How to instill work ethic in child

Got Kids? 15 Age-Appropriate Ways To Teach Them Work Ethic And Business Skills

“Determination” and “ hard work” are buzzwords that teens love to include on college and entry-level job applications. However, without a solid understanding of what these words mean, these young adults won’t be able to live up to a university or employer’s expectations.

So when is the best time to start teaching your kids the value of a good work ethic and perseverance? It doesn’t need to wait until they’re almost out of the house. We asked 15 members of Forbes Coaches Council what parents can do to encourage children and teens to learn those vital business skills early on in an age-appropriate way. Here’s what they had to say.

Photos courtesy of the individual members.

1. Emphasize The Importance Of Eye Contact

Interviews are all about confidence. A simple nonverbal cue to avoid during an interview is failing to make eye contact by looking down or sideways. It exudes insecurity and a lack of confidence, portraying to a potential employer that you’re unsure of your answers and, potentially, don’t know what you’re talking about. So, be confident, be secure in the value you bring and crush your interview. - Jon Dwoskin, The Jon Dwoskin Experience

2. Teach Them How To Monetize Their Talents And Skills

Standard education equals a standard life in today's world. Self-education is the future. Instead of teaching children about chores and allowances, teach them about the power of identifying, extracting, marketing and selling their talents so that they are passionate about what they do. Teach them about investments and passive income streams. Teach them to think outside the box. - Erin Miller, Erin Miller INC

Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?

3. Ask For A Made-Up Bed And A Clean Room

Parents can begin developing excellence early in a child's life. Teaching the importance of maintaining order can begin with requiring a made-up bed upon waking and keeping a tidy room. This process development helps to accentuate the management functions of organizing and controlling. Involvement in the household budget can also create financial aptitude that will be beneficial in the workplace. - Dr. Melissa Weathersby, 5-Star Empowerment

4. Let Them Fail And Find A Way Forward

Let your kids fail—often. Finishing that essay for them or building that diorama is a disservice to their long-term success. Instead, encourage them to do what they can, accept the outcome and learn from the experience. Why were they unable to complete the assignment? How can they remedy that for the next time? Building persistence and resilience are foundational to their life-long success. - Lydia Loizides, Talentedly

5. Design A 'Job Description' For Your Child

Create your child's "job description" and their allowance is their "comp." Reward the behaviors you want to reinforce and have them set goals for what they want to do with their money. If it is something out of their reach, provide bonus opportunities or "employer matching." Provide feedback along the way, and set a scheduled time for them to make their case if they think they deserve an increase. - Brad Elson, Palmer OSG

6. Encourage Them To Complete Homework First

Teach your children that school is their "job." Learning is the result produced and homework and studying are the actions to take to achieve their learning objectives. Suggest that they put their job first, where homework and studying come above all else, especially above TV or phone time. Of course, parents should model this with their own work, putting forth the effort and being unstoppable! - Jennifer Wilson, ConvergenceCoaching, LLC

7. Don't Let Them Quit Mid-Season

Parents need to make sure they do not let their children quit an activity mid-season or mid-semester. The middle of most things is hard and this is when everyone is stressed and tired. Being a good teammate, even if they do not have a major role on the team, will teach them the value of commitment and diligence. Good parenting isn't about making kids happy. It is about building their character. - Catherine Hickem, The Dash Group

8. Model The Behaviors You Expect

Parents can encourage development by demonstrating expected behaviors of discipline, humility and courage. By mirroring work tasks, asking problem-solving questions and reinforcing efforts well done, the youth are given an opportunity to develop strong relations, work ethic and business skills. Youth who learn from mirroring and skill-practicing gain the values of discipline and hard work. - Lori Harris, Harris Whitesell Consulting

9. Develop Global Citizens

Help your children or teens understand their position in the family, in their homes, in their community and in the world. Expose your children to diverse viewpoints, perspectives, people and cultures. Nurture your child's strengths and talents so that they know how they can contribute and serve others. Encourage your child to demonstrate gratitude and to understand what others may need. - Sinive Seely, Sinive Seely Coaching and Consulting

