How To Teach Your Child The Value Of Hard Work?

Hard work and determination are perhaps the most important values of mankind. Hence, it should be inculcated at a young age.

Raising children sometimes feels like it’s all about the little milestones – first steps, first words, or first days at school. This is why it is important to remember to encourage not only the results but also the hard work and determination that lead up to them.

It’s important to start children young and teach them the value of hard work

Here are some of the ways you can teach your child the value of hard work without being preachy.

How To Teach Your Child The Value Of Hard Work?

Children need to know that there is no substitute for hard work and the best way to teach them that is through example.

1. Be a role model: Children are smart enough and are always aware of their surroundings. They quickly grasp values their parents cherish and follow in their daily life.

Therefore, parents should be good role models. Parents play a vital role in conditioning their children to be hard-working. The first step towards making your child understand the value of hard work is to be a hard worker themselves.

2. Give them chores: Parents must give age-appropriate chores to children in order to teach them the value of hard work instead of ‘spoon-feeding’.

Asking them to perform simple chores at home like keeping their toys away after they finish playing, or folding their clothes, organising their books etc. anything that suits their age can be a great idea. 

Palasha Gaurav Kumar who is a mum to a 5 year old son Kabir, says she has taught Kabir to pick up his own plate and put it in the sink after he finishes eating. She says,“I’ve also taught him things like putting his clothes in the laundry basket after a bath, feeding his pet fish and also keeping his shoes in place after he comes home from out. It’s very important to teach them young.”

3. Let them fail: No parent likes to see their child fail. However, this can be an important learning experience for your little one. Let your child make a mistake and fail. You can talk to him/ her regarding it.

Instead of pointing out their mistakes, you can talk about the hard work and determination they showed while they were trying to solve the problem.

4. Praise their efforts more than their achievements: Children tend to continue actions that are positively reinforced by their parents. Praising their efforts can encourage them, motivate them to work, and learn things that are a little more difficult.

Hence, parents should praise the effort that their child is putting, regardless of him/ her achieving success or not.

5. Don’t show disappointment when  they are unable to succeed: Parents might feel bad to see their child failing at something. But this disappointment should never be communicated to the little one.

It is important to inspire children to work harder and not give up. Showing disappointment when they fail will demotivate them, and they will feel like never trying something again.

6. Set deadlines: Parents can give them certain tasks and set deadlines for them. 

This will not only help them to learn to work hard but also complete the same within the stipulated time.

7. Turn it into a game: Try to get creative to keep the learning process fun. Teach them the sense of creativity and determination by turning the chore into a game.

This will encourage the child to work better as games are interactive ways to teach values to children. Due to the practical and experiential approach, it is easier for the little ones to relate to the things.

The urge to work hard automatically enables children to learn important values in life. These values help them to become a great individual and reach the zenith of success.

Hence, it is important for parents to make sure that they always highlight the importance of working hard, and ingrain the value of hard work. It is also the core of mindful parenting as it enables parents to raise them into happy, independent, and successful individuals.