Times have definitely changed.  Back in the old days, three year old girls were learning how to embroider.  Six year olds were crocheting and mending.  Eight year olds were taking piano lessons and sewing.  Ten year olds were cooking, gardening and tending for the family.  We don’t do that kind of training anymore.

I’ve noticed just how few girls play the piano anymore.  Girl’s learn how to cook only if they are in a divorced home and forced into that situation.  No one crochets, embroiders and sews anymore.   However, girls often know how to dance, play sports, shop (or at least hang out), and play video games.

I see a stark difference between the ages.  Years ago, girls were prepared and taught how to serve.  There was a conscious training in place.  Now, parents spend huge amounts of money keeping their children entertained with no future design.

It’s hard enough beginning a marriage with love sparkling in your eyes, but to come into it without any training leads to inability to perform, cope, adapt, grow…often succeed.  How can we go backwards, in a way, and teach our girls how to prepare and fulfill the very purposes we have come here to perform?

Girl’s are encouraged to prioritize their education.  But what of skills?  With the economy, the way it’s going, we will need to draw on skills again.  Once girls are in the workforce, it’s hard to give up any amount of income to have children, especially when husbands are still in school.  Families are postponed.  Income is really becoming a huge issue now.  Costs are sky high and inventions offer an incredible assortment of tempting items that become must-haves.  I believe it’s all going to catch up to us some day when we are least prepared to handle it.  But I am most concerned for the younger generations that don’t stand a chance, because of their lack of knowledge and experience.

I believe no generation is off the hook, here.  The younger generation is fumbling helplessly while the older generation feels useless and unvalued.  I really believe we need each other desperately.  The older generation needs to teach and train.  The younger generation needs to respect and be teachable.  The older generation needs to accept modern equipment and the younger generation needs to accept some old ways of doing things.  And we need to start with the Young Women, so they are trained and prepared to become wives and mothers.

Here’s another dilemma that has occurred to me.  The Young Women do quite a lot with the Young Men program.  So, besides having their own program and teaming with the Young Men, where is there time for the Young Women to mingle with the Relief Society?

There has been a great concern in transition.  Young Women, when they graduate from High School, want to stay in Young Women’s.  Often because they love their YW leaders.  In fact, it’s quite possible their testimony lies with the leader rather than the gospel.  So, as the young girl is suddenly thrown into a room of old people, of course she’s going to feel uncomfortable.  Suddenly, she’s given a list of people to visit; she is scared, untrained, and likely not interested in performing.

Young men don’t have this problem.  I’ve asked my boys about this and they tell me:  When they turn 12 they are incorporated into the entire body of the Priesthood.  They attend the same meetings (from ward level to the general level of the church), they learn about Home Teaching at age 14, they always have Opening Exercises together where they can sit with their dads, then go off with their leaders.  Men do more things together and there is never a conflict of interest.

Girls and women are separated at every level.  Someone, please explain this to me!  How can we train and influence the lives of our girls when they are following a whole different program; when we never meet, commune, or learn with one another?  I am convinced that if we had more influence as a Relief Society on our girls, there would never be a transition problem; girls would be more inclined to jump into Relief Society.

Relief Society not only has trouble including the sisters who work in the other two auxillieries, the problem also extends to including women of all ages.  A Relief Society was doing a humanitarian project and a mother called to ask if her YW-age girls could join in and help.  The answer was given: No, this project is just for the older women of the ward.  Please, say it isn’t so!!  Why would we ever keep things separate?  Why would we lose the opportunity to train, inspire, and reinforce good works?