"Kids today are lazy!" I hear this line often--too often. Sometimes, I hear parents say it about their own child! It reminds me of an old story from classical Greece. The Philosopher Diogenes the Cynic once beat a lazy young man's teacher saying, "Who made him thus!" As parents, we have to come to grips with this fact: if our kids are lazy, it is our fault. We are responsible for raising hard workers. We are responsible for teaching and training.Few things are more valuable than teaching hard work.

Admittedly, however, teaching children to work hard can be a challenge in our day. I grew up on a farm. It was not hard to find hard work there. It was, in fact, almost impossible to avoid it (I know because I tried to avoid it sometimes). Here are three simple and easy things to do as you train your child to work hard:

1. Fight hard at the point of attitude. The reason that you have to fight against a sullen, hardhearted obedience is because the real issue is "who's in charge." If you cannot require the right attitude, you really can't require anything. Also, if the child's attitude is sullen, nothing will be enjoyable and fun (and in the end all good things--and work is good--should be enjoyable). Also, parents should check their own attitude about their work. If you complain and gripe about your work, you should expect your child to follow your bad example. Watch out!
2. Nothing works better than working with your child. Kids learn hard work best this way. Often, parents don't work with their child because initially the training takes too long. It can be very frustrating. It is usually easier and faster to do things yourself. Great parents don't give up! Take the time to train your child carefully in a task. Watch them do it a few times. Show them again if they need help. When they finally get the hang of it, you will often see their eyes light up. If you train well, they will quickly have a deep sense of accomplishment, especially if the task is difficult. This sense of accomplishment will drive them on to work patiently on difficult tasks.
3. Use rewards effectively and thoughtfully. Children should learn that part of their life as your child and as a person maturing toward adulthood is that they have to work hard with or without reward. They should understand that character is built up (like muscles) when you are working hard on a difficult task that you don't like, but that you are committed to accomplishing. That said, hard work should be rewarded. If you have a great job doing what you love, you might be willing to do it for free, but a worker is worth his wage. Find ways to reward your child for hard work but only if it is done well! It is very appropriate to have tasks for them and to pay them for excellent completion of those weekly or daily tasks. It is even better if you can find ways for them to actually do things that have a positive benefit to your family's finances. (My brother and I chopped the wood that we used in our furnace growing up. My dad kept one load for our home's heat and then he let us sell the next load. What a blessing!) Finally, never forget that praise is the greatest reward. Your child is a praise sponge. They are looking for and longing for your blessing. When they do well or when they try hard, praise them. Nothing should move a child's heart like a father or mother saying, "Well done!"