Working hard together

Something I’ve been thinking about recently is how I want to raise my kids. I want them to work hard and love being around their family. I want them to know that me and their father love them very much, and that they can come to us with anything. A good way to encourage all these outcomes is through work, specifically working together. 

When a family works, together, side-by-side, it encourages talking. Since most household chores don’t require much brain power, this is the best opportunity to talk to your kids and to have them talk to you. Kids feel more equal as parents and children labor together. They feel comfortable talking to you and less likely to feel that you are going to judge or chastise them. 

Working together as a family encourages siblings to work together as well. Siblings can have chance to cooperate together, an opportunity they don’t encounter much in their lives. In sports or games, they are competing, which usually ends with hurt feelings and someone crying, but when they are working together to accomplish a task, they feel close. They get to see good qualities about their siblings and encourage one another. They wouldn’t see those things if they didn’t work together. 

When chores are shared within the home, children also get the opportunity to look outside of themselves and contribute to the happiness and well-being of others. If children only do their own chores such as pick up their clothes or their trash, they don’t learn to contribute to the family. They are only learning to take care of themselves. But if children are given a task that will benefit the whole family such as vacuuming the living room or making dinner, children see that their actions matter. They can see that they are valued member of the family, and that they have a role within the family. Children will learn to look outside of themselves and that effort matters. I think this is an important lesson that many children are lacking today. We need more people who will do hard things to help others. Additionally, this will bring the whole family together and help the household to function properly. 

Children also don’t need to be paid for the work they do inside the home. It may be tempting to think they need money for doing chores, but as mentioned earlier, children are members of the house, and as such they don’t need to be paid for contributing. Instead, when they’re older, they can get jobs, maybe at first just babysitting or mowing lawns, but this will demonstrate to them that they are capable human beings that don’t need to rely on mom or dad for the rest of their lives. The sooner they have a steady income, the sooner they can manage their money wisely, a skill that is crucial in adult life. 

Along with this, fathers should play an active role in raising their children. Fathers who love and respect their children create an environment where children can work hard and feel loved. Homes where fathers are present tend to have children with less behavioral issues. Children who have a good relationship with their fathers also tend to achieve more socially and academically. They are just better rounded people in general. In addition, when a father partners with a mother to raise their children, they feel more connected. They feel more intimately connected as compared to a couple where the father does not help raise the children. 

Fathers influence children’s’ lives greatly. My dad is a great example of working hard. Growing up I always saw him working hard at his job and around the house. His example showed me that I can do hard things, that I can do what needs to be done for my family, even if it’s difficult. I’m very grateful for my dad and all he did for me and my siblings.