EDUCATION VERSUS DOMESTIC TRAINING.

In my family education is valued and so my dad taught me how to write and how the clock functions before I even went to creche.From a young age he taught me computer literacy-although I must admit I forgot some things.My mom always encouraged us to study and she always tried to help when she could and same with my dad.It came to a point that my mom would excuse me if I had school work although I was expected to perform house chores.As I grew up,I and my twin brother became competitive and this served as an encouragement for good performance at school and we were among the top 3 students who did well at school.Also one of the contrubiting factors was the fact that we came from a poor background and at times we were belittled or looked down upon; so being among the excelling students meant that we were respected.

In grade5 I went to attend an SDA primary school and the workload increased.Thus,I was always doing homework or studying as I still wanted to be the top student and well this happened.As I excelled more on my school work I started to neglect some of my house duties,and because my mom valued education she would let me.I enjoyed cleaning and this I did with joy-because I'm a neat freak.Being in a dirty house only meant I wouldn't be able to study BUT sadly I shunned few crucial duties:cooking and sewing.I also made excuses.I'll always help with vegetable preparations and all that BUT I never offered to cook.Infact I was proud of this.I even boasted that I was doing well and education is crucial and I had concluded I won't get married so I didn't need to cook.In matric I went on to stay with my granny who went on to encourage this lifestyle.The only thing I learnt cooking thoroughly is "umphokoqo"-african salad as my dad offered to teach me,including few basic things.

See,what I missed was that one does not learn to cook to become a wife BUT so that s/he may lend a hand to the mother/father when preparing the meals and to relieve the mother.Not only that but to lessen the chores.This not only blinded me but I never even for once care about whether my mom was tired or what(selfishness).And because I'm a perfectionist-I concluded one must be able to cook overnight and I became dissapointed when I didn't cook as well as I wanted.I even developed a phobia for this.And what made it worse is the fact that my twin cooks with ease so I felt more discouraged especially considering the fact that he's guy-NOTE:as a christian it is a duty for every guy to learn and be able to cook BUT more especially of the female,as explained in PROVERBS 31. We are the home keepers.And not only for that but we need to learn to cook for our health-fast food is unhealthy and carries many chronic diseases thus when one has the skill to cook you avoid such.


As I started to learn what was expected of me as a young women:I realised I have a duty to be a servant of God and a daughter to my parents.Jesus was once a child and he helped with his duties.Infact looking at David we learn that he herded the sheep and goats and we learn a priciple here:children were expected to do their chores and in these they learnt great lessons.By this I mean it was through this that David learnt to trust God (lion and bear incidents) and was molded for being a King.Thus house duties are not a waste of time,we learn to be patient,humbe and have peace of mind etc.

It's only now that I realise for me,being a woman not only constitutes success BUT it constitutes being able to learn how to take care of the home so that I can be a blessing to my family and to the society at large.The gospel does not only include preaching but includes feeding the hungry.Scenario:If a homeless hungry person comes asking for food while I have uncooked food,would it be right to say I have no food?No!That's why I need the skill.See,it goes deeper than marriage.

I'm looking forward to learning how to cook(healthy food ofcourse) so that I can serve my parents and be the daughter I was created to be.See we live in a world that encourages having an education and social status while it makes it less attractive to be a cook,to be a home keeper.And I'd like to believe somehow that's why many marriages get broken-We,as women,do not know our homely duties.

HERE'S A STAMENT THAT MADE IT SO CLEAR THAT I NEED TO GET DOMESTICAL AS WELL:
Many ladies, accounted well-educated, having graduated with honors at some institution of learning, are shamefully ignorant of the practical duties of life. They are destitute of the qualifications necessary for the proper regulation of family, and hence essential to its happiness. They may talk of woman’s elevated sphere and of her rights, yet they themselves fall far below the true sphere of woman. The idea that ignorance of useful employment is an essential characteristic of the true gentleman or lady is contrary to the design of God in the creation of man. Idleness is a sin, and ignorance of common duties is the result of folly, which afterlife will give ample occasion to bitterly regret.Young women think that it is menial to cook and do other kinds of housework; and, for this reason, many girls who marry and have the care of families have little idea of the duties devolving upon a wife and mother .It is the right of every daughter of Eve to have a thorough knowledge of household duties, to receive training in every department of domestic labor. Every young lady should be so educated that if called to fill the position of wife and mother, she may preside as a queen in her own domain. She should be fully competent to guide and instruct her children and to direct her servants, or, if need be, to minister with her own hands to the wants of her household. It is her right to understand the mechanism of the human body and the principles of hygiene, the matters of diet and dress, labor and recreation, and countless others that intimately concern the well-being of her household. It is her right to obtain such a knowledge of the best methods of treating disease that she can care for her children in sickness, instead of leaving her precious treasures in the hands of stranger nurses and physicians.It should be a law that young people should not get married unless they know how to care for the children that are brought into their family. They must know how to take care of this house that God has given them. Unless they understand in regard to the laws which God has established in their system, they cannot understand their duty to their God or themselves."-Adventist Home,page 87-88.

I hope to expand more on the subject and include my journey on cooking :)!