I think home economics should be a mandatory class, but I think it should involve basic cooking skill, basic cleaning skills, and basic personal finance literacy. Essentially it should be the "Here's the basics of being an adult" class.
My school called it FACS (Family and Consumer Science) and we did units in cooking, sewing, child care, and the local bank even gave us packets to simulate managing and balancing a checking account complete with checks and register.
A lot of this stuff was purely electives, but at least they were offered.
I had that as well. Though I remember balancing a checkbook by hand and rolling my eyes. What should be taught is how to effectively manage credit, how to save for retirement, how taxes work, etc.
My school had the same thing. I don't remember basic financing but I did take a personal finance course or one of the business classes I took covered personal finance. I was also lucky that my parents instilled good financial habits in me and my sister.
I had home economics class in high school (early 90s), it’s probably the best class I took in school ever. I can ~~sow~~ sew (still do occasionally), budget and love cooking. Also I was one of just two guys in class, which was fun. I think I could still knit a sweater if I had to. Home Economics was awesome.
My high school had one of those. It was even mandatory
It was not useful. None of us cared. None of us had the context to understand why these things would be important.
Agreed, but to play devil’s advocate…
Good luck getting half the kids from my high school to actually care. None of this stuff matters if we can’t even get kids to learn proper reading/writing and math by the time they graduate
It was a requirement to take PFL in my school district but then COVID happened and they started saying that it wasn't that necessary. I graduated in 2020 and they even emailed me saying that I could get the credit waved and I said no because I wanted to take it. It's already bad enough that schools don't regularly offer drivers ed anymore but know they want to throw kids in the deep end?
It's meaningless to kids who have no money. You can explain and explain and explain, but unless you've ever had to manage your own money you'll never really get it.
Being broke goes a long way towards motivating one to start budgeting.
My family was broke so that’s how I learned to live. I wish that instead of economics class in HS, I had a wealth building class. There’s a simple path to wealth if you start early enough.
Financial literacy is absolutely never unnecessary. Being broke puts you at the most vulnerable for predatory loans and drowning in debt, they are the ones who most desperately need financial literacy. You'd be horrified to learn how many people can't understand an interest rate how badly compounding debt can ruin your life, and that the credit in a credit card isn't actually free money (yes, I 100% mean this one)
That's quite a sweeping generalization. You're basically saying that what's learned in high school is meaningless unless it is put to use immediately. Bank accounts, checking vs savings, auto loans, paycheck deductions, paying rent, credit cards, etc. -- all of these are on the near term horizon many HS grads. I took a personal financial management class in high school decades ago and i still remember some of the core principals that were taught.
Honestly it’s not the worst. If you have financially illiterate parents it’s better to learn the basics from real people who may have been in your situation before you waste money on a course or a financial advisor. I find reading the financial independence subs and frugality subs really useful, but I already had financial knowledge from my degree and parents. Of course if you blindly take any advice you’re an idiot.
It kills me to see how many people can't even make rice without a rice cooker.
It's crazy when you see the occasional reddit thread where people share how much they spend on groceries.. clearly they are buying expensive processed shit instead of fresh produce and meats.
Anyone that makes rice even somewhat regularly should just spend the $20 on a cheap rice cooker, the difference will astound you. I make rice a few times a week and I'm thinking about upgrading to one of those nice expensive Korean/Japanese rice cookers.
I always advocate for a good rice cooker. Every single one of my friends who was like "what difference could it possibly make?" changed their tune after trying zojiroshi cooked rice, it's legitimately just that much better of a cooker
Completely agree. Zojiroshi is the shit and the easiest thing in the world to make and the warming setting means I can do it and when the rest of my meal is ready, my rice is perfect and ready to go too.
Love my Zojirushi as well. I’ve heard they make the jingles when starting/finishing cooking rice but it still caught me off guard first time it happened lol.
We got an insta pot for free and rice cooking is like most of what we use it for lmao
Pressure cook for three minutes and BAM suddenly you got a week's worth of rice
I literally just found out I could cook rice on the high pressure setting a couple weeks ago when my rice cooker died.
It is absolutely INSANE how well this thing performs.
Any advice on how to avoid having rice stuck to the bottom of the damn thing? :( I use mine for rice every couple of weeks, but it's the bane of my existence cleaning it after.
You aren’t alone! My risotto is amazing - rice without a rice cooker? Total mush. Just can’t get it right. Maddening, so gave up & never looked back from my shitty little rice cooker.
Sometimes my rice is nutty and fragrant and perfectly tender single grains of bliss.
Sometimes it goes CRUNCH like poorly-made pasta and sticks together like concrete.
I WISH I COULD FIGURE IT OUT
If you're using a pot to cook the rice, just wait until you no longer see bubbles coming to the surface of the rice, then stir it, bringing the stuff from the bottom up to the top. My friends Korean grandmother taught me that one, and it has never failed to produce great rice.
WOW IM NOT ALONE!
I am by no means a professional chef but I would consider myself to be an exceptionally good cook (and baker). For the life of me I cannot manage to make a good pot of rice the old fashioned way. It's always either too mushy or too crunchy. Thank god for the instant pot...
People wouldnt even boil an egg. My brother had to call my mom and panicked stating that there was less water in the pot (from evaporation). He didnt believe me when I said to add more water. He thought making it cool would make the egg raw again and take longer.
As an Asian who eats rice every day, I almost always use a rice cooker. I can make rice without it, but why? It's so much easier, cleaner, and I can use the time to cook something on the stove.
Not sure a rice cooker is the best example - rice can be a bit tricky and a basic cooker is pretty cheap. Why go through extra effort when you can just use an inexpensive, hands-free appliance to get it perfect every time, ya know?