10. Give Them Opportunities To Earn Money

Parents need to encourage work ethic and business skills by giving their children responsibilities in the household and giving them ways to earn money. It does not serve them to hand them money and have no responsibility in the family or the household. It infantilizes them and they do not grow a healthy self-esteem this way. It is imperative to their growth and self-worth to feel accomplished. - Dori Gatter, Dr. Dori Gatter

11. Meet Them Where They Are

One of the best ways to get younger people excited about the important things in life (that they don't feel are important) is to connect them to what they believe is important. Want them to understand finances? Teach them how their allowance leads to the video game they want. Want them to learn communication? Show them how communication will help them in relationships. Meet them where they are. - Cody Dakota Wooten, The Leadership Guide

12. Participate In A Fundraiser Together

Look for any existing simple fundraisers to do together. My seven-year-old had a school holiday bazaar fundraiser. In the process, my son learned product design (clay ornaments that didn't fall apart), pricing (creating package discounts), marketing (what signs are effective or not), networking (building relationships with other vendors) and finances (calculating each item sold against expenses). - Anna Choi, Conscious Business Coach - Anna Sun Choi LLC

13. Praise The Process

Parents often praise a child's result or outcome, but they should focus more on praising the process. For example, instead of praising their child for building a tower of blocks or earning an A on a test, they could praise the child for how focused they were during the process, how they never gave up whenever the block tower began to fall or how they studied each night for the test. - Colleen Hauk, Balance Point Coaching

14. Compliment Their Choices And Character

Too often I hear parents complimenting their kids on their looks, talents or other things they can't control. This can tend to feed narcissistic tendencies because they think it's what you value most about them. As the first authority figures in their lives, we can help them prepare for their career better by complimenting choices and actions that take character strength. - Pam Boney, tilt365.com

15. Create An Environment That Develops Self-Worth

Work ethic never goes out of style. Developing work ethic entails going to work on time and treating everybody with respect and dignity—no matter their status—because there’s no substitute for human dignity. Once we create an environment that promotes a sense of meaningfulness, it’s easier for our children and teens to repeat what they have observed. - J. Ibeh Agbanyim, Focused Vision Consulting, LLC

10 Ways to Teach Your Children a Great Work Ethic

According to the magazine World, skipping work just got a lot easier. “Millions of Americans work dead-end jobs, and sometimes they just need a day off,” said John Liddell, who helped found Vision Matters, which sells notes as part of its Excused Absence Network. “People are going to lie anyway,” said Liddell, who’ll sell a fake jury summons, forged doctor notes, or a funeral program with your name listed among the pallbearers to dishonest employees.

We would count John’s ethical fallacies if we had time. How do we instruct our children to swim upstream against a slacker culture? Here are the 10 ways to teach your children a great work ethic.

1. Understand the fact that you always teach, regardless of intention.

The question isn’t “if” you are teaching but “what” you are teaching. It’s important to understand that home is a natural and continuous learning environment. Everything we do instructs our children. What are your children learning about work by observing you?

2. Example, example, example.

If parents own a positive work ethic, then we’re already halfway there. This is a great opportunity for “do as I do” to support “do as I say.”

3. Balance is job one.

A work ethic that sacrifices family turns out to be all work and no ethic.Every family has its own take on how much work is too much. But it’s essential that we teach our children balance in terms of work. In his book Quiet Strength, Coach Tony Dungy shares how he deliberately taught his coaching staff and players that family time was their priority. A work ethic that sacrifices family turns out to be all work and no ethic.

4. Keep family priorities in order.

The simple phrase “fun after the work is done” associates relaxation with completion rather than relaxation as escape. People experience more satisfaction in their leisure when it is preceded by a satisfactory job performance.

5. Work with your children whenever possible.

How is a guide different from a boss? A boss typically barks out orders and waits for results, whereas a guide is willing to walk alongside. As dads who have to teach our kids a work ethic, our role is that of guide.

