Give Your Child a Positive Outlook on Working

As a parent, you strive to raise children who have a strong work ethic and good sense of responsibility. You dole out chores, teach them skills, and set expectations for them to live up to. But if you come home from work every day tired, cranky, and unhappy, they might become discouraged about what the future holds for them when it comes to finding a career. Here are some steps you can take with your children to shed a positive light on working.

Choose Your Words Wisely
Make it a point to let your kids hear you speak positively about your workplace. If all they hear from you is complaints about your job, boss, and coworkers, they will infer that the workplace is an unpleasant, depressing place. Make it a point each evening to sit together as a family (ideally, at the dinner table) and share good parts of your day. Perhaps your supervisor praised you for a job well done, something funny happened, or you worked on an enjoyable task. Relate these anecdotes to your children, and encourage them to do the same about their day. Not only will this help them see working in a positive manner, but it also helps them to focus on the pleasant parts of their days!

Have a Tag-Along Day
Plan a day to bring your child to work with you. It doesn't need to be a whole day; a few hours would be sufficient. Let them meet your coworkers, see your work area, and watch what you do. Try and give them a few age appropriate jobs to "help" you out with. Even elementary school aged children love to post mail or remove staples. And if your kids can visit both Mom and Dad at work, even better.

Make Plans
Talk to your child about their dreams, goals, and even their hobbies. Discuss how the skills they already have and the things they love to do can help them choose a career. For smaller kids, encourage them to draw pictures or write stories about what they want to do when they grow up. If you have tweens or teens, talk to them about how they might want to further their education. Order college catalogs for them to peruse. If possible, take a trip to a campus that holds their interest. It's never too early to get them excited about college or other schooling.

Relate and Be Honest
Let's face it; you can't come home from work upbeat every single day. Let your child know that everybody has bad days sometimes. Make your home a safe haven where everyone can talk about rough days. Come up with solutions to problems as a family - whether those struggles occur on the playground or in a conference room. And be certain your child knows that when they do have a problem, you are there to help them.

Communicate about your job and workplace, be as positive as possible, and be available to your child. With your guidance and support they'll grow into the productive, responsible adult you hope them to become!