So much of life is spent working – it truly is a gift of God to be able to put our skills, abilities, hands, and mind to use. It doesn’t have to be a drudgery. Here are three things to teach kids about work when they are younger, but these also apply to adults as well!
Learn Skills
Children need opportunities to learn skills. Each of these must be age-appropriate, but all kids should learn some of the basics: making breakfast, doing laundry, working in the garage, organizing their room or schoolwork, reading books, and saving money. As kids get older, you begin to see how they are wired and you can help them hone in on their gifts. Give them opportunities to grow in those gifts through experiences, lessons, and exposure.
Be Smart
Hard work will always be hard, but one should always be smart about it. Get things set up well, don’t add more work by doing it the wrong way, involve others if you can, ask questions, and keep improving the process.
Stick To It
Kids need the experience of discipline. They need to feel accomplished. They need to learn what it means to stick to it until it’s finished. Help them understand this by modeling it, by giving them projects that can be completed, setting deadlines, and by celebrating when they work hard and persevere to completion.