5. Giving Your Child Everything They Want- Without Earning It
Again, good parents want to give gifts to their children. There is nothing wrong with that. Some parents can afford more than others. Good parents give their children as much as they are able.
We are always teaching our children something- both in what we do, and what we don’t do. Parents that lavish their children with everything their heart desires, create an entitlement mentality. Not only do they feel entitled, but also the gifts themselves are of little value. Easy come, easy go.
Hard work has been the American tradition since our founding. Traditionally men helped boys step into adulthood by working side by side, and learning a trade or skill. Work helps boys grow into strong men, in a way that nothing else can.
So why don’t we value work enough to give it to our children? In my book, ten and twelve-year-old boys are the perfect age to how learn to work. There is no better time for him to work and earn something more valuable than a paycheck—the character that comes with pride in accomplishment.
So-called liberal parents worry about a child’s self-esteem but the truth is that you can tell a child he is good, and he is strong and smart, but even a child knows; talk is cheap. He must prove it to himself before he will truly believe it. I’ve found no better way to instill confidence, self-esteem and a good work ethic than working alongside men or women of good character. The setting is not as important as sweat and exhaustion accompanied by a pat on a weary back, by someone your child admires.
Something earned by the sweat of their own brow, brings an entirely new light of understanding to the world around them, and appreciation for the labor and property of others.
