Today's Homemaking Class

An English Poppy Field

by Bernard Willington

Notes for the Homemaking Class 

Today in Lisa's class, which I will be attending via Skype, (free video calls)  I am to speak briefly about her theme of "Each one teach one."  I first heard this phrase in a history lesson, where the country of Mexico was examined for its literacy program. In the 1950's, their president apparently launched a program called "Each one teach one." Anyone that knew how to read and write was encouraged to teach at least one other person how to read and write, and within a very short time, and without a government program involving huge amounts of money or government agents,  the literacy in the country was increased.

Tutoring is always more effective than the classroom, in my opinion. Home schoolers have experienced this. Sometimes a child who has trouble learning in a classroom situation with all its distractions can be brought up to a higher level of learning within a very short time when taught at home by his mother and others who love him.

Homemaking classes are wonderful, and the wives and daughters who attend them always glean a lot, but that is just the tip of the iceberg, the hem of the garment and the icing on the cake.  Personal tutoring that takes place when a daughter learns at the elbow of her mother is more foundational and lasting.  Homemaking becomes so automatic to girls who follow their mothers around, that they hardly know they are doing it. 

There are a few Biblical examples of this private tutoring. Samuel was sent to Eli, the priest to become a priest. Ruth put herself under the authority and care of her mother-in-law when her husband died, and was gently guided to become the wife of Boaz.  In the New Testament, the apostle Paul stated that he had been taught the Jewish faith by a teacher named Gamaliel.   Most importantly, Titus 2 teaches the older women to teach the younger women the things they know that will help them as wives, mothers and homemakers.  

To the ones that claim to be disciples of Christ, the Titus 2 instructions are not just a preference or, to use a popular word "optional."  Instead, they are essential.  God loves women and knows what is best for their care and protection. Jesus valued women and taught them one-on-one, as indicated in several places in the scriptures.  He has given them an important place in life. Guarding, guiding and keeping the home are enormous responsibilities. I always look at it as not only a choice, but a duty.  To the woman who wants to do what is right, there is no choice but to follow the Word of God, and that makes life's choices a lot easier. We hope Christian women will choose to do what is right and good; choose to do their duty.  Of course we realize that each person must be personally persuaded by the scriptures and come to the decision to be a good homemaker. Christ does not force anyone to obey him, because he wants them to come to Him willingly, with loving hearts. 

We live in a time where many of the things women used to do at home are accomplished by mechanical things or by the convenience of grocery stores, but still it is possible to be home-centered. Yes, we must go out and get groceries, but is not it wonderful that we can choose fine food "from afar"  and stock our pantries with supplies!  We may have machines to wash clothes, wash dishes, sweep the floor, and slow-cook our food, but we still have to know how to operate those machines and keep them in good repair so they will serve us well. A home keeper still has to understand how to load up the slow-cooker and season the food so that it is nutritional and tastes good.  In spite of all the conveniences of machinery and grocery stores, there is a lot of work to be done in the home.  

Each one teaching one can guide the next generation of young women into caring for the home. It is great to use conveniences but young women should be taught how to do without those conveniences if they find themselves without out them. Knowing how to make things from basic ingredients, or what kitchen products you can use for cleaning supplies in a pinch.  Older women need to also teach younger women about family matters: what to do when a husband is discouraged or when there is no money, how to teach children to behave themselves, natural health habits, and what to do when there is a family crisis. This is the value of the older women, because they have been through all these stages of life, from placid times, to joyous time, in prosperity, and in grief.

As to waiting til you find a "mentor" to coach you in home living, that is not necessary. Everyone is older than someone, and can teach someone, and if you find there are no older women qualified to teach you, you will just have to pull yourself up by your bootstraps (an old expression meaning get some courage) and become that older woman by teaching yourself. These days, information is attainable all over the place, and even if all you have to read is a few ancient stories, you can learn a lot about human nature from them. The pioneers in places like Canada, Australia, America, South Africa and others, came across the plains with not much more than the Bible and Pilgrim's Progress, and were able to establish themselves and teach the next generation. Many brave women learned to cook and sew out of necessity, and today some of their primitive quilts and clothing are treasured and displayed in historic homes today.   The women of the past, at least that I knew in my own life, did not seem too worried about finding mentors. They seemed to learn and catch on to the things necessary to keep their homes and take care of their families. Just like today, there were some who did not do it very well, and there were some who did it more excellently.  

To teach one, all you need to do is prepare one thing that you already know how to do, and show it to someone else. It will be less awkward if you'll get out tea cups and serve tea and sandwiches and then start your show-and-tell.

