Instilling a Good Work Ethic in Your Children

When I was growing up, I spent many summers working in a small grocery store owned and operated by my dad and my uncle. I woke up early every day and rode with my father on his early morning stops at the wholesale produce market and wholesale meat market. I usually put in an eight to ten hour day at the store and then took the bus home in the afternoon to arrive at around the same time my mom came home from her job. My dad came home several hours later. I got paid a whopping one dollar a day.

As I look back, my summer experience working with and for my dad was not about the money, nor about the business of running a grocery store. The experience was really more about developing a strong work ethic and learning to deal with people of all races, rich or poor, old or young. I gained an appreciation for the hard work and sacrifices that my parents made for my family. I definitely put in far more effort and learned more at the grocery store than I did at home with my household chores.

My wife and I sometimes struggle with teaching our three children the same work ethic that each of our parents taught us. By comparison, our children have had a far more comfortable life and far fewer obstacles than we had. They are assigned household chores, which they usually do, without too much nagging. They are very diligent and conscientious when it comes to doing their schoolwork and their grades reflect it. They have done volunteer work in the community. 

Still, my wife and I are concerned that when they enter the working world, they won’t be as prepared as we would like. At least this summer, two of our children will be working when they are not attending summer school. And there’s still time to find something for our other child.

This week’s Moms Talk question is:  “How do parents instill a good work ethic onto their children? What’s the right age to start teaching children the responsibilities of hard work (outside of school)?”