7 Practical Ways to Teach Work Ethic to Kids

A good work ethic doesn’t just happen. Fortunately, there are things you can do to help your child develop their own good work ethic. Here are seven things you can do to teach worth ethic to your child.

1. Model a good work ethic.
   

   Pay attention to what you’re modeling to your kids. How do you talk about work? From your work that pays the bills to household chores, your kids are watching you and developing their views of work based on what they see you doing.

   Are you providing them with an example of the work ethic you hope they develop? Do you take pride in the work you do, even when it may not be your idea of fun, or do you complain and do the least amount possible?

2. Let your child know school is their work.

   Explain to your child that school is their job right now. Their work is to learn and that work needs to be done before play time. Supporting and talking about your kid’s schoolwork and their study habits gives you a way to teach work ethic to your child.

   When you’re supportive and ask questions about their schoolwork, they see that you value what they are learning and doing. If they are struggling with something and know they can come to you for guidance or help and that you’ll be checking in with them, they’ll be more likely to continue trying instead of giving up.

   Going to school creates many opportunities for your child to learn how to manage their time to get their assignments done (whether in school, as homework, or as a longer project worked on over weeks or months).

   The classroom also gives your child an excellent first experience with social dynamics and sometimes dealing with someone that may be difficult to interact with or that they don’t like. For the child that is able to treat everyone with respect and dignity regardless of how they feel about them will allow them to go far in life.

3. Create family responsibilities.

   When family chores include everyone, your child will see that it is the responsibility of everyone in the family to keep the house clean, not just you and your spouse’s.

   Sit down with your kids to figure out your list of family chores that need to be done (the family meeting is a great time to do this). Then create a rotating schedule so that no one person is stuck doing the same chore all the time.

   The kids will still grumble, but rotating who does what will help keep things from becoming monotonous. Having their own household responsibilities will help your child develop a sense of pride in their living space.

4. Have extra chores for cash.

   Make a list of extra chores that need to be done with what each chore pays. Then let your child know where the list is and how often each chore can be done.

   When you have chores above and beyond the family chore list that are available to do in exchange for money, you give your child an opportunity to show some initiative and learn that going the extra mile pays off.

   Learning that going above and beyond pays off will help your child advance in whatever career field they eventually choose.

5. Let your child take the lead.
   

   The next time your child has a question or wants something while you are out, such as at the library or a restaurant, let your child speak for themselves.

   Depending on your child’s age, you can definitely help out, but let them handle as much of the conversation as they are able to. They will learn how to make eye contact and speak up for themselves. Both will go a long way in developing a good work ethic.

6. Let your child fail.

   Teaching work ethic involves failure. Without failing, your child will never develop the fortitude needed to push through and finish a difficult task. Without failure, your child will never learn that some of the best lessons come from figuring out how they could have done better.

   It is one of the hardest things to stand by and watch your child struggle or receive a bad grade, but it is also one of the best things you can do for your child. Let them do the best they can and then figure out how to not make the same mistake the next time.

7. Make sure your child upholds their agreements.

   If your child joined a sports team, don’t let them quit midseason. The rest of the team is counting on them to be there. Even if your child doesn’t feel the role they play is that important, they can still be a supportive team member.

   By making sure your child upholds the agreement they made when they signed up for the team, you’ll be showing them what commitment means. The same goes for individual sports or other ongoing classes. When your child signs up, make sure you discuss how long they need to stick with the class.

   Is it something they’re doing for the school year, the semester, or a certain number of months? Figuring this out before they decide they want to quit will help reduce arguments. Then you can remind them they can stop once they reach this milestone.