Boomers share 20 life skills they're proud they learned but are rarely used today

Emily Shiffer
Thu, 11 Dec 2025 19:28:43 +0000
Life skill, Boomer, Boomers, Baby boomer, Baby boomers, Boomer skills, People over 70, Vocational skills, Blue collar, Skills, Sewing, Darning, Cursive, Maps, Trade skills, Gen z, Toolbelt generation, Life skills

Baby Boomers (those born from 1946 to 1964) grew up during a time that required them to learn lots of life skills to get by. Without the technology and digital benefits available for younger generations today, they had to be resourceful.

Turns out, this resourcefulness is something that Gen Z (those born 1997 to 2012) envies According to a survey by Resume Builder, Gen Z is flocking to learn trade skills—with 42% of Gen Z is currently pursuing or working in a blue collar job. This shift has earned Gen Z the nickname "the toolbelt generation."

Boomers over 70 shared the seemingly "useless" life skills they learned growing up that are rarely used today on the Reddit thread r/OverSeventy. These are 20 life skills they are most proud of.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Back in the day most everyone knew how to sew even if just to hem pants or darn a sock. I remember my mom's sewing machine that was used to repair clothes." - LMO_TheBeginning

"Being able to read and write cursive." - AdRevolutionary1780

"Use paper bags to cover school books. It was amazing!" - PixiePower65

"I still own a manual transmission car. I seem to recall there was a time that was a requirement when getting your driver's license. Maybe not but I've pretty much always had at least one manual transmission car in my household. Having a car that’s a stick shift is almost like a theft deterrent these days because nobody knows how to drive them anymore." - LMO_TheBeginningOP, After-Temperature638

"I can make almost any food from scratch- tortillas, crackers, candy, yogurt, bread, desserts, gravy, frosting. It’s natural for me but people are always shocked." - Ok_Second8665

"Gregg Shorthand diamond jubilee edition." - ActiveOutrageous9533

@learn.gregg.shorthand
How to write “December” in Gregg shorthand with @MtCrafte @Post-It #handwriting #shorthand #journal #calligraphy #fyp

"Map reading. I was the last person in my circle to start using maps on my phone. It's infuriating. I have recently gone back to using paper maps. Interestingly, some incorrectly believe that people who have aphantasia (can not voluntarily visualize) can not read maps. I am an aphant and almost became a cartographer." - msmicroracer, mabbh130

"Parallel parking without a rear camera." - PalmOilduCongo

"Canning. I homecan pretty much anything and have it come out just lovely...and it lasts for YEARS. handy because I grow all the vegetables and chickens we used too." - SpitefulGramma

"Proofreading and editing. And writing without AI!" Quirky_kind, SmileSagely_8worms

"I darned a ski sock that was super comfortable and pricey. I couldn’t bear throwing it away and I couldn’t bear throwing money away on another. Some life skills are just so necessary. I still have a sewing machine from the 90’s. I need to pull that out and practice hemming my jeans :)." - CApeaches

"Use a slide rule to solve arithmetic and math problems." - Mjmcd929

"My first job was at a fast food restaurant and when I worked the drive thru I collected cash and had to figure out their change in my head. There was a calculator available but it sped things up if you could do the math in your head. I was pretty good at doing quick and accurate cash math. Now that everything is on cards, it has become a useless skill." - Acrobatic_Ranger248

@zerowastecartel
Save your socks from the landfill and yourself some money by mending instead of tossing them! #sustainableliving #sustainablelifestyle #lifehack #clothinghack #sewingtip #ecolife

"Mounting an iron tire on a wooden wagon wheel. I thought I was set for life when I learned. Turned out I had to get another job." - Smart-Difficulty-454

"When I was a kid my mom tried to teach me how to iron a shirt. I never used it to this day my reaction to ironing is 'iron?, what’s that?'" - sashmii

"Social graces, how to set a formal table, make a flower arrangement, place cards, fold a napkin, which utensil to use for different dishes, which glasses get used for what. How to sit, talk, stand, and speak like a lady. I learned all of that in Home Economics before I was in 8th grade." - greenexitsign10

"Phone book fastest first competitions ?." - GeekOlive

"Using a Linotype machine and setting the galleys of type for print using wax. We would sometimes cut out and replace one letter if something was misspelled. Also using a graphic arts camera to create a halftone from a photograph so it would be printed on a press. Lots of graphic design skills which are not longer needed." - elsadancesinthesky

"All the cut-and-paste and darkroom skills that went into putting together the daily newspaper. Knowing points, picas and agates and being able to calculate a percentage for enlargement or reduction on the fly. Once the floors started to vibrate from the press rolling up we could all take a moment to breathe. Damn, I miss it all." - DM_Pidey

"Starting a campfire with one match and no paper. Pitching a heavy canvas tent. Using a 2 person hand saw. Cooking over a campfire. Sewing an invisible hem by hand. Using a drop spindle. Starting a car by pushing it or rolling it down a hill and popping the clutch." - bombyx440