That's my Boy Two sewing his own Scout badges on. He looked horrified when I suggested it: "But I don't know how. I've never learned."
"No time like the present," I said, making room for him at the table.
While he - very quickly - got the hang of it, it occurred to me that lately I have realised that my Boys' education has been somewhat lacking and I've had to take steps to rectify the matter.
Sewing is just the last in a list of skills that, whether they like it or not, they're going to have to get their heads round.
Cleaning their shoes
That was also today's lesson. Mostly I have allowed this one to slide, but, one look at the ends of their legs and, needs must. Perhaps I haven't been too keen on this because (sighing and looking incredibly old) we had to clean our shoes every morning and if it wasn't done right we didn't get any breakfast. I tell the Boys this and they just give me the look.
Addressing a letter
Time was most communication came in an envelope. But when we did the thank you letters after Christmas I realised that mostly I've written the envelopes. I'm sure they used to teach this at school.
Writing thank you letters
Another skill that my Boys choose to forget every few months in the time between Christmas and Birthday.
Filling in a cheque
Not that they're likely to have much truck with cheques by the time they're grown up, cheques will have gone the way of the fax machine and the Walkman. But worth knowing, possibly. Certainly the basics of banking are skills of value.
What to say to people when you can't think of anything to say.
When you learn someone is bereaved or, alternatively, with child/delivered of a child, they are married, divorced or any other major life event, it's worth having something up your sleeve to say when - as they will - meaningful words fail you. "Sorry for your loss" and "Congratulations" over many bases.
How to use public transport
Timetables and ticket offices are strange places to my car-passenger sons. Not for much longer.
Not to trust the businesses.
I don't mean be mean-spirited and suspicious, just watch out. It's about understanding that if something's a business then it is out to make as much money as possible, your job is to make sure they don't. For example buying pizza from Domino's is never as straightforward as just ordering what you fancy - that'll cost twice as much as figuring out which offer applies to you today.
Finally, housework.
They rail and whine. They fight and whinge, but they will do their chores and their chores will be wide and varied and eventually they can do all the jobs themselves. Whatever they think, it's not just about me not wiping up the dribbles of wee on the seat every time.
