How to Teach Children Good Work Habits

My family isn't really the warm and fuzzy kind of family. You won't get a lot of "Daddy taught me this" and "Momma always said that" out of me because there just isn't a whole lot of that in my memory bank. But, my dad did use a saying that sticks with me to do this day and motivates me to do well on my job, in my school work and in my life in general. He said that if you were going to do something, either do it right or don't do it at all.

I got my first taste of direct teaching of work habits from my son this week. He got hired to shovel the snow here. When I felt that he had gone too far, I told him he didn't have to go that far. His response was in the form of a bristled comment about how this was his job and he wanted to do a good job of it! Naturally, this was later followed by demands of hot chocolate and shock at my ignorance for not knowing that "when a man works outside he needs some hot chocolate afterward". Shame on me! Never the less, I was pretty proud of him not only for wanting to do a good job, but for telling me of all people that he had standards for himself. How did he get to this point? I like to think I had something to do with it and that maybe some of my techniques will be useful to others.

Lead by example. I've said it over and over. Just as your children pick up your vocabulary and a million other things just from being around you, so it is with their work habits. That gives parents something to think about as they rush through the day to day tasks of being parents.

Encourage responsibility. It doesn't matter what the job is, what time it starts, how much it pays or what time it's over. If your child accepts a job, then they need to be encouraged to accept the responsibilities that go with it. That means being there on time and doing what is asked.

Avoid complaining about your job. There are several messages that parents can send to their children when they complain about their job. None of those messages say anything good about work. Do we really want to parent in such a way as to give our children nothing to look forward to as adults at their jobs?

Ask your child to step outside of the comfort zone. Children tend to feel more comfortable with their parents. That means they aren't afraid to show flaws and they might not be as careful about things around those parents. It might be a good idea for you to bring the idea of someone else into the picture. For instance, if they are very fond of and have alot of respect for a grandparent, you might tell the child to consider what the grandparent would think of the job they are doing. Would the grandparent praise them or ask them why it wasn't done right?

Brag about your child. My son holds his head up proudly when I discuss the fact that he got a job and is very professional about it. It makes him feel good to here his mother praise him and it makes him feel good to think that other people respect him. Let your child know that they impress you with their work and that you are proud of them. Make the bragging about the principle, not the money.

Basically, parents have the job of giving their children guidance as well as a future to look forward to. Doing a good job on their tasks now will help them to develop good habits. Teach your children to do things right the first time so they don't have to correct them and show them how to cultivate a respect from their employers by doing what is asked without complaint.