I once had a gathering which I called my Annual Homemaking Tea, where each lady who came had a show-and-tell, which would be helpful in the realm of the home.  Some showed how to make quick snacks (which we ate afterwards) and others showed how to teach Bible lessons to children. Each show-and-tell was short and simple, from how to take care of indoor kitchen trash (some things we did not all know) to safety in the home.  All a homemaking class amounts to is a show-and-tell situation.

Even if you are just a quiet person that does not need too much socializing, you can do something just by your example. Being clean and organized at home, and having a good appearance when out of the home, teaches and influences more than you know.

While speaking of the each-one-teach-one idea, I'd love to speak personally to any lady who would like to have a Skype talk with me on a subject her choice, at a convenient time. Remember, Skype video calls has a free version.  Just email me ladylydiaspeaks@comcast.net and I'll give you my skype address and we can connect in any country.

Sample of Homemaking Class Program

Mrs. Hollinger's recent invitation to a homemaking class is an example of a way to  draw more interest in the gentle art of homemaking, by hosting a homemaking class in her home.  Here is her announcement.  I attend as a guest speaker through the Skype program, where they can see me on screen.

Ladies,

We have a very exciting class in store for you with our "Irish Spring Tea!" 

We sent out reminders via facebook.  In case you missed it, we are having our a "Green Healthy" theme in honor of St. Patricks Day.  The Titus Two Wives are excited to share their "green" knowledge with you.  We want to thank the Ladies who have been following our class, especially from out of state~ for all your prayers.  We sincerely appreciate you praying as the Titus Two Teachers prepare to share this Friday.  May we be encouraged in our calling to glorify God!

• Mrs. Sherman will be opening our class with a biblical message in line our Titus Two Mandate "Each One Teach One".

• We will continue Mrs. Derbers series "The Art of Homemaking"  with specifics on organizing "Schedules", "Time Management" and "Planning Meals".
• Mrs. Roberts will be teaching you a wonderful recipe for a homemade "Spa" product you will love!!  We will be giving you lots of homemade "Spa" recipes you can make at home for yourself and or as gifts for others. 
• Mrs. Spencer will be teaching an immune building, cancer fighting, digestive aid and flu fighting healthy food you can make at home!
• We have a fun "homemaking" activity that will challenge and make you laugh!

You will enjoy wonderful fellowship and a lovely afternoon "Irish Spring Tea!"

**Wives please bring your planners, organizers or whatever you use to help you keep yourself organized or on schedule.  We would like you to share during our Titus Two Tips what you use!  It will be lots of fun to see even if its just a piece of notebook paper!

Those who signed up to bring a healthy snack or dessert are:  Mrs. Glines, Mrs. Hoerth, Mrs. Spencer and Mrs. Sodeberg & Miss Melissa Cherry.

*Daughters~do your best to create a crock pot meal for your mothers.  You will be glad you did!

We will see this Friday!

Your friends,

The Titus Two Wives & Daughters Class

Note:  Crock pots are the same as slow-cookers, and these days a slow cooker provides quite a high quality meal. Having a meal in your crock pot makes the house smell wonderful, and the food is usually quite good. On the inside cover of the new Tea Time magazine is an ad for a book called "Creative Slow-Cooker Meals" and suggests using two slow cookers for tasty and easy meals. I do not own this cookbook but it has a good idea on the cover: get a smaller slow cooker and a larger one, and use them both for meals. One can have the main dish in it, and the other, a side dish.

A slow cooker is great for making your own refried beans. Put the dried beans in the pot with plenty of water, adding more when needed, and cook them overnight, including the spices and other ingredients. There are recipes available on the web and in slow cooker recipe books. One that is out now is by Taste of Home and features tear out cards that you can keep in a box. The booklet is small, and usually displayed in grocery stores.

Some of the lessons she listed are on the Art Linkletter record that was produced back in the 60's and are read by a lady with excellent elocution, which makes very pleasant listening.

Hosting a Homemaking Class

 

picture source: Country Porches

Homemaking classes are being quietly conducted in churches and homes throughout the nation. Each one is different, depending on the knowledge and experience of the teachers and the needs of the students.  If you have always wanted to attend a homemaking class, you can do it yourself by hosting a class once in your home. You do not need any kind of professional materials and you need not go to any expense. All you need is to have your house prepared for company, and a list of things you wish to talk about or demonstrate.



