Why We Work

Some words that probably won't be on your children's spelling list, but that they need to learn anyway.

Grit
Persistence
Doggedness
Tenacity
Determination
Gutsiness
Chutzpah
Courage

We need to teach our children to embrace failure and see it as an opportunity for growth. It's okay to make mistakes, as long as we learn from them. In "The Gift of Failure," by Jessica Lahey we read, "Every time we save our children, we send them a clear message that they are incapable."
So:
Hunger is the cost of a forgotten lunch.
Detention is the result of poor choices.
Being cold is what happens when you forget your sweater
These are important lessons, but not nearly as important as the greater message of self-reliance. By letting our kids take their knocks, we're teaching them not only the importance of doing their homework, we're also teaching them who they are: strong, capable, responsible, and hardworking human beings.

We all need to belong to the pack.

But if we want something done right, we need to do it ourselves, right? Of course, but how important is it really to have our forks lined up exactly so? Or to have all the vacuum marks running in precise lateral lines? Or that there isn't a streak or two on the mirror? The big picture isn't a house worthy of a photo-shoot, but a home that fosters the values of your family. So, take a moment to decide what it is that your family truly values.

"To teach our children to work is a primary duty of parenthood. Our children have experienced unprecedented prosperity created by parents who have worked hard to provide what they themselves did not have as youngsters. If we are to save our children temporally and spiritually, we must train them to work. They must learn by example that work is not drudgery, but a blessing." J. Ruben Clark

And these lessons aren't just for our kids. They apply to us, too. The more we practice, pause, and make wise choices, the more we'll be able to rescript our lives and gain confidence in our own ability to choose. We won't need our moms, our bosses, or our teachers to guide us. We'll learn to rely on our own inner compasses. And we won't be afraid to make a mistake, or two, or ten, because we'll have learned that if we fall, we can always get back up.

Korsaren: “If you are poor, work. … If you are happy, work. Idleness gives room for doubts and fears. If disappointments come, keep right on working. If sorrow overwhelms you, … work. … When faith falters and reason fails, just work. When dreams are shattered and hope seems dead, work. Work as if your life were in peril. It really is. No matter what ails you, work. Work faithfully. … Work is the greatest remedy available for both mental and physical afflictions.” (The Forbes Scrapbook of Thoughts on the Business of Life, New York: Forbes Inc., 1968, p. 427.)