6. Take your children with you when you volunteer.

Pick up garbage together on the side of the street. Join a team that fixes things at the park. Hook up with volunteer efforts at church or other community organizations. Work associated with service is a key building block to the value of work across the board.

7. Expose them to stories about heroes who learned the value of work.

There are hundreds of great stories to reinforce this point. Movies, books, articles. Read them together and then live them, day by day.

8. Make chores at home a shared responsibility.

Every member of the family should have assigned chores on a routine basis. Change them around; help each other out; take turns with the ones no one really enjoys. Don’t wimp out on the chores, and don’t let your kids wimp out, either.

9. Don’t pay kids for routine chores.

Compliment. Encourage. Throw in the occasional treat, “because you kids have been so responsible this week!” Admire their good work, but don’t pay them for fulfilling their responsibilities. However, do consider paying your children for jobs that go above and beyond their normal chores. It’s a wonderful way for them to learn the value of a buck.

10. Have a “chore chart” on the refrigerator.

And feel free to use this one.

Sound off: How do you teach your kids to have a good work ethic?

How to bring up industriousness in a child?

home

Parents

How to raise a child?

How to bring up industriousness in a child?

Tags:
Expert advice
1-3 years
3-7 years
7-12 years old
teenager

Looking at the endless scattered toys, dirty cups and shoes lying in the hallway, almost all the parents of the world are asking the same question: how to instill hard work in a child? How to make a dear and beloved child begin to respect the work of others and finally begin to help mom and dad?

When to start

Diligence - the desire and desire to work, this is not an innate trait of a person's character, it must be brought up, and from early childhood. At two or three years old, children develop a desire to do everything themselves, including dressing, and self-service is the main type of work for a small child. It is important not to miss this period, because putting toys away, washing, combing your hair forms independence, confidence and a desire to overcome obstacles. nine0003

What if later?

Quite often, parents for one reason or another miss this moment, and then they need to make much more effort, show imagination, resourcefulness and, most importantly, angelic patience. Then the child will be able to catch up.

Where to start?

At preschool age, children are keenly interested in the activities of adults that they observe. They will gladly help you with ironing, sweeping, repairing your phone, vacuuming. In order not to discourage the child from working, let him help. Let him set the table and wash a couple of plates or spoons. It is very important to awaken the desire of the child to do any business in the best possible way. nine0003

The ideal way for toddlers is to help in the form of a game. For example, by collecting toys, you can compete who will collect cubes or cars faster.

Let the kid save the whole galaxy from the invasion of dust or stop the torment of dishes by washing them. It doesn't matter what the heroism of the child will be; the main thing is that he himself believes that he is a real hero, protector and helper.

Another method is to show a vivid example. It can be a cartoon character, a book hero or a historical figure. Having told the child about him, you need to try to interest him, to arouse a desire to imitate. nine0003

Setting tasks right

Whatever you ask your child to do, never use a commanding tone. Any person, no matter what age he is - at 3 years old, 15 or 45 years old, responds much better to a request than to an order. And therefore, instead of: "How much can you say ..." - try to use softer forms.

Often children refuse to do something because they do not understand well what is required of them. When formulating the tasks that you give your child, try to be as specific as possible. “Clean your room” sounds too abstract. This may include general cleaning. “Hang up your clothes and put your books away” - this form is clearer, clearer and more accessible. nine0003

Own example

One of the best teachers is one's own example. For a child, parents are a kind of standard of behavior. By showing your child how easy and simple it is to carry out certain assignments, you will prove to him that there is nothing wrong with this work. The main thing to remember: the child should not think that housework is hard work or punishment.