Woman in a French Interior, by Susan Watkins, American 1908

While each teacher will have a personal preference of the way in which it is taught, it is probably a good idea to include a little talk about the purpose of being a homemaker and the importance of doing a good job. Explain also that homemaking does not mean you have to be always working, but it does not mean you are free to do nothing just because you are home. Show how a homemaker balances her work time with leisure time. I once heard a woman explain it like this:

            You have to prepare meals, supervise the cleaning of the house, pay bills, and, throughout the day, keep a watch on your house to see that it stays orderly. Then, if your work is completed, you might be able to sit down and concentrate on some quiet activity such as a hobby or reading, or some special interest.



Edmund Blair Leighton

It is preferable if the students are accompanied by their mothers, so that all can participate and learn in a Titus 2 class. It would be good if the goal of the teacher was to send girls home with one new piece of knowledge about running a home, that would benefit their own homes and would free their mothers of some of the responsibilities and give them more time to spend on projects they have been wanting to complete.





Susan Rios

Home life can be portrayed as a life of variety. There is so much to do. One way of discovering the enormous amount of things there are to keep a homemaker busy full time, is to spend time with the class in making a long list of every possible thing they can think of to do at home, that has to do with homemaking. Explain that homemaking is not just washing dishes and sweeping floors or fixing meals. It is making a home beautiful and comfortable for others. It is keeping track of the family heirlooms and memories. It is making sure that that safety procedures are followed in all parts of the house. It is showing care and concern for other people in that house. Students can list seasonal things that are required in creating home life.  Home life also changes as children grow up and change their habits and needs.

A Quiet Moment by John O'Brien

Keeping house will keep homemakers busy, and that of course is part of God's plan to provide a place of importance for women in the church of Christ, to whom the verses in Titus are addressed. While not everyone will follow the mandate to teach the younger women to be good wives, mothers and homemakers, we can know for certain that it is something for Christian women.  Our example in doing this will win more people than arguments will.  Showing how it is done in a homemaking class can be more convincing, if the teacher can also transport to them the feeling of happiness she has at home.

Hosting a homemaking class need not be stressful. One woman I know, Mrs. L., has had one each month for a year, with a different theme.

Women do not need to think they have to know everything in order to teach a simple class. All they have to do is share an aspect of homemaking and make it interesting. For example, Mrs. J. demonstrated how to hold a broom and how to sweep and use a dust pan. That might seem trite to some people, but there are girls who grow up never having  learned this and are at a loss when it comes to housekeeping later.  Another woman showed her class how to wash dishes by hand, how to rinse them so that they would be free of soap, and how to dry them. She explained things about having the water hot enough and how much soap to put in. Simple, but still needed. She was also trying to show how to enjoy washing dishes and how to make the atmosphere of the kitchen pleasant while doing it. You can learn what to think about , and how to plan for future things,  while doing some of these tasks.

If you are unsure of yourself as a teacher, just consider it an act of hospitality and invite people as friends, to come to your home, where you will share something you know how to do.

Use the list your friends and students have made, to determine some subjects to present to your group. If you know no one and seem to have no one interested, try having something like this with your daughter.  You can serve tea in your finest cups and then get up and go about the tasks you have prepared to demonstrate.

Hosting a homemaking class need not be daunting. Have at least one room clean that you can seat your students, dress like a lady and wear an apron, have a special vase of flowers for the occasion, or bake something that smells good.  Some people just like to be invited to someone else's home to see how they do things, whether it is laundry or ironing, cooking or cleaning.

Feeding the Doves, by Sydney Muschamp, English 1870-1903

Teachers should be aware that there will always be those who will attempt to discredit them or dumb-down the class by distracting or behaving as though they are bored. There is usually one one person who is like this, but carries others off into that type of attitude. Others, even older women, may act rather superior to the whole idea that you have to teach homemaking to anyone. In the time that spans before the next class convenes, some negative type students may spread enough naysaying  that makes fewer people want to attend. There is a technique that has gone on for centuries where this is used. If you want to destroy an idea, a belief, or a way of life, create controversy around it, even if there is none. You might say "I've heard about marriage, but there is a lot of controversy surrounding it." That way, the hearer focuses on the fact that there is controversy (even if there is not).  Someone might say, "I have heard there is a cooking class, but there is some objection to it." There might be absolutely no objection to it, but the hearer will not want to be involved in anything that spells conflict, so will avoid the whole class. There are people who know from childhood how to work this kind of technique to destroy any attempt to make life better. 