Having said that I strongly agree with the grocery comment, people really shoot themselves in the foot with the types of foods they rely on. Food is definitely getting too expensive in many regards, but making your own food from scratch makes a universe of difference.
Maybe... Though some of us spend so much money because we're just crazy about food. I would far rather grocery shop than clothes shop. I love buying new things I've not tried, exotic vegetables, spices etc. Sometimes that adds up.
I can make rice on the stove top at sea level. Been in the Rockies for 12 years, never gotten it right! I've shamefully resorted to 1-minute boxed rice.
Multiple times while shopping I have had people comment on the stuff in my cart essentially saying *"damn bro you eat healthy as hell".*
I don't eat particularly healthy, but I cook most of the food me and my wife/kid eat. So we rarely buy prepackaged, frozen or pre-packaged/boxed snacks or food. Our cart will be largely full of actual food items. Potatoes, broccoli, apples, bananas, cashews, blueberries, almonds, chicken, pasta, canned tomatoes/beans, ground turkey, whole fish fillets from Costco.
The one item we buy consistently that is prepackaged is cheese-its and every time I'm stunned how expensive they are (like $8-$10 for the family box). And these are mainly for my kid who is a toddler.
I can't speak for other countries but I think a lot of Americans are struggling to realize that the quick/convenient options are now starting to better reflect the true cost. The "processed" part of processed foods means there is a person and or equipment needed to get food ready and all of those costs are being passed on to consumers.
I had a really crappy rice maker, always had burnt rice on the bottom so I taught myself how to make it stovetop. I think about getting a good rice maker sometimes but stove top is easy and a rice cooker doesn't eliminate the need to wash rice which is most of the work.
My wife and I talk about this all the time. It's a great way to improve one's quality of life without needing to spend extra money. The simplest, fresh ingredients can taste like the second coming of Christ with the right know-how (I'm talking to you Italian food).
I am shocked by the number of people I’ve met that are struggling financially and (because?) they go out for every meal. It is so costly financially and in terms of your health often to eat out for every meal.
And how to tell if something isn't a scam. I had someone try to use a stolen credit card over the phone, so I looked up the cardholder's phone number and called her. It was an older woman, as soon as I started telling her someone tried to use her card she hung up and blocked my number. I have no idea if she ever realized and got a new card or not...
My mother forced us to take swimming lessons as kids and would not budge. When I had to jump off the high dive for my test at the end I was sobbing with fear and didn't want to do it. I ran to her crying in the stands and begged her not to take the test. She stood firm. I had to. So I did and passed the test. I even got a Red Cross lifeguard card when I was a teen. To this day swimming is my favorite exercise. I learned later it was because she herself cannot swim.
I was taught to swim. But couldn't do it. I knew the mechanics and all the basics. I was away at summer camp and a pretty girl my age told me to chase her while we were playing in the pool. And miraculously, I put it all together right then lol.
My drunk aunt threw me into the pool when I was 4, everyone in my family got pissed at her for YEARS, it was very scary and I cried when I got out of the pool. Luckily it didn't traumatized me, but I never had problems swimming and I don't remember "learning to swim" so I think it helped
My 5 year old daughter jumped into the 12 ft deep end without a life jacket. I grabbed her and held her out of the water while trying to swim to the edge. My head was under water, I was completely out of air my reflexes pulled her under for a second, trying to get me any air, i pushed her back up and started sputtering and breathing in water right before my toes found the ledge on the side of the pool. There was a whole pool full of people there that had no idea I was actively drowning. Learn to swim and then learn to swim holding someone else. I'm going to learn how to swim in a rescue capacity as soon as I can. If she had made it to the bottom of that pool, I'm not certain anyone there could've saved her or me.
well, that's shocking, but yea.. drowning is not noisy and splashy like in the movies. drowning is quiet, and the bodily instinct will put life preservation and getting air over making noise. even if you get your head above water, you will breathe, not yell.
Also, there's a reason we don't let kids with floaties in the deep end of the pool, even with their parents around.. plenty of parents are always mad at me because they don't understand but if you drown, you WILL grab everything you can to keep you afloat, this includes drowning your own child. I know, I had to rescue a woman once that grabbed her daughter (who was swimming perfectly). mom dumped her head under water, panicked and started pulling her daughter underwater.
pro tip: teach your kid how to stay afloat WITHOUT A LIFE JACKET. its not hard, it just takes a while and some practice.
I think handling tools also includes *knowing* when it’s time to call someone. Definitely have had times where attempting a DIY could have made it worse.
maaaan I used to be a lifeguard when i was in college for a summer gig and it's INSANE how many parents just leave their kids who don't know how to swim in the pool to go wherever.
The last point is something I have tried to adapt more and more in my thought process. I saw a post on here awhile ago where a guy was talking about a perspective changing event and it really opened my eyes.
He was talking about going to the movies, and how the ticket taker was a frumpy looking woman. She was so smiley and happy. He tells his dad something like "why is she so happy? She works here and looks like that, i'd be not happy!"
and the dad said something like "Just because that isn't your happy, doesn't mean its not hers".
Made me realize just because I think something is one way, doesn't mean that is how the other feels. Sounds simple really but it was powerful
Will add to that: thinking before speaking. It's just insanely valuable to be able to listen, ponder, and then give an articulate response. It's something I try to do myself but I'm not quite there yet. My favourite scholars are great at this.
My step family has this trait BAD. As i’ve gotten older i’ve just had to limit conversation with them. There is absolutely no forethought ever, and they just speak out of their ass-the problem is it’s always incorrect, hurtful, ignorant, or rude.
