Here Are Some "Man Skills" That I, A Woman, Should Have Learned A Very Long Time Ago

    It's the 21st century — why are we still gendering skills?

    Hi, I'm Krista, and I guess you could say I do a lot of stuff that some people may deem "a man's job."

    Anyway, I recently came across this list of 100 Skills Every Man Should Know — and even though it has some great skills in it — each task is written as if only men need to learn it.

    What really bugged me after seeing these "man skills" was that when I googled "woman skills," I found nothing but things like "100 recipes every woman should know how to cook" and the other skill lists made for women that included mostly all emotional skills, not physical ones.

    Because it's 2021, I decided I want to learn all of these man skills to show that women can do anything men can — and that it's time to stop gendering abilities! I'm sharing the skills I learn on TikTok, and, when I'm finished, maybe I'll have my own Michael Scott guide to becoming a survivor!!! 😂😂😂

    The first man skill on the list is to learn how to tie a tie:

    @callmekristatorres

    watch me become a better a man then men themselves as i master 100 SKILLS EVERYMAN “MAN” SHOULD KNOW #🙄 #menskills #men #HoldMyMilk #manlymen #fyp

    ♬ Classical Music - Classical Music

    I'll be honest here. The two times I've worn a tie in my life, they were clip-ons — and, when I've put a tie on my kid, it was also a clip-on. (I love a good shortcut!) But I did think it would be pretty cool to actually learn how to properly tie one!

    What I discovered was that there are many, many different ways to tie a tie. After trying a lot of techniques, here is the quickest, easiest way IMO:

    @callmekristatorres

    Reply to @zachthetechie i’ve come so far! no need for a part 2 with this method. i only need 30 seconds 🤓 #tyingatie #manskills #SimlishSessions #men

    ♬ Elevator Music - Bohoman
    **SUPPLIES NEEDED: **A tie.

    STEPS: First put the tie around your neck, leaving the skinny side shorter. Then, cross the larger part of the tie over the smaller part and wrap it around the back side. As you are still holding onto the tie, pull that bigger part of the tie up through the loop by your neck and then tuck that bigger piece into the loop that you created using the previous steps. Lastly, adjust the length and tightness by pulling on the back, skinny part.

    I explained it the best I could, but it's definitely easier to follow a video.

    The second man skill was a bit more challenging. It was building a campfire:

    @callmekristatorres

    INTRODUCING OUR 2ND ~MAN~ SKILL: BUILD A CAMPFIRE. Follow my journey to mastering all 100 skills 👨🏻 should know. 💁🏻‍♀️ #manskills #fyp #DADMOVES

    ♬ Up Beat (Married Life) - Kenyi

    I'm not going to lie — it was so much more time-consuming than I thought. I've started a fire using lighter fluid and a fire starter before, and it was super simple. But igniting one without those two items is really difficult. BUT IT CAN BE DONE! It took about an hour for me to get a pretty good fire going:

    @callmekristatorres

    Reply to @wumpoooo i apologize in advance for the ending. the fire fumes made me s’more crazy. #AMANSLIFE #manskills #MACscaraface #manlymen #girllife

    ♬ Campfire Song Song - Spongebob Squarepants
    **SUPPLIES NEEDED: **Water, bucket, shovel, logs/sticks/bark, grass, matches/lighter.

    **STEPS: **First, make sure you're in an area where building a fire is safe and permitted. If possible, finding a place where any wind will be blocked is ideal. I started by placing dry leaves, sticks, and bark in a circle on the ground. Then I was able to build a teepee base up around it with sticks and logs. I used a lighter to continuously ignite the bark on fire, adding grass and sticks as needed until the fire got bigger. IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET A FULL FIRE GOING.

    If you use a fire starter and lighter fluid, it is probably way easier! I was just wanting to master it the old-fashioned way.

    The third man skill called for mastering the art of hanging a picture. And, from personal experience, I know a thing or two about how to PROPERLY hang a picture.

    Just like tying a tie, there are a lot of different ways to hang a picture. My favorite way is to use Command strips if you can, because they don't leave holes in your walls! (For real, this is not sponsored; I've just moved so much that I swear by these.) However, since I am tackling these man skills the traditional way, here's my preferred way of doing it:

    **SUPPLIES NEEDED: **Level, screws or nails, power drill or hammer, anchors/drill bits/pilot screws (if the photo is really heavy), masking tape, marker/pencil.

    **STEPS: **If you have a photo that has double hooks on the back, take some masking tape and place it horizontally on each hook. Then use your marker to place a dot on the masking tape of where each screw or nail will need to go. Remove the masking tape, and place it on the wall where you want your photo — use the level to make sure it is straight. Then, drill the screws in and hang! (If the photo is heavy, you'll need to drill a pilot hole and put an anchor in first.)

    Here are some more picture-hanging tips.

    In the fourth man skill, it was time for me to learn how to properly shine some shoes:

    @callmekristatorres

    Adding my hack for how to get dirty white shoes clean in minutes!! Man skill 4: how to shine your shoes ✔️ #fyp #shineyourshoes #manskill #manlyman #m

    ♬ Image of cute and bright children and small animals - fasorashi-do
    And, while we are talking clean shoes — again, this is not sponsored — use Magic Erasers to clean white canvas shoes. They work wonders at removing stains off of them!!!

    OK, so shining shoes is actually very easy — and it works well. Basically, all you need to do is make sure you have the right supplies, then wipe, polish, scrub, and shine. 😁

    So far, my favorite skill is man skill number five — how to treat a snakebite. This is solely because of my son's phenomenal performance of getting "bit" by a snake:

    @callmekristatorres

    …me to my son: BUT DID YOU DIE?! Nope! cause I know how to properly treat a snake bite. mastered man skill #5 😁 #fyp #manlyman #manskill #foryou #man

    ♬ Classical Music - Classical Music

    Let's break down the basic steps you should take if you or someone you know gets bitten by a snake: Call 9-1-1, apply a loose bandage, wait for the professionals to arrive — or drive to the nearest hospital. (Read below for more in-depth instructions.)

    Number six on the man skill list is probably one of the most important: READ A BOOK — a basic, but necessary skill. Due to the limited video time on TikTok, I chose to read a bedtime favorite for parents because I was tired that day. It is called Go the Fuck to Sleep.

    @callmekristatorres

    We’ve reached one of the most important man skills. READ A BOOK. Nighty night manly men! #readabook #gothefucktosleep #manlymen #fyp #SimlishSessions

    ♬ Classical Music - Classical Music

    Here's a legit list of highly recommended books you should probably check out!

    In man skill number seven — how to survive a bear attack — you can enjoy another stand-up performance...this time by my mom, who plays the grizzly bear:

    @callmekristatorres

    If you camp or hike, you need to know this to avoid a bear attack!! #manskill #manskills #manlyman #manlymen #womenoftiktok #bear #bearattack #bears

    ♬ Spongebob - Dante9k

    So how do you survive a bear attack?! I actually am glad I learned this, lol. Basically, you need to know the difference between a black bear and a grizzly (brown) bear and always have bear spray handy — it's an actual thing that works!

    And that's what I've mastered so far! I already feel like I've learned some new skills that will come in handy in the future. You can follow my "man skill" journey on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. PEACE, LOVE, BEER, AND TAMPONS. ✌️❤️