Food & Nutrition
Health & Fitness
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Parenting Preparedness
Introduction
Hard work, the very words sometimes earn eye rolls and sighs from kids for reasons justifiable for them. But little do they know its value. Working hard boosts your kid’s self-esteem and cements their future affirmatively for them. When kids focus on effort and not only the result, but it also becomes a game-changing trait for them.
It helps them view life differently while inculcating valuable life skills. But why is hard work so important? Since it makes sure your kid puts in the sweat and effort to deserve the goal they are working toward. It develops resilience and patience in them, along with a healthy dose of gratitude and humility.
A child who knows the effort it takes to prepare a meal simply by participating in it will think twice before wasting food or taking home-cooked meals for granted. Similarly, a child who has trained hard for a competition and got a rank will never underestimate the value of working hard.
Every kid is born talented in some ways, what sets them apart in the race is their level of dedication and hard work to their respective goals. Therefore, it is vital to start teaching your kids the value of hard work as early as possible. Here are some activities to help develop it in children.
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5 Activities To Teach Kids The Value Of Hard Work
Chores
Household chores are an excellent way of teaching your kids the value of hard work. While it is expected to assign some household chores to kids, like folding their own clothes or keeping their own room clean. But they do not make the cut for teaching them the value of hard work and basic life skills. Make a weekly chart for the family, with each member taking turns at various household duties, like taking out the garbage, washing dishes, doing laundry, and watering the plants. This will keep your kids engaged and physically active at home while teaching them the hard work it takes to keep a house running and well-maintained. This will also keep them realistic and grounded.
Gardening
Gardening is an excellent source of fun learning for kids in this case, as few complain about the hard work it takes to dig, plant seeds, carry flowerpots, and pull-out weeds. But daily engaging in it for 30 to 60 minutes will keep your kids physically active and happy. Outdoors itself has become a rare treasure for kids nowadays. Relaxing in nature is simply the cherry on the top. This physical activity is indeed stress-relieving by nature, but it teaches your kids the value of getting messy while working hard and enjoying the feeling instead of hating it. Nobody appears perfect when they are busy working hard, and gardening encourages children to be okay and happy about it.
Volunteering
Volunteering at orphanages, dog shelters, and local non-governmental organizations is ideal for explaining to kids the value of hard work and the privilege they are already blessed and born with. When children see young kids, their age living a less fortunate life than theirs, their desire to work hard and give back something intangible yet valuable increases a lot. This is why, while volunteering requires a lot of time, commitment, and effort, once children experience it first-hand, most automatically begin working harder to do it and be better.
Grocery Shopping And Meals
Now, this may be tricky for some families to try, as most prefer eating traditional meals together, which can be challenging for kids. However, assign grocery shopping and meal preparations to kids based on age. For very young kids, it’s ideal to not let them near sharp objects or heat. Let them take care of grocery list-making and vegetable sorting. Teach your older kids how to cut and slice vegetables, fruits, and more. If your kids are in puberty or in their teens, start teaching them how to cook. Young kids can prepare salads and other non-heat foods in the meantime.
Babysitting
Babysitting is ideal for kids aged 9 and older. At this age, they can take care of their basic needs and learn to be responsible for others. Be there to guide them, but do not help them out first. Let them learn and make mistakes first-hand. Your presence and timely intervention will be there to support them. From changing diapers to getting babies to burp, all these activities require a lot of patience and effort. And since patience is hard work’s best friend, these traits are best imbibed together.
Conclusion
Hard work has no shortcuts or tricks to get ahead. You have to put in effort to see results. However, once this philosophy becomes clear to children through the above-mentioned activities, your worries as parents will mostly cease to exist.
The views expressed are that of the expert alone.
