I’ve long been an advocate of returning home economic classes to public schools. Woodworking, cooking, parenting, and home financing classes are GOOD things. Unless you plan on winning the lottery, you’re going to need to know how to make pasta dinner for four at some point. You will have to do some basic home maintenance. You’re going to have to pay a credit card bill. These classes used to be part of the public school curriculum and were phased out in the 1980s in favor of academic electives.

In the New Republic, Rebecca Traister argues that we should reinstate home ec classes into the public school curriculum, because men need to learn these jobs, too. Women and girls pick these skills on their own, because it is expected of them. But boys could use some direct instruction in these areas. If they appreciated the value of these jobs, they might be better advocates for child care and leave policies. Besides, with the shift in the economy, more guys might end up as the full time parents.

I whole-heartedly agreed with Traister. Housework is a skill that needs to be honed by men, as well as women. I think it’s valuable work. I think that we need public policies that enable famiies to maintain their work and family responsibilities.

But I also think that we need more home ec classes, because working with your hands is deeply rewarding. I enjoy cooking food. I enjoy digging up my lawn to create a garden. I got an A+ in my shop class in middle school, because I was an excellent sander. Maybe the best way to get more men to do housework is to de-politicize it.

It’s funny, but I think that the bearded hipsters have done a lot for our cause. At least in terms of food, they have made cooking a manly job.