Good thought!

The picture below depicts a boy being taught to work!!  Almost novel in today's world, isn't it?  Teaching children to work seems to be one of the biggest challenges that parents have to deal with.  All 5 of our children are hard workers.  Their Dad was a super hard worker and honest to boot.  I'm sure it was his example but also equal part or maybe even more than equal, was earning their own way.


They had to earn their own money for what they wanted...and that included our daughter.  She had travel wanderlust in her soul and she'd do hard physical work to make the most money possible.  She was a waitress, a meat cutter, a charter boat deckhand that filleted halibut larger than her and all sorts of other jobs, in order to travel to Japan, go on a cruise, live on BYU Israel Study abroad for 6 months, backpack through Europe for 6 weeks.

I'm sure I'm missing some of the other adventures she had but she paid her own way.  Maybe it was because we couldn't really afford to grant her desires, except to support her efforts and tell her she could do anything she set her mind to.  This was in the day before the Internet and the fast paced world of today. I think that makes it harder to teach work habits.  She lived a very pioneer super survival minimalist life and knew only her own hard work would make all things possible to her. (well, that is my take on it!!)

Hard work does form children's character.  My friend Tamera has a son on a Mission and she is collecting letters to make a special gift for  him.  I'm going to write about what a hard worker he is.  He is very thorough, self-motivated, handles small details to make a job look great, doesn't shortcut or loaf, has pride in his accomplishments, finishes what he started, works hard and fast as he can.  She and her husband taught him to work.  What specifics did you do, Tamera?  Share.  Please.  Parents want their children to learn to work and value work and all that goes with it but what can be done?

My kiddos used to play hard.  Outdoors.  tree and forts and mud and a little creek were their toys and they made up games.  Maybe that makes a difference?  I know it's a different world now and especially for city dwellers but there must be some modern ways to accomplish teaching children to work. 

Would love to hear how any of you address this issue or is it not a problem in your home? 

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Jeanee was very small (check her wrists) and would wear several layers of clothing to keep warm.  She'd sit on the Halibut to fillet it.  She would come home aching from head to toe (from how physical and hard the work was) endeavor to untangle her windblown gnarled hair, shower, fall into bed and arise super early to go on the next charter.  thought you'd enjoy this picture of her working hard!!  She is still a hard worker.  (as are her brothers also)

Here is what she wrote about being a deck hand....

 We would go out deep sea fishing about 2 hours. There were 12 people on the boat and each person could keep two halibut. When the max was reached we would head back to the boat harbor, hang the big ones to show the passing tourist for pictures then we would fillet them.