Colossians 3:23 "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.."
We have been listening to The Best of the Entrepreneurial Boot Camp put on by Vision Forum in 2006. A common theme given by the speakers, most of them succesfull entrepreneurs, as the recipe for children who could start their own business and make a success of it is a strong work ethic. In other historical ages, work was not optional, it was a matter of survival. If your ten year old didn't go out and help with the plowing, the seeds wouldn't get planted and the family would starve. For most of us in this time period work might seem more arbitrary to our children, why should I vacuum the living room? I just did it yesterday, and there isn't a lot of urgency involved in scrubbing toilets. For our children however, knowing how to work hard, and be responsible to carry out a task, will carry them farther in life than memorizing the capital's of all 50 states, or even knowing their multiplication facts. These facts are important, no mistake, but what is going to help them learn something you haven't yet taught them is curiosity and a strong work ethic. A few tips for getting your children to work;
Work with them- It is much more motivating for your children to work with you, than to be sent off on their own. It also serves as a good instructional time.
Appreciate their efforts-If nothing they do is satisfactory, they will soon quit trying. Without teaching them to work only for the praise, do let them know that you are grateful for their efforts.
Find tasks that suit their abilities-One of my children strongly dislikes washing dishes, but will happily put away the clean dishes from every meal. Let your children learn to do many things, but if there are jobs they especially enjoy, let those be their main chores.
Create a positive work environment-If they clean up the living room, are the toddlers going to be allowed to run through and instantly destroy their efforts? Are the kitchen counters so cluttered that they can't be wiped off? Make your home a place where the work that they do has an impact, they will be more willing partners if their efforts have a lasting impact.
Have a lovely time working with your children for the glory of God.
Jennifer Pepito-Chapel Editor