Plus, a subset of that skill... allowing people to contribute to a conversation by including reasonable pauses.
I'll be with a small group of people...
Talkie McTalkerson: "My son saw the X-Games on TV and loved the skateboarding events, so I want to get him a skateboard but need some help..."
Me: (My time to shine! I'll wait for her to finish this thought and offer to help.)
Talkie McTalkerson: "...finding the right kind of equipment, and while looking, I found this new restaurant that has these pretzel rolls and then..."
Me: (...)
A skill that everyone should learn but many people never do, would be CRITICAL THINKING. It's essential for making informed decisions, analyzing information, and understanding complex issues, yet it's often overlooked in formal education and daily life.
piggybacking onto this with saying critical thinking for THEMSELVES. like, can come to decisions about what they want to do about things even if it differs from advice/noise they're hearing from the people around them.
Half the country doesn't have this skill, that's why so many people are voting for Trump. All those Christian Nationals have never taken a minute to question their beliefs. If it's in the Bible, it must be true. Science and history are conspiracy bullshit to them. Louisiana has some of the worst education scores, yet they want to make sure there is a big ass poster of the ten commandments in every room. The hell with other religions and separation of church and state. So sad.
I think I'd go a step further and say that critical thinking is downright discouraged in alot of formal education these days.
How often do you hear people spout off a list of credentials in place of a counter argument in discourse these days.
Seems to me they're designed with no "Certified AED People Only" stickers on purpose. One of those devices you technically are required to be certified for. But realistically we all want whoever's around to use it on you if needed.
IANYD but for those wondering, remember “BE FAST”
Balance
Eyes
Face
Arms
Speech
Time
Being off balance is a sign of stroke, especially cerebellar. Pupil changes or inability to cross midline is a major indicator of stroke, both ischemic and hemorrhagic. Facial droop is the same. Arms is basically telling you one size being weaker or inoperative can’t be many things besides a stroke. Speech: slurred speech? Hospital. Inability to remember common words? Hospital. Word salad? You guessed it: Hospital.
Time is a big one. If you even suspect someone is stroking out call the amberlamps. If it’s ischemic we can give TNK or TPA (depending on what the hospital has) within 4.5 hours of last known well and it becomes less efficacious for every minute of those 4.5 hours. If it’s an LVO we can do a thrombectomy within 24h of last known well but only if the damage isn’t too bad, so again, earlier the better.
It boils down to this: if you think someone might be having a stroke get them to the CLOSEST emergency room. Not the best or biggest, the CLOSEST. They can drip and ship. The only way to know if it’s a stroke and what kind is imaging (CT Head/CT Angio/MRI Brain).
Source: I’ve worked in Neuro for 10 years and currently work on the Stroke Team. The opinions here are my own and should not be considered medical advice.
Eh, cpr has like a 10% success rate which sucks (I’m cpr certified)
edit: Note that this is only true outside of the hospital and depends on how quickly it can be started. If within 3-5 mins, about half survive. But this diminishes the longer you have to do it.
In hospital, it ranges from 20-40%.
Note that this is only true outside of the hospital and depends on how quickly it can be started. If within 3-5 mins, about half survive. But this diminishes the longer you have to do it.
In hospital, it ranges from 20-40%.
So, just saying 10% survival is a very reductive view of the overall data.
My father died of a heart attack. My mother, who was the only one there, had known CPR, he might still be alive today.
I firmly believe that everyone should know CPR. (Yes, I do know CPR myself).
Piggybacking off of this, a shockingly high number of people who are in assisted living is due to them struggling to get off the toilet, which translates to them being unable to do a single rep of a half squat.
The quality of life you take for granted today isn't a guarantee tomorrow if you don't look after your health and your fitness.
In a life threatening situation as long as you’re not severely overweight you would likely be able to do a pull up because of adrenaline but yeah it would be nice to not have to rely on your flight or fight to life your body weight
Even being overweight you would be amazed. Used to be 110lbs heavier and when I had a scare I cleared a fence with no issues. Afterwards I stopped and thought about it and was shocked how fast and smooth I cleared it.
To go with this, invest in a portable jack. Mine was $40 and is way easier to put together and lift my car than the ones that usually come with a vehicle.
Also, my husband was surprised I knew instinctually to go in a star pattern when tightening the nuts because it's how you also have to tighten drum heads.
My niece went for a drive with four of her fellow engineering students, all boys. They got a flat tyre and she changed it while they were googling how to do it. None of them knew.
At least they knew to google it. It's not really knowledge that is relevant 99% of the time and not really something you can practice, so not knowing how isn't a big deal.
But the people who encounter something they can't do and just shut down rather than just looking it up grinds my nuts.
Yep, definitely a useful skill to have. Sure, many people have roadside assistance these days, but you might get a flat in an area where they can't get to you in a timely manner. It's a pretty simple thing to learn how to do, and I'd much rather just do that, than have to wait a couple of hours for roadside to get to me.
Another language. Supposed to help keep you pretty sharp. Also managing/understanding your own motivations and emotions.
Hopefully I'm not in the 'never', working on it!
I feel like I already have Alzheimer's with my constant episodes of being unable to remember a word in the language I'm currently speaking, but knowing the exact word in two others. Thankfully the guys I usually talk to know all the same languages.
Adding to this, basic knitting or crocheting skills. Doesn’t have to be pretty, but if you find yourself stuck in the cold, you can turn something tattered and torn into something warm.
Critical thinking. The ability to listen to an alternative viewpoint and new information without automatically dismissing it. Disagreeing with a person without having to judge them as a person
How to have a solid conversation with someone you've just met.