Another thing that teachers will have to expect is that there will be a certain amount of rolling of the eyes and boredom. She should cover all this with introductory remarks which also are typed on paper that can be given out at each lesson. Make it short and memorable, stating that they should save their objections until the end of the class, and write them down, to be answered later. The reason for this, is that many of their questions and challenges will be answered just by observing the teachings.  The paper should state that no student should try to detract from the class if they want to be invited back, and that the teacher is giving freely of her time with no charge and is not obligated to accommodate dissention or undermining.  Some students will visit each other during the week and may indulge in gossip about the teacher or the class. This ought to be warned against by suggesting that if they do mention the class to anyone during the week or month between classes, that they should talk about it in a good light.

 If anyone remembers teaching the Fascinating Womanhood classes, there was a teacher's manual that was very well laid out with instructions for the teachers to read to the class, and they were also copied out and passed around for their notebooks. They were very kind in nature, and not difficult to follow. The list mentioned things like not arguing and not being close-minded. It explained that some people would already know some things that were taught, and that those things would not apply to them, but might be of interest to someone else. Everyone would be at a different level of maturity and a different stage in learning, and each one might glean something from the class.

In this day and age, such classes are rare, so , to be invited to attend one is a privilege and the hosting teacher should be treated with great appreciation. Girls are constantly being told to go to college, and the colleges actively recruit students. Recruiting campaigns through mail and telephone and other media are constantly launched to get girls interested in college. Rarely does anyone teach a class to get girls interested in marriage, children and homemaking. So, to be invited to one such class is not to be taken lightly. If a girl thinks she knows everything about homemaking and is invited to a class, she should try to attend just to encourage and help the teacher and the students. It will help build others up, as the Bible teaches.

A teacher might seriously consider only teaching one class, one day a year, or she might have several informal classes, seasonally, throughout the year.  She has to decide what she will be able to do.  Weekly classes can be too exhausting for some women, especially if they have pressing responsibilities at home.  Once a season, by invitation, might suffice. It all depends on the preference of the teacher.

Hamilton Collection

A Homemaking Class

Although I have taught a lot of homemaking classes, I had never attended a Titus 2 class taught by anyone else,( which is a time when older women teach younger women how to guide their homes and become good wives, mothers and homemakers),  and when I received an invitation from a lady to come and observe her first class, I gladly went. It was more than I expected!  I travelled quite a ways from my home and was so pleasantly greeted by this lovely Victorian Farm House with its pretty porch and oval window door. Nearby was the soothing sound of a creek, where the hostess can go for rest and relaxation.

Having grown children, Mrs. J. now looks after the needs of her husband's parents and her own parents, and yet wants to share some of her life with young girls. There were 5 students in this class, including one of the mothers who wanted to learn alongside her daughters. The girls were just delightfully eager to learn. Mrs. J. began with a well-set tea table which I would like to describe to you. She had a floral oval cloth on her oval table, and on top of that she laid a white see-through lace cloth, giving  a wonderfully Victorian look of depth, fullness and warmth to the table.  I had never done this with a printed table cloth, but the effect was so beautiful that I am eager to try it.

 Each tea setting was from her collection of tea cups which she had procured from yard sales, antique stores, and second-hand stores, and the young ladies felt so special being offered such pretty vessels to drink from. Mrs. J. showed them how to drink from the cup and hold the saucer close to catch any drips. She served a light, fluffy scone with cream and jam and explained a little of the technique of making perfect scones: do not over-work your dough, but pat it gently after kneading it only 6 or 7 times. 

Our hostess is using a book called "Polished Cornerstones," which she let us look through, and which is well worth the investment, for it covers all aspects of life at home. Her lesson began with instructions about modest dressing, and modest sitting. After demonstrating how to sit on a tall stool in a kitchen, a regular chair and yes, the carpet or ground, each student was allowed to practice and see if they could do it. She showed how you could be modest when sitting in all these places, and how a long skirt could help you sit more modestly in all situations. She was wearing a pretty blouse and a long skirt and apron.

Mrs. J. then took us on a tour of her kitchen, where she had things set up in what she called stations. Her baking ingredients were in top shelves, where she had installed lowering spice racks and her baking equipment and pans were directly underneath in the lower cabinets. She had a drink station, a dinner station, formal dinner station, and other places where she had organized her kitchen with helpful slide-out organizing units to store  her kitchen things more  efficiently, all from a Lowe's store in her area.  

Organizers help keep the baking station neat.

She showed each student how to hold a broom and angle it to sweep the floor effectively, and instructed them on other things concerning sweeping.

