How many Canadians can change a flat tire? How many know how to cook? How many are able to sew on a button or make their own bed?
The fact is most of us don't have these often necessary skills. We live in the 21st century, but our ancestors knew how to do all this stuff with no outside help! What happened?
For me it was my grandparents who taught me how to sew, knit, crochet and even embroidery. I remember when I used to come back from school they would ask if my friends could see the things that I had made during the afternoon. It was very important for them that I spent my free time making useful things instead of watching TV or playing video games.
Today it's very hard to find people who can sew or resole a pair of boots. We just go to the supermarket and buy new ones when we need them instead of looking for someone who could repair our shoes. It's not that we don't know any craftsmen, it's just that we don't think about repairing things anymore.
What makes me sad today is that young girls are no longer interested in learning these traditional activities from their grandmothers. Instead they choose watching Kardashians on TV, applying different kinds of makeup or playing with their iPhones all day long!
Our education system doesn't help parents teach basic life skills either. Schools focus mostly on teaching kids how to solve calculus problems instead of teaching them how to cook healthy food by themselves. But what's the point of knowing how much is 1+1 if you won't use this knowledge?
So let's start teaching our kids basic life skills, so they will be able to fix things by themselves and not only rely on technology!
That's how Repair Matters came about, an initiative in Vancouver that empowers people to get involved in repair and creative problem solving. Its goal is to bring together people with different skills and experiences, from beginners to experts, to share knowledge and collectively find repair solutions. Its sponsors are the - they are distinguished by a wider selection of slots, the fastest payouts, round the clock customer service and reliability, confirmed by the license !
What number of people in Canada have knowledge of how to fix things on their own?
The number of people who are self-reliant is increasing, giving rise to the popular do-it-yourself lifestyle.
DIY (Do It Yourself) is a method of building, modifying , repairing things without the aid of experts or professionals . Self-sufficiency is becoming more and more well known to Canada's young generation, possibly because it gives them the sense that they can control their own destiny. Making your own way in the world rather than waiting for others to do something for you. It also generates useful skills - like learning how to fix your broken appliance instead of walking into the nearest store and buying a new one.
It's true that DIYing has become very popular with young people today -- partly because there's so much information available, and partly because they want to be able to fix the small problems themselves so they don't have to rely on anyone else. More than likely, young people see DIYing as a way to save money and also reduce the number of things that end up in their household garbage.
With this knowledge we understand why more and more people choose do it yourself home improvement. It is not only convenient but also eco-friendly and saves money.
But there is another opinion.
- Very few of us, but I think it's more related to the fact that we don't want to do these kinds of things by ourselves anymore. There are professionals who can fix most household problems nowadays.
- I think it has a lot to do with the fact our schools teach kids what they need to know instead of teaching them how to cook or fix things by themselves. We live in a society where we don't have time to grow food and sew our clothes, so we just buy everything ready made and even when something breaks down we just throw it away and buy a new one. It's sad but true.
What makes me sad is that young girls are no longer interested in learning these traditional activities from their grandmothers. Instead they choose watching Kardashians on TV, applying different kinds of makeup or playing with their iPhones all day long!
I think that the education system has a lot to do with this. There are very few schools that teach basic life skills anymore. It used to be an important part of your education, but today it's completely ignored in public school.
We live in a society where we don't have time to grow food and sew our clothes, so we just buy everything ready made and even when something breaks down we just throw it away and buy a new one.