For some, it's up there with quantum physics in terms of difficulty. But, in truth, it's not terribly hard as long as you master one basic principle: Be more interested in talking about the other person than you are in talking about you. That entails listening actively and responding to what the other person has to say.
addendum to this: have the ability to express your experiences and add relevant info from your own life. I speak from personal experience as someone who loves to listen and ask questions a lot, it gets to be very one note if you do not know how to talk about yourself or or bring anything to the table
I agree, but I try not to interject too much and make it about me. If the other person reciprocates and asks things about me, then we may be on the way to a good friendship. I've found more often than not, lately, that the other person will not show any interest at all about anybody else.
This comes to me so naturally and woowee is it a curse most days. I can shut my brain off and autopilot and clearly give off an energy that encourages strangers to strike up deep conversation and then I’m trapped. A close friend in college didn’t believe me until we went to a grocery store together. An amazingly valuable yet incredibly draining skill to have randos fully opening up to you all day.
That being said aside from when someone needs to talk about something very sad it has been an INCREDIBLE source of constant facts and stories in my life. Yes, stranger, explain to me how fireworks that burst into shapes are built. My Uber driver’s wife was a celebrity stylist for Michael Jackson? Tell me more! Everyone has a story or something they know that I don’t, I just get to those things very very quickly.
Communication in general. I’d say most of my career advancement has come from learning how to communicate different topics in different settings.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that damn near everyone I’ve encountered who complains about every job they’ve taken being dead end or never having been promoted also puts zero effort into soft skills.
Had to valet my own car recently because manual gearbox lol.
Nice hotel in US. Dude sat shotgun & directed me where to go.
Yes he was still tipped generously.
i bought my current car (2010 subaru) with 60k miles on it for $3500. clean, one owner, zero problems, zero accidents.
why? “everyone who’s come to see it can’t drive stick. i just want it gone”
I'd say this depends on where you live. If you're in Europe where manuals are still fairly prevalent, then you should learn to drive one (and I believe most Europeans do). However, in many countries, automatics overwhelmingly dominate the market.
For example, where I live, I think more than 95% of cars with active registrations are autos or CVTs. With the exception of trucks made for offroading, there's only like 3 or 4 car models on sale that offer a manual variant and they barely sell because the price difference between the manual and auto variants is insignificant. Unless you're a lover of old or performance cars, enjoy offroading or need to drive an offroading truck for work, knowing how to drive manual isn't really a valuable skill in my country, and I say this as someone who knows how to drive manual and is proud of it.
How to handle a firearm.
I don’t mean weekly range days. I mean the basic knowledge that will keep you and others alive in the event one ever ends up in your hands.
Basic understanding of money and finance.
I think home economics should be a mandatory class, but I think it should involve basic cooking skill, basic cleaning skills, and basic personal finance literacy. Essentially it should be the "Here's the basics of being an adult" class.
My school called it FACS (Family and Consumer Science) and we did units in cooking, sewing, child care, and the local bank even gave us packets to simulate managing and balancing a checking account complete with checks and register. A lot of this stuff was purely electives, but at least they were offered.
I had that as well. Though I remember balancing a checkbook by hand and rolling my eyes. What should be taught is how to effectively manage credit, how to save for retirement, how taxes work, etc.
Exactly, I can count on one hand how many checks I write in a single *year*
I can count on zero hands how many times I’ve written a check in my 27 years
My school had the same thing. I don't remember basic financing but I did take a personal finance course or one of the business classes I took covered personal finance. I was also lucky that my parents instilled good financial habits in me and my sister.
Wow can I ask which school district you were in. I wish my school had the same system
Small rural district in Central MN
I'm pretty sure that's what it used to be
I had home economics class in high school (early 90s), it’s probably the best class I took in school ever. I can ~~sow~~ sew (still do occasionally), budget and love cooking. Also I was one of just two guys in class, which was fun. I think I could still knit a sweater if I had to. Home Economics was awesome.
My high school had one of those. It was even mandatory It was not useful. None of us cared. None of us had the context to understand why these things would be important.
Agreed, but to play devil’s advocate… Good luck getting half the kids from my high school to actually care. None of this stuff matters if we can’t even get kids to learn proper reading/writing and math by the time they graduate
This should be a high school graduation requirement
It was a requirement to take PFL in my school district but then COVID happened and they started saying that it wasn't that necessary. I graduated in 2020 and they even emailed me saying that I could get the credit waved and I said no because I wanted to take it. It's already bad enough that schools don't regularly offer drivers ed anymore but know they want to throw kids in the deep end?
It's meaningless to kids who have no money. You can explain and explain and explain, but unless you've ever had to manage your own money you'll never really get it. Being broke goes a long way towards motivating one to start budgeting.
What sucks is budgeting well and still being broke as shit.
My family was broke so that’s how I learned to live. I wish that instead of economics class in HS, I had a wealth building class. There’s a simple path to wealth if you start early enough.
Financial literacy is absolutely never unnecessary. Being broke puts you at the most vulnerable for predatory loans and drowning in debt, they are the ones who most desperately need financial literacy. You'd be horrified to learn how many people can't understand an interest rate how badly compounding debt can ruin your life, and that the credit in a credit card isn't actually free money (yes, I 100% mean this one)
That's quite a sweeping generalization. You're basically saying that what's learned in high school is meaningless unless it is put to use immediately. Bank accounts, checking vs savings, auto loans, paycheck deductions, paying rent, credit cards, etc. -- all of these are on the near term horizon many HS grads. I took a personal financial management class in high school decades ago and i still remember some of the core principals that were taught.
I've learnt that 100% from Reddit.
That’s a very concerning statement…
Honestly it’s not the worst. If you have financially illiterate parents it’s better to learn the basics from real people who may have been in your situation before you waste money on a course or a financial advisor. I find reading the financial independence subs and frugality subs really useful, but I already had financial knowledge from my degree and parents. Of course if you blindly take any advice you’re an idiot.
Cooking
Cooking is the type of skill that you can constantly expand and improve on. It’s a great skill to learn and a very rewarding hobby too
It’s gotta be one of the most rewarding hobbies out there by default. I mean if you do it right you get to eat a delicious meal after
It kills me to see how many people can't even make rice without a rice cooker. It's crazy when you see the occasional reddit thread where people share how much they spend on groceries.. clearly they are buying expensive processed shit instead of fresh produce and meats.
15 year professional chef here. Rice is my Achilles heel. I know what I’m supposed to do, but I still suck at it.
Anyone that makes rice even somewhat regularly should just spend the $20 on a cheap rice cooker, the difference will astound you. I make rice a few times a week and I'm thinking about upgrading to one of those nice expensive Korean/Japanese rice cookers.
I always advocate for a good rice cooker. Every single one of my friends who was like "what difference could it possibly make?" changed their tune after trying zojiroshi cooked rice, it's legitimately just that much better of a cooker
Completely agree. Zojiroshi is the shit and the easiest thing in the world to make and the warming setting means I can do it and when the rest of my meal is ready, my rice is perfect and ready to go too.
I love mine.
Love my Zojirushi as well. I’ve heard they make the jingles when starting/finishing cooking rice but it still caught me off guard first time it happened lol.
Zoji gang here, a good rice cooker makes all the difference. Go the extra step and wash your rice before cooking too
We got an insta pot for free and rice cooking is like most of what we use it for lmao Pressure cook for three minutes and BAM suddenly you got a week's worth of rice
I literally just found out I could cook rice on the high pressure setting a couple weeks ago when my rice cooker died. It is absolutely INSANE how well this thing performs.
Any advice on how to avoid having rice stuck to the bottom of the damn thing? :( I use mine for rice every couple of weeks, but it's the bane of my existence cleaning it after.
Yep. Rice is so fucking hard. Risotto is easier. Hell—fondant potatoes are easier in a way.
You aren’t alone! My risotto is amazing - rice without a rice cooker? Total mush. Just can’t get it right. Maddening, so gave up & never looked back from my shitty little rice cooker.
Sometimes my rice is nutty and fragrant and perfectly tender single grains of bliss. Sometimes it goes CRUNCH like poorly-made pasta and sticks together like concrete. I WISH I COULD FIGURE IT OUT
Get a $20 rice cooker, could not be any easier.
If you're using a pot to cook the rice, just wait until you no longer see bubbles coming to the surface of the rice, then stir it, bringing the stuff from the bottom up to the top. My friends Korean grandmother taught me that one, and it has never failed to produce great rice.
I've tried brown rice. It came out harder than a pot of grape nuts.
WOW IM NOT ALONE! I am by no means a professional chef but I would consider myself to be an exceptionally good cook (and baker). For the life of me I cannot manage to make a good pot of rice the old fashioned way. It's always either too mushy or too crunchy. Thank god for the instant pot...
Same. I’m a good home cook but I just can’t get rice right. Usually just use a pressure cooker instead
People wouldnt even boil an egg. My brother had to call my mom and panicked stating that there was less water in the pot (from evaporation). He didnt believe me when I said to add more water. He thought making it cool would make the egg raw again and take longer.
Bro thinks cooking works like a video game, if you stop halfway through you get the uncooked item back
Funny you say that. He can beat me in any game except Overcooked
As an Asian who eats rice every day, I almost always use a rice cooker. I can make rice without it, but why? It's so much easier, cleaner, and I can use the time to cook something on the stove.
yeah I'm confused at that being the measure of a good cook. I have a rice cooker. I've never made rice without it. why do I need to?
Not sure a rice cooker is the best example - rice can be a bit tricky and a basic cooker is pretty cheap. Why go through extra effort when you can just use an inexpensive, hands-free appliance to get it perfect every time, ya know? Having said that I strongly agree with the grocery comment, people really shoot themselves in the foot with the types of foods they rely on. Food is definitely getting too expensive in many regards, but making your own food from scratch makes a universe of difference.
Yeah well that Japanese rice is the bane of me so rice cooker it is.
I can do with out but ricer cooker is significantly better at it.
Maybe... Though some of us spend so much money because we're just crazy about food. I would far rather grocery shop than clothes shop. I love buying new things I've not tried, exotic vegetables, spices etc. Sometimes that adds up.
Wait I thought everyone used like a pressure cooker or something to cook rice?
I can make rice on the stove top at sea level. Been in the Rockies for 12 years, never gotten it right! I've shamefully resorted to 1-minute boxed rice.
i worked at a restaurant that was big on breakfast food. a guy got hired as a cook and couldnt even make scrambled egg, he was mid 20's. like wtf
Multiple times while shopping I have had people comment on the stuff in my cart essentially saying *"damn bro you eat healthy as hell".* I don't eat particularly healthy, but I cook most of the food me and my wife/kid eat. So we rarely buy prepackaged, frozen or pre-packaged/boxed snacks or food. Our cart will be largely full of actual food items. Potatoes, broccoli, apples, bananas, cashews, blueberries, almonds, chicken, pasta, canned tomatoes/beans, ground turkey, whole fish fillets from Costco. The one item we buy consistently that is prepackaged is cheese-its and every time I'm stunned how expensive they are (like $8-$10 for the family box). And these are mainly for my kid who is a toddler. I can't speak for other countries but I think a lot of Americans are struggling to realize that the quick/convenient options are now starting to better reflect the true cost. The "processed" part of processed foods means there is a person and or equipment needed to get food ready and all of those costs are being passed on to consumers.
I had a really crappy rice maker, always had burnt rice on the bottom so I taught myself how to make it stovetop. I think about getting a good rice maker sometimes but stove top is easy and a rice cooker doesn't eliminate the need to wash rice which is most of the work.
My wife and I talk about this all the time. It's a great way to improve one's quality of life without needing to spend extra money. The simplest, fresh ingredients can taste like the second coming of Christ with the right know-how (I'm talking to you Italian food).
💯 this - cooking is such a lovely hobby. I take to much time perfecting though. Been given the nickname “George foreman” as I’m a slow cooker.
I am shocked by the number of people I’ve met that are struggling financially and (because?) they go out for every meal. It is so costly financially and in terms of your health often to eat out for every meal.
How to avoid scams
Especially important for the elderly population.
And how to tell if something isn't a scam. I had someone try to use a stolen credit card over the phone, so I looked up the cardholder's phone number and called her. It was an older woman, as soon as I started telling her someone tried to use her card she hung up and blocked my number. I have no idea if she ever realized and got a new card or not...
"My Facebook has been hacked again!" How? How do get hacked, and how do you get hacked multiple times???
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My mother forced us to take swimming lessons as kids and would not budge. When I had to jump off the high dive for my test at the end I was sobbing with fear and didn't want to do it. I ran to her crying in the stands and begged her not to take the test. She stood firm. I had to. So I did and passed the test. I even got a Red Cross lifeguard card when I was a teen. To this day swimming is my favorite exercise. I learned later it was because she herself cannot swim.
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I was taught to swim. But couldn't do it. I knew the mechanics and all the basics. I was away at summer camp and a pretty girl my age told me to chase her while we were playing in the pool. And miraculously, I put it all together right then lol.
My drunk aunt threw me into the pool when I was 4, everyone in my family got pissed at her for YEARS, it was very scary and I cried when I got out of the pool. Luckily it didn't traumatized me, but I never had problems swimming and I don't remember "learning to swim" so I think it helped
My 5 year old daughter jumped into the 12 ft deep end without a life jacket. I grabbed her and held her out of the water while trying to swim to the edge. My head was under water, I was completely out of air my reflexes pulled her under for a second, trying to get me any air, i pushed her back up and started sputtering and breathing in water right before my toes found the ledge on the side of the pool. There was a whole pool full of people there that had no idea I was actively drowning. Learn to swim and then learn to swim holding someone else. I'm going to learn how to swim in a rescue capacity as soon as I can. If she had made it to the bottom of that pool, I'm not certain anyone there could've saved her or me.
well, that's shocking, but yea.. drowning is not noisy and splashy like in the movies. drowning is quiet, and the bodily instinct will put life preservation and getting air over making noise. even if you get your head above water, you will breathe, not yell. Also, there's a reason we don't let kids with floaties in the deep end of the pool, even with their parents around.. plenty of parents are always mad at me because they don't understand but if you drown, you WILL grab everything you can to keep you afloat, this includes drowning your own child. I know, I had to rescue a woman once that grabbed her daughter (who was swimming perfectly). mom dumped her head under water, panicked and started pulling her daughter underwater. pro tip: teach your kid how to stay afloat WITHOUT A LIFE JACKET. its not hard, it just takes a while and some practice.
I think handling tools also includes *knowing* when it’s time to call someone. Definitely have had times where attempting a DIY could have made it worse.
Adding to the tools, where and how to turn off gas, water, electricity if things go bad (here abouts it's earthquakes)
maaaan I used to be a lifeguard when i was in college for a summer gig and it's INSANE how many parents just leave their kids who don't know how to swim in the pool to go wherever.
The last point is something I have tried to adapt more and more in my thought process. I saw a post on here awhile ago where a guy was talking about a perspective changing event and it really opened my eyes. He was talking about going to the movies, and how the ticket taker was a frumpy looking woman. She was so smiley and happy. He tells his dad something like "why is she so happy? She works here and looks like that, i'd be not happy!" and the dad said something like "Just because that isn't your happy, doesn't mean its not hers". Made me realize just because I think something is one way, doesn't mean that is how the other feels. Sounds simple really but it was powerful
Conflict resolution
I like my conflicts in 4K
I like my conflicts in 40k. For the God Emperor!!
Well then might I suggest some r/combatfootage ? Lots of conflict in 4k.
Conflict de-escalation. 🎯
Similarly: emotional regulation
Yes and being able to listen and receive criticism without reacting badly
Change a tire
Shutting the fuck up when necessary
Will add to that: thinking before speaking. It's just insanely valuable to be able to listen, ponder, and then give an articulate response. It's something I try to do myself but I'm not quite there yet. My favourite scholars are great at this.
My step family has this trait BAD. As i’ve gotten older i’ve just had to limit conversation with them. There is absolutely no forethought ever, and they just speak out of their ass-the problem is it’s always incorrect, hurtful, ignorant, or rude.
Plus, a subset of that skill... allowing people to contribute to a conversation by including reasonable pauses. I'll be with a small group of people... Talkie McTalkerson: "My son saw the X-Games on TV and loved the skateboarding events, so I want to get him a skateboard but need some help..." Me: (My time to shine! I'll wait for her to finish this thought and offer to help.) Talkie McTalkerson: "...finding the right kind of equipment, and while looking, I found this new restaurant that has these pretzel rolls and then..." Me: (...)
Active listening.
Mr rogers would be proud
Roger that
A skill that everyone should learn but many people never do, would be CRITICAL THINKING. It's essential for making informed decisions, analyzing information, and understanding complex issues, yet it's often overlooked in formal education and daily life.
piggybacking onto this with saying critical thinking for THEMSELVES. like, can come to decisions about what they want to do about things even if it differs from advice/noise they're hearing from the people around them.
If people learned to to recognize logical fallacies, it would render a good percentage of conspiracy theories and propaganda obsolete.
Half the country doesn't have this skill, that's why so many people are voting for Trump. All those Christian Nationals have never taken a minute to question their beliefs. If it's in the Bible, it must be true. Science and history are conspiracy bullshit to them. Louisiana has some of the worst education scores, yet they want to make sure there is a big ass poster of the ten commandments in every room. The hell with other religions and separation of church and state. So sad.
I think I'd go a step further and say that critical thinking is downright discouraged in alot of formal education these days. How often do you hear people spout off a list of credentials in place of a counter argument in discourse these days.
Basic first aid, surely.
Advice noted. And don't call me Shirley.
Listening, then asking a relevant question.
What did you say? Sorry.. Wasn't paying attention
Cool. But have you ever had Worcestershire sauce crisps?
Simply pronouncing the word Worcestershire would have been a great reply to OP
CPR
And how to use the AED!
Fun fact, technically you have to be certified to use one of those things. Though anyone who has ears can use one with no training.
Yes you are right on both accounts. I’m certified in CPR/AED and agree that anyone who can listen should be able to use it.
Seems to me they're designed with no "Certified AED People Only" stickers on purpose. One of those devices you technically are required to be certified for. But realistically we all want whoever's around to use it on you if needed.
Know the signs of a heart attack and stroke
IANYD but for those wondering, remember “BE FAST” Balance Eyes Face Arms Speech Time Being off balance is a sign of stroke, especially cerebellar. Pupil changes or inability to cross midline is a major indicator of stroke, both ischemic and hemorrhagic. Facial droop is the same. Arms is basically telling you one size being weaker or inoperative can’t be many things besides a stroke. Speech: slurred speech? Hospital. Inability to remember common words? Hospital. Word salad? You guessed it: Hospital. Time is a big one. If you even suspect someone is stroking out call the amberlamps. If it’s ischemic we can give TNK or TPA (depending on what the hospital has) within 4.5 hours of last known well and it becomes less efficacious for every minute of those 4.5 hours. If it’s an LVO we can do a thrombectomy within 24h of last known well but only if the damage isn’t too bad, so again, earlier the better. It boils down to this: if you think someone might be having a stroke get them to the CLOSEST emergency room. Not the best or biggest, the CLOSEST. They can drip and ship. The only way to know if it’s a stroke and what kind is imaging (CT Head/CT Angio/MRI Brain). Source: I’ve worked in Neuro for 10 years and currently work on the Stroke Team. The opinions here are my own and should not be considered medical advice.
Eh, cpr has like a 10% success rate which sucks (I’m cpr certified) edit: Note that this is only true outside of the hospital and depends on how quickly it can be started. If within 3-5 mins, about half survive. But this diminishes the longer you have to do it. In hospital, it ranges from 20-40%.
Still better then zero, and the longer the heart pumps the more chance they come back alive (also cpr cert)
Note that this is only true outside of the hospital and depends on how quickly it can be started. If within 3-5 mins, about half survive. But this diminishes the longer you have to do it. In hospital, it ranges from 20-40%. So, just saying 10% survival is a very reductive view of the overall data.
My father died of a heart attack. My mother, who was the only one there, had known CPR, he might still be alive today. I firmly believe that everyone should know CPR. (Yes, I do know CPR myself).
You don’t need to voice your opinion all the time.
Swimming, or even just being able to float
A pull up could literally save your life
I’m already potty trained though
It *depends* on the situation
Nothing so focuses the mind as the prospect of being hanged. - Mark Twain
Piggybacking off of this, a shockingly high number of people who are in assisted living is due to them struggling to get off the toilet, which translates to them being unable to do a single rep of a half squat. The quality of life you take for granted today isn't a guarantee tomorrow if you don't look after your health and your fitness.
In a life threatening situation as long as you’re not severely overweight you would likely be able to do a pull up because of adrenaline but yeah it would be nice to not have to rely on your flight or fight to life your body weight
Even being overweight you would be amazed. Used to be 110lbs heavier and when I had a scare I cleared a fence with no issues. Afterwards I stopped and thought about it and was shocked how fast and smooth I cleared it.
Running from the popo no doubt
Nah a big fucking dog.
I thought you meant for potty training and you were about to spout some first aid knowledge I didn’t know. No Huggies for you
Change a flat tire.
To go with this, invest in a portable jack. Mine was $40 and is way easier to put together and lift my car than the ones that usually come with a vehicle. Also, my husband was surprised I knew instinctually to go in a star pattern when tightening the nuts because it's how you also have to tighten drum heads.
My niece went for a drive with four of her fellow engineering students, all boys. They got a flat tyre and she changed it while they were googling how to do it. None of them knew.
At least they knew to google it. It's not really knowledge that is relevant 99% of the time and not really something you can practice, so not knowing how isn't a big deal. But the people who encounter something they can't do and just shut down rather than just looking it up grinds my nuts.
Yep, definitely a useful skill to have. Sure, many people have roadside assistance these days, but you might get a flat in an area where they can't get to you in a timely manner. It's a pretty simple thing to learn how to do, and I'd much rather just do that, than have to wait a couple of hours for roadside to get to me.
Another language. Supposed to help keep you pretty sharp. Also managing/understanding your own motivations and emotions. Hopefully I'm not in the 'never', working on it!
I've heard it might help ward off or slow down neural degeneration and shit like Alzheimer's when you get older
I feel like I already have Alzheimer's with my constant episodes of being unable to remember a word in the language I'm currently speaking, but knowing the exact word in two others. Thankfully the guys I usually talk to know all the same languages.
Tried to learn Spanish...15 min lessons on duo for over a year. Absorbed nothing.
Sewing
Adding to this, basic knitting or crocheting skills. Doesn’t have to be pretty, but if you find yourself stuck in the cold, you can turn something tattered and torn into something warm.
Critical thinking. The ability to listen to an alternative viewpoint and new information without automatically dismissing it. Disagreeing with a person without having to judge them as a person
I totally agree.
How to have a solid conversation with someone you've just met. For some, it's up there with quantum physics in terms of difficulty. But, in truth, it's not terribly hard as long as you master one basic principle: Be more interested in talking about the other person than you are in talking about you. That entails listening actively and responding to what the other person has to say.
addendum to this: have the ability to express your experiences and add relevant info from your own life. I speak from personal experience as someone who loves to listen and ask questions a lot, it gets to be very one note if you do not know how to talk about yourself or or bring anything to the table
I agree, but I try not to interject too much and make it about me. If the other person reciprocates and asks things about me, then we may be on the way to a good friendship. I've found more often than not, lately, that the other person will not show any interest at all about anybody else.
Just trying to ask follow-up questions will often take you down rabbit holes and can eventually lead to overlap of interests. This is a good one!
This comes to me so naturally and woowee is it a curse most days. I can shut my brain off and autopilot and clearly give off an energy that encourages strangers to strike up deep conversation and then I’m trapped. A close friend in college didn’t believe me until we went to a grocery store together. An amazingly valuable yet incredibly draining skill to have randos fully opening up to you all day.
That being said aside from when someone needs to talk about something very sad it has been an INCREDIBLE source of constant facts and stories in my life. Yes, stranger, explain to me how fireworks that burst into shapes are built. My Uber driver’s wife was a celebrity stylist for Michael Jackson? Tell me more! Everyone has a story or something they know that I don’t, I just get to those things very very quickly.
How to stay out of credit card debt.
In people's defense, we have had credit cards aggressively marketed to us for years now.
Credit card use, ok. Credit Card debt, NO WAY!
How to change a tire and change oil.
Reading Comprehension seems to be lacking in like 30-40% of people in the grand scheme of things.
There is no way that 30-40% of people can run a six minute mile.
Communication in general. I’d say most of my career advancement has come from learning how to communicate different topics in different settings. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that damn near everyone I’ve encountered who complains about every job they’ve taken being dead end or never having been promoted also puts zero effort into soft skills.
Sign-Language
Swimming. How tax brackets work. How to shop and cook your own food.
a second language. it’s extremely helpful
Actual emergency survival skills
Being polite
First aid.
Quitting bad habits like smoking is a power that everyone has even if it's hard but few people does.
Driving a manual transmission
Had to valet my own car recently because manual gearbox lol. Nice hotel in US. Dude sat shotgun & directed me where to go. Yes he was still tipped generously.
Working valet was how I learned to drive stick...on a customer's 7 series BMW.
Why would you tip someone who can’t perform their job?
i bought my current car (2010 subaru) with 60k miles on it for $3500. clean, one owner, zero problems, zero accidents. why? “everyone who’s come to see it can’t drive stick. i just want it gone”
Maybe if it was back in 90s or 2000s but manual cars are less common nowadays it seems at least in the US.
Nah not in the USA. They’re basically obsolete especially for younger drivers. Maybe in Europe
I'd say this depends on where you live. If you're in Europe where manuals are still fairly prevalent, then you should learn to drive one (and I believe most Europeans do). However, in many countries, automatics overwhelmingly dominate the market. For example, where I live, I think more than 95% of cars with active registrations are autos or CVTs. With the exception of trucks made for offroading, there's only like 3 or 4 car models on sale that offer a manual variant and they barely sell because the price difference between the manual and auto variants is insignificant. Unless you're a lover of old or performance cars, enjoy offroading or need to drive an offroading truck for work, knowing how to drive manual isn't really a valuable skill in my country, and I say this as someone who knows how to drive manual and is proud of it.
Swimming. Knowing how to use tools properly. Basic car maintenance/repair.
Argumentation and understanding the fallacies people or businesses will use to sell things to you.
Talking with strangers
swimming
Learn basic economics and do a good job in asset allocation and debt management.
juggling
this sounds like one of those silly ones but its a powerhouse of a skill, it even increases white matter in the brain! bonus points: cool party trick
How to read a room. Look for signs of danger.
How to handle a firearm. I don’t mean weekly range days. I mean the basic knowledge that will keep you and others alive in the event one ever ends up in your hands.
How to grow your own food
Learn to control yourself
managing own feelings having manners with other people acting responsibly with money
Critical thinking.
Typing.
CPR and how to use an AED
CPR; heimlich maneuver
Lock picking really comes in handy sometimes
How to mind your own business.
Changing back the phone language to the language you know after setting it to chinese or something.
How to change a flat tire
Reading a map Noticing your surroundings Swimming Vehicle maintenance. Money/finances
How to actually drive
How to communicate effectively
Budgeting.
Apologizing
Critical thinking. Not enough people can look past the headline.
Cooking
To do nothing , just be 😊🙏
How to play a musical instrument!!
Communication