Teaching Children to Work

Will They Know ALL They Need to Know When They Grow Up?  Will They Be Able Make Their Own Way?

Also see:  [Teaching Children to Obey]

    As  parent, I am sure you are anxious for your children, no matter their current ages, to grow up as strong, independent, full-functioning adults.  You want them to have self-initiative, to be hardworking, to be honest and diligent.  You want them to be something special.

    How do you systematically do this?  May I suggest you make a complete listing, on 3" x 5" index cards, of all the skills which you feel your children will need as they mature into adults.  (See the Teaching Children to Work Plan PACKET for pre-printed cards and the Teaching Children to Work Plan DIVIDERS for the pre-printed index card dividers.)  This list of skills will include simple tasks within the capacities of younger children and more difficult and complex tasks for children, teenagers and young adults as they prepare to leave the home.

    It will prove useful to use each summer vacation to train your children in these various skills.  It is helpful if each child in your family is involved in dusting part of the house, vacuuming a room, cleaning part of the bathroom(s),  and cleaning part of the kitchen.  He or she should be involved with doing the laundry, fixing meals and cleaning up afterwards, and helping with yard work.

    It is not so important that children be working for long hours during their summer vacation.  Quite on the contrary, let them have a spread of responsibilities which will allow them exposure to all kinds of housework, cooking at least several meals a week, helping with the laundry, and aiding with the yard work.  Have small time commitments for younger children and reasonable periods of work for older children.

    It really doesn't take that much time to keep the house in order, the laundry done, the meals prepared, and the yard work finished if everyone has their individual responsibilities and is competently completely them.

    Of course, that means you will need a system for motivation, a system for inspection, and a system for reward, but many a creative family has come up with ways to help themselves through these challenges.  You will find that your children will have interesting ways to motivate, inspect, and receive rewards.  Usually, they are their own best task masters.

    Each and every time a child begins a job of his own initiative, completes a job well, and receives sufficient praise for his work, he becomes more and more confident of finding his place in the world.  One of the best gifts you can give your children is teaching them the values, wonders, and feelings of a job well done.  

    Choose the skills you would like them to learn, teach them diligently during the summer months, let them retain their favorite jobs during the school year, and then repeat the process again with more difficult and complex jobs the next summer.  Soon your children will become quite adult-like.  They may complain occasionally, but they will also be looked up to by their peers as they become independent, dependable, and competent.

    Find more helpful ideas in the "House of Order" Handbook, Chapter 17, "Training Children to Work", or order  a "Teaching Children to Work" Plan PACKET and a set of "Teaching Children to Work" Plan DIVIDERS.  You may also be interested in purchasing clear, plastic 3" x 5" index card slipcovers to keep your cards neat and clean. 

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