IMHO, this is part of basic parenting. When I was growing up, my parents went out of their way to make sure I could be self sufficient. They called them "chores

IMHO, this is part of basic parenting. When I was growing up, my parents went out of their way to make sure I could be self sufficient. They called them "chores." I learned to cook, clean, do laundry and do basic house maintenance (plumbing, sheetrock, scraping and painting). At the time, I hated every minute of it and didn't see why I would bother with any of this stuff. Now, I like that I know how to take apart a sink, replace the seals and stop the $@#$* thing from dripping. I can do it now instead of waiting days or weeks for a repairman. Then again, I grew up in a traditional family from a rural area. Self sufficiency was highly valued there. Specialization tends to be more highly valued in urban/suburban areas.