When the kitchen tour was completed, Mrs. J. took her students upstairs to the sewing room, where she gave the first lesson in sewing, and began their first project, a bag in which to hold a travel iron,  after learning to thread a sewing needle and tie the knot.  As an iron is a companion to sewing, this is a useful container that will serve her students well.

Door racks and pull-out drawers make it easy to store things, find them, and keep them neat.

Married in 1969 at the age of 18, Mrs. J. and her husband have spent nearly 40 years developing their dream home. In the beginning, when her husband was earning $200.00 a month, they rented a garage to live in, in which they bought only the bare necessities to live on, and that did not include a phone. However, as time went by, they prospered from this frugality: Mrs. J. says,

Five years later in 1975 we were able to afford our first down payment on a fixer-upper house. We improved the house with a new roof, half a house room addition, fence, veg. garden, a postage stamp orchard of fruit trees and a concrete driveway, paint and stucco on the outside of the home. I planted trees in the front yard for shade and privacy because we lived on a busy street.
We drove old fixer-upper cars because my husband was handy at repairing them. I sewed many of mine and our child's clothes and my husband was able to save some money every payday. We didn't eat out much or go to movies. We entertained our children and made our own fun. Holidays were special and we made a big deal out of baking, and making handmade gifts and cards.


In 2005 we designed and built our final home using home plan magazines. We found a home plan we liked and tweaked the plans to customize the house for our needs. Then we contacted a draftsman to draw up the blueprints according to our design. I had 40 years to plan where everything would go, how we would use the house right down to the way I wanted the kitchen arranged. It had to be a large kitchen because we planned on having a large garden and orchard. I loved the cottage style farm houses of the Victorian era so I designed the house to appear Cottage Victorian with wood gingerbread trim and fish scale siding over the front porch peak. We found a contractor who gave us a bid we could work with and a time frame to look forward to.

The drink station as everything she needs to make tea or cool drinks, without having to walk to distant places in the kitchen to gather supplies.

We need to know the stories of how people have built their lives and their homes, not all of a sudden, but patiently, over time, with goals in mind.  This is a great encouragement to people, and they should also know, that even in the tiny garage apartment they can live a beautiful life and create good memories. Much of this depends upon the woman, who puts a lot of time and effort into making a home homey and creating family dinners and special moments. Mrs. J. has been a homemaker from a very young age, and yet, she still was able to have a home and the things that mean the most to a woman. Her husband gladly earned the living from the age of 21, and she carefully looked after their income, looked after their children, and created contentment even in the poorest of circumstances.  This was the first Titus 2 class she had taught, and I thought she had an excellent presentation.

View of her kitchen.

During the sewing class, she invited me to share a homemaking scrapbook that I had made for my daughter between the years of 7 and 11.   There were no scrapbook materials as we know them, available at the time, so I put together some pretty typing papers and did the best I could at the time.

This is the cover, decorated with an advertisement for a plate, from a magazine, and holes punched to thread ribbon through. The book looks old and faded but at the time it was made, the quality of the papers was not high, and things available to us such as glues and acid-free supplies, were limited.

Little handmade dividers glued in to show the different subjects in the notebook.

From a sewing pattern, she made a pair of felt skates for a doll. You recognize the fold-out house card here, as I have given a printable pattern for it earlier on this blog. The fan came from directions in a pioneer girls book. 

From a quilting magazine, she learned to make different

kinds of patterns. She did not make entire quilts at this stage, but enjoyed trying different blocks. This is a block called "Windmill."

This was from a Victorian doll dress pattern, where she learned to stitch tucks, sew a set-in puffed sleeve, do cuffs, collar, and add trim.

We scrapbooked different decorating styles,

and found things in magazines about foods and cooking.

She learned to crochet, and knit, just a sample. The crocheted item is a circle, the same as a doily, with a ribbon threaded through the holes to make a doll hat.

Learning to teach a Bible lesson to little children, we

saved several patterns and samples so that she could be prepared if she

ever needed to help.

Example of a child's Bible class craft depicting a house where the doors and windows all open to reveal an indoor scene.

Landscaping was included, as well as architecture. In those days we had no access to copy machines, so the favorite architecture and house designs were kept in the books.

We created a pocket in the back page, where we tucked pages from magazines that had instructions on the other side.

Our hostess allowed me to share this book, and hopefully with the marvellous scrapbook materials available these days, the girls will save samples of their own work in pretty memory books.

More of Mrs. J.s Home: