Feminist And Independent: Top 5 DIY Skills That All Women Should Know
The discourse of feminism is not dead: Many women still struggle with the image of the submissive housewife who stays at home all day. For many, being a woman now means being an independent person who can make her choices. However, sometimes it is difficult to describe oneself as independent when you still prefer to rely on others, men or even your parents, to give you a hand with basic everyday skills. By learning these skills you can help to change things.
Decorating And Painting
For many women, decorating the house should be the work of a professional painter. Wrong! All you need is a brush and some paint to give your living room a bright and fresh touch which will let you take full ownership of your home. You can proudly say “I did it myself” as your guests admire the result. If you are new to painting walls, you can start with small, projects to get used to it; maybe focus your effort on some decorative elements, such as a picture frame, instead of the wall, or start practising with a colouring book.
Sewing
Basic Car Maintenance
Don’t be that woman who is stuck on the side of the road because she doesn’t know how to change a wheel. If you think that car work is not for girls, think again: Elizabeth II, the current Queen of Great Britain, served as a mechanic during the war. She knew exactly how to change a tyre, service the oil of a vehicle, change a broken lightbulb, set a new car battery and even change brake pads. Being able to maintain your car and to service the essential elements can save you a lot of money and troubles in the long term.
Cooking
Stop buying processed foods; it is well-known that cooking your own food is the healthier option. Stop saying that you can’t cook: All you have to do is to follow a recipe. Your body will be grateful for it.
IT Troubleshooting
You live now in a world of digital. Consequently, you need to know what is going wrong and how to fix most common issues. Thankfully, most IT related issues are caused by installation and update errors and are relatively easy to sort out. While you don’t have to become a living geek, it is important to stop giving in to techno-fear and fully embrace technology as an everyday tool that is man-made. There’s nothing magical in it, therefore no reason why you couldn’t make it work!
14 Comments
Kate Sarsfield
Perhaps it’s because I am the elder of two girls, but I was always Dad’s ‘gofer’: Go for this , go for that … i.e. his assistant. I’ve also learnt that I actually enjoy getting my hands mucky!
Darcy Koch
Sadly, I am not much of a DIY person. I’ve always wished I could be more creative. I do like to admire things others have created.
Sue E
I used to do all the things above when I was younger. Except I used to sew by hand. I tried to learn the sewing machine in school, but I never got the hang of it. I don’t even know if they have Home Economics in school anymore. Every girl or boy should learn how to do some of these things. Technology is awesome, but if we were ever thrown back into the Stone Age at least we would have some useful knowledge to fall back on!
Tamra Phelps
I admit I broke several needles on a sewing machine in middle school & I just never was very good at it! But I’m generally pretty adept at taking care of things on my own—you learn from experience!
KATE SARSFIELD
I can & do do all the above except using a sewing machine. I can hand sew & often do but after I got my finger caught in an old Singer hand machine I haven’t dared go near one!
Karen R
I wish I could sew. I can change a tire and the oil in the car. These things should be taught in school because a lot of parents don’t have the skills either.
Natalie
My dad has taught me a lot about basic car maintenance. It keeps my car running for a longer time!
clojo9372
I should learn to sew. That would definitely be useful since I always seem to have something that needs mending! 🙂
Anne C
Great list! Thank you for sharing. I love doing things all around the house and I don’t think it’s men’s job. It is everyone’s job to help repair and maintain the house.
Tamra Phelps
You also get a feeling of greater security if you can do things yourself around the house or on the road (stop that running toilet or change that flat tire.) Hmm, it would be a thing to see to happen upon the Queen of England changing a flat, right?? I wonder if she still remembers how.
Sarah L
I’m an up-to-date kind of woman. I can do most of these.
clojo9372
There so much truth in this article. If you’re a single woman on your own you need to have skills in many areas so you don’t have to rely on someone for guidance.
michele
A great article to boost confidence is areas women might feel intimidated..
michele
This is a great post.. Why?? because a good number of women do not have the confidence to try sewing or car maintenance . this article tells them yes you can.. Excellent Connie