Try to do everything in good spirits, show your child that even doing fairly simple things, you can get pleasure: if not from the process, but from the result. Then, helping dad to hammer in nails, the little man will feel like a real adult, because he has completed a very difficult task. The young hostess, having prepared the first salad in her life, will experience one of the best feelings in the world when she sees how her family devours her cooking with pleasure. nine0003

Commensurability

Don't give your child something he can't handle. You should not ask him to arrange expensive broken dishes: if he is not yet dexterous enough, then a broken salad bowl will upset him and discourage him from doing such work. Make sure children do not lift heavy objects or pick up dangerous objects when you are not supervising them. Remember: if the task is feasible, then it is done with interest and pleasure.

Responsibilities

It is important that the child understands that in the family there are responsibilities not only for parents, but also for him - permanent, and not from case to case. Instruct to feed the fish, make the bed, arrange books on the shelves, water the flowers. Interest in work increases if the child sees the benefits of what has been done. nine0003

Parental care

Often, considering that the children are still small or sickly, or referring to the lack of time and patience, parents perform their duties for the children. The absence of the need to make efforts brings up laziness, indifference, selfishness in children.

Do not do for your child what he can do for himself!

Try to help the child only when he asks for it.

Collaboration

Including a child in family work makes his life more interesting. In addition, joint work unites the family, the child feels his importance. “We baked pies with mom”, “My dad and I repaired the car,” the children proudly say. nine0003

Ask for help more often: put groceries in the refrigerator, wipe the puddle in the bathroom, throw the empty bag off the table in the trash, give slippers, etc. Over time, the child himself will notice what needs to be done.

Do not redo their work in front of them! And be sure to praise the children for the work done!

Behavior is formed from habits, character is formed from behavior. Everything is in our hands

Angela Voropay

How independent is my child?

Perhaps your child is quite an adult and independent person, able to take care of himself completely. Or remains an obnoxious tomboy who needs to be looked after? Find out how independent your child is by taking this quiz.

Pass the test

how to cultivate industriousness and perseverance

The habit of working to get the desired result, alas, is not innate. How to help a child understand that hard work is the main path to success, and perseverance in achieving a goal is a very valuable quality? nine0103

Finishing homework by carefully and thoughtfully completing all the tasks is an example of “school” diligence, which will come in handy for a child very soon. How to instill this quality within the framework of play activity and teach a child to be persistent in achieving his goals?

Where does hard work begin? Remember yourself: in order for the work to be argued and the work begun to be brought to the end, every adult needs a specific final goal. And the same principle applies to children! In order for the baby to diligently fulfill his mother's instructions and try to achieve the desired result, he needs a clear motivation. nine0103

Set simple and clear goals for your baby when you give him a task. The usual request to "collect toys" is unlikely to inspire the kid to exploits: he is not disturbed by the mess in the room, so at best he will simply hide all his treasures in a chaotic manner in the first box he comes across. Another thing is when a mother informs a child that after the general cleaning in the nursery, a real holiday will come: guests will come, everyone will sit at the table and drink tea like adults! With such a motivation, cleaning will compete in children's hands, and there will be no place for negligence. nine0003

Introduce a "labor" element into any game to develop logic, memory or ear for music. Each game should have a goal: for example, building a pyramid of cubes should be supported by the motivation to build a tower for a toy city, and listening to a fun children's song should perform a dance number in front of grandparents in the evening.

Help and support

A toddler should not be able to handle a new task alone. Any mother's request will be fulfilled if it is accompanied by her help: mother's participation in the process confirms the importance and significance of actions! nine0003

Each task that a child needs to complete, in addition to a clear motivation, must be backed up by parental support - first do the task yourself, showing the child how and what to do, then try it together, constantly helping the child out in the most difficult moments. Gradually, making sure that the baby is doing a great job, make it his personal responsibility, not forgetting to remind him of what goal lies ahead of him!

Break the task into several small

In order to instill in your child a purposefulness and the habit of acting consistently, offer him to solve problems in several stages, focusing on “steps”.

Just break the process into several parts: for example, to assemble a collage, you must first prepare everything you need (colored paper, scissors, glue), carefully study the contents of the sample picture, then cut out the necessary details from colored paper, now make a small break and return to making a collage - gluing the prepared parts.