How to Raise Kids Who Understand the Value of Working Hard

For those of us who have made it out alive, survived the hardships and financial crunches of life, understand the value of working hard.

“Work hard” “Hard work is the key to success”, are not just quotes we find on the internet, but we’ve lived by them, and experienced them. But our children have not. Until now, they are living a comfortable life. It’s only a while before things change for them. They will reach a phase in life where only hard work can make life survivable for them. And when they do, they must know hard work is the value to uphold, and at the same time recognize the hard work of people around them.

For that to happen, it’s pivotal to raise them in such a way. If you don’t know how to do that, this article can help you.

How to raise kids who understand the value of working hard

1. Let them do their chores

The first rule to make them understand the value of working hard is to invite them to wear your shoes (no, I don’t mean that

literally). In other words, the only way they’ll understand the value is when they do it themselves. Encouraging them to do their chores is a small step towards this endeavor.

So, if managing the house for a day, or working a part-time job is not an option, then letting them be responsible for their chores definitely is. Whether it is making their own meal, washing their dishes, or simply picking up their toy – let them do things they are responsible for.

In our home, the chores change with the times of the year and their ages. During the summer, there are more chores than winter due to not having school. Our oldest also has more chores than the younger one but the younger one still helps the older one most of the time.

2. Involve them in activities

Going back to what I said before if managing a house for a day, or working a part-time job seems doable for a child of the age then why not encourage them to do it? They’ll learn the value of working hard only if they work hard.

They must know how hard home management, earning, and making a living is. One won’t be able to get by if they are not hardworking – they must know it.

Having said that, these are not the only activities. You can involve them in activities such as budgeting, or managing a party, etc.

3. Tell them about comfort zone

All children live in their comfort zones until they have to work. The point is, the more they remain in their comfort zone, the harder it will be for them to get out. Activities mentioned above can certainly help them understand that, but having honest

conversations about the harmful effects of staying inside it can do wonders.

Ergo, talk to them about comfort zones. Talk about how it can limit oneself from growing. Have a friendly conversation, don’t make it a lecture. Make it as interactive as you can.

In our home, we encourage and put the girls in situations where the comfort zone is going to be shattered the second they do it, and it’s not really a choice for them to say no. Obviously, the situations are safe and only ones they are ready to do which I believe as their mom. We offer encouragement and support as they are going but don’t do it for them. It’s up to them to complete the situation and realize they are capable. These could be as simple things as taking off the training wheels on their bike to helping them understand they are strong enough to move the recycle bin to the street even when it’s full to meeting with a new swim coach or trying a new event. Whatever’s applicable to your child, give it a shot more often.

4. Encourage them to read books

You can learn a lot about the world by not actually living in one.

Conflicted, right?  What I meant is, books might not be set in the real world, but they can actually teach a lot about it. That’s the power of reading, you don’t just gain knowledge, but you gain perspectives and values. All the more, as is our concept, gaining values of hard work is one such thing reading can help your child with.

Both of our girls are at different levels in their age as well as reading. Finlee still loves reading about fictitious characters

while Leila is more into series of books and books that have been made into movies. I have found it most important to encourage their reading of any kind instead of worrying what they are reading. Obviously, it’s all age appropriate books, but sometimes it might be a comic book for kids over a novel.

5. Acknowledge their hard work more than accomplishments

Sometimes, even after working hard, one may fail. But it’s okay, failures are a part of life, and you cannot let your children be afraid of them.

The ideal way to do that is to recognize their efforts and hard work. You must understand that your reaction matters. As parents, you might think that praising your kids for accomplishments only (not for failures), is all you should do. But you’re wrong.

Doing so can make them undermine the value of working hard. They might think that working hard is pointless if it brings failure or only disappoints their parents. They must never despise hard work because it was never recognized.

Ergo, whether your child achieves a milestone or not, praise them for working hard, not for achieving what they achieved.

In our house, this always relates back to swimming because it is such a hard sport on the individual. Some days are good and other days are a bit off and end up in a disqualification. When those DQs happen, we think about what we learned and the lesson, and then write it down to practice and then move on. Kids are super resilient and the more you can celebrate their failures, the better off they will be when the have a career and life of their own. So, for a DQ, we go to Dairy Queen for a blizzard and celebrate the lesson and encourage the failure as much as the success.

6. Encourage them to live the life they want

When children want something bad, they’ll automatically work hard for it. Hence, encourage them to choose their own path – even when you might not be all up for it. You might want them to become a lawyer, or run your business, but if they don’t want to, you can’t blame them for making their choices. They’ll work hard for the things they want, not the ones you want.

You can still teach them about being a lawyer or running your business, hopefully the lessons and experience you share they can take with them in some way to use in their own life. One day, they may even say you were right and the things you shared and taught them stuck even if they didn’t run your business or become a lawyer. Remember, they are always watching your every move, so even nonverbal encouragement can make a big difference.

7. Share stories

A pinch of inspiration can do wonders. And as one knows, stories can be a god-sent for that. Besides, stories might prevent conversations from becoming lectures. Ergo, if you have any stories to tell your kid, be an open book. Share your experiences or of those you know. Give them examples, give them instances that help them acknowledge the importance of working hard. 

We tell lots of stories in our house mostly because we want to share what we did growing up, which is vastly different than the life our girls are having, but also to keep history alive. We talk about people who have passed, our parents, before the girls were born stories, and even stories of when they may not have been home or vacations they didn’t go on. This is such a great way to encourage their creativity as well as help them understand things aren’t always the way they are currently.

If you are thinking this is too hard, or it’s not working, look back on your own childhood and reflect on how long it took you to understand the same things. I bet it didn’t happen overnight. And I bet your parents, if you asked them, would tell you how hard and unsure they were when trying to teach you as well. The more you allow them to do chores, tell stories, encourage reading, and get them out of their comfort zone, the better it will be. And remember, it might take years for the lessons to actually sink in and stick, I know it did for me and I’m willing to bet it did for you too.