Posted in Simple Living
The Amish on Work Ethic
Here are some quotes from the documentary that I would like to share with you. They are such wonderful work ethic philosophy. I have begun applying these to my daily work schedule and it has changed my perspective on my daily work around my home. Now, if I could just convince my children of these things... LOL
I do wear aprons. I buy aprons. I sew aprons. I love wearing an apron. It keeps me in work mode. I take it off when I sit down to get a drink and take a break. I take it off to signify that I am done in the kitchen. It is more a mindset than anything else. When I am in my "uniform" I am working. When I am out of "uniform" I am at rest. I love the idea that an apron signifies that you are "ready to work". There has never been a time that I did not answer the door in my apron that the person on the other side did not know immediately that I had been working and was still working. Do you have an apron? Do you wear it every day? Mine are not fancy. They are simply kitchen aprons that I mess up and throw in the wash. I do have some patterns for some nicer aprons that I will eventually make. I even have a canning apron I picked up from a Friends Pattern Company. I really enjoy the idea of having a uniform as a SAHM. It makes things feel more business-like and professional. Personally, I need that. :)
Modest dress is something that is important to me. I want to teach my daughter these things, too. I shared about that some time back here so I won't ellaborate again.
* Work, under the right circumstances is as enjoyable as play.
and
* Shared work is, in many cases, the Amish man's recreation.
What would make your daily work as enjoyable as play? According to this documentary it is a matter of working alongside those you love. The family is involved in every aspect of work around an Amish home. From the time a child is old enough to work he is expected to do so. Very small children can gather eggs and pick up around the home. With parent supervision they are able to be a part of the family through work. The community feel of working together, therefore, makes it enjoyable for the members of the family.
Personally, there are some things I need to do alone but for the most part we are trying to include the children more and more in the daily running of our home. They help through chores and yardwork. They are learning to plant and grow gardens alongside me as I work. We pick weeds together and do laundry together. I usually sort and they fold their own things. We visit and talk about the day. It is more enjoyable when we work together and it is good for the children to learn responsibility in such things.
Saturday mornings are a great example in our home. Dan makes pancakes every Saturday. The children are involved by helping to set the table, Emmy cooks the eggs, JoNathan gets plates and such that no one else can reach, Davy gets forks and syrup, Josh carries the big butter tub to the table and I do clean up as we go and dishwasher emptying from the night before so we are ready to start reloading after breakfast. The laughter and chatter in the kitchen is so full of energy and excitement that it is hard to hear a single conversation. We love Saturday morning breakfast together because it is so natural and full of family.
I also love the idea of combining work and recreation. This has been a very new concept for our family. We are starting to make a game out of some of our work together. The children even like certain jobs because of the playful aspect of the job. The only thing that frustrates me is when they want to race to see who finishes something first. They were doing that with brushing their teeth the other day and I had to send them back with the added instruction that the one who brushes the LONGEST wins that race. LOL Children are so entertaining... ;)
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