Instilling a strong work ethic

[Dftodd]

My son came home from school one day and proceeded to tell my wife what his rights were. What she could and couldn't do, and started being a little turd. Said if she didnt like it, he would call the number the school gave him and report her. Mind you at the same time, my wife was 7 months pregnant with our youngest.

Wife said ok. When my son got home from school the next day, his room was completely cleaned out. Except for a bed, and enough clothes for the week. Toys, books, and trinkets were gone. My wife moved everything to the shed and locked it up.

Son freaked, wanting to know where his stuff went. My wife proceeded to inform him of her rights, and what she was required to supply as a parent. It took him about 6 months to earn his stuff back

 

[Doofy]

My son came home from school one day and proceeded to tell my wife what his rights were. What she could and couldn't do, and started being a little turd. Said if she didnt like it, he would call the number the school gave him and report her. Mind you at the same time, my wife was 7 months pregnant with our youngest.

Wife said ok. When my son got home from school the next day, his room was completely cleaned out. Except for a bed, and enough clothes for the week. Toys, books, and trinkets were gone. My wife moved everything to the shed and locked it up.

Son freaked, wanting to know where his stuff went. My wife proceeded to inform him of her rights, and what she was required to supply as a parent. It took him about 6 months to earn his stuff back

Most excellent! Kudos to your Wife!

 

[thepumpguysc]

I have a story about leaving the lights on..
1st time I was "explained why" they need to be turned off when not in my room..
2nd time I was "reminded why" they needed to be turned off..
3rd time the light bulb was gone..
& being the smart guy I was, I went & "found" a light bulb.. it just happened to be next to Dads, Easy Chair..[not smart]
4th time, the ENTIRE light fixture was taken out of the wall.!!!!
I learned.. it took a while, but I learned..lol

 

[Sigarms]

I believe work ethic is all pretty much a roll of the dice, you do your best as parents and do a whole lot of praying:laughing:

I've just seen too many siblings come from the SAME house and how they could turn out so differently as grown adults is beyond my comprehension.

For myself, my father has a strong work ethic IMO, but around the house growing up for whatever reason the reality is I was lazy when it came too household chores, particularly yard work (told my dad God got back at me when we bought this house and property for those years LOL). That said, been pulling some kind of paycheck and paying taxes since I was 15 or 16.

Couple of years ago when my boys were under 10, I really had my concerns, even when I laid into them. Just yesterday I told my one boy that he didn't have to mow today because I wanted to let the grass grow taller and start cutting it taller in prep for the potential hot weather (I did mow directly around the house and he hopped on the mower after I got off). Without me asking him, he then went inside to ask his mother what he could do around the house because dad told him he didn't have to mow today. This was the same kid who I rheemed out years ago on a saturday morning when I was sweating my gonads off working outside, and when I came into the house, asked me if he could watch TV.

Please keep in mind, my wife and I didn't have the advantage of having the boys when they were babies, so we kind of got a late start per training

 

[NoTrespassing]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. My wife's work ethic is actually a lot stronger than my own in my opinion. I've never met anyone that studied and worked as hard as she does at her own college classes as she does. I'm sure my son being exposed to that is a blessing. It can't help but rub off on him.

Kevin

 

[Industrial Toys]

It's always best (and most importantly with women) to surround oneself with people that can drag you up and not down. A good woman can really bring out the best in a man.

 

[dmccarty]

I believe work ethic is all pretty much a roll of the dice, you do your best as parents and do a whole lot of praying:laughing:

I've just seen too many siblings come from the SAME house and how they could turn out so differently as grown adults is beyond my comprehension.
...

Yep. As a parent, one is rolling the dice to some extent. I have seen the same thing in families where you wonder how the kids came from the same parents and house hold. That said, the parents most certainly impact the kids positively or negatively, but sometimes it really is a die roll.

To really push the point to an extreme, I read an article years ago about a guy who was on a plane and sat next to Jeffery Dahmer's father. The man was a complete stranger to Dahmer's dad which is why I think they had the conversation since it can be easier to talk to a stranger sometimes. Dahmer's dad told this guy about all Jeffery problems and all of the help they had tried to give the kid but it did not seem to help. Sometimes there is just nothing one can do as a parent.

At work, we are VERY selective in hiring people but having said that, we have had Co-ops who have been less than average with production and work effort. For the most part, the Co-ops and new hires are very hard working. We have one guy we have to lecture/guide/advise to take the weekend off much less take a vacation. Seriously. He just works to much and it is unhealthy.

One thing that has changed is POLITENESS. Politeness has gone out the window. Rudeness is becoming normal.

Later,
Dan

 

[Doofy]

It's always best (and most importantly with women) to surround oneself with people that can drag you up and not down. A good woman can really bring out the best in a man.

Very true and a bad woman can bring out the beast in a man.

 

[Dftodd]

I have a story about leaving the lights on..
1st time I was "explained why" they need to be turned off when not in my room..
2nd time I was "reminded why" they needed to be turned off..
3rd time the light bulb was gone..
& being the smart guy I was, I went & "found" a light bulb.. it just happened to be next to Dads, Easy Chair..[not smart]
4th time, the ENTIRE light fixture was taken out of the wall.!!!!
I learned.. it took a while, but I learned..lol

I used to do the same thing with my kids. Got pretty frustrating till I realised the breaker box was in my bedroom. Then If I woke up in the middle of the night, and every light was on in the place, it was just a click, and then go to bed I got smart, and marked the correct breakers with glow in the dark paint

First time I flipped the breakers on one of the kids, my wife had to bury her head in the pillow to keep the kids from hearing her laugh. I never did tell them what was going in with the power till after they grew up and moved out. We were discussing there kids, when I finally told them about the breaker :cool2: There spouses were rolling on the floor, they were laughing so hard

 

[Dennisfly]

My brother has a friend who ran his owned business and became moderately wealthy and retired. The friend had several children that were all successful except for one son who was without ambition, was not charitable or caring, and basically did the minimum in life to just get by. When the friend made his will, he bequeathed to the lazy a son an annual check equal to what the son had earned himself that year!

 

[coobie]

Shut off the TV/Phones and spend time outside working/playing.Eat together as a family as shut off TV/phones and talk at the supper table.Take kids with you when you do projects/work.Be a good role model.

 

[thepumpguysc]

x2 coobie,!!! Heck, I even take my dog on projects.. just cuz I don't have kids.. lol
I figure, if he's THAT excited to go with me..why not.?? HE likes to go new places & see new things too.. Lol

 

[Buppies]

Well said coobie you summed up things nicely and I agree.

 

[Paddy]

Work ethics can mean so much. Working and seeing the results. Like planting an apple tree and later picking apples, practicing shooting a BB gun and getting to be a young marksmen, learning to play guitar/musical instrument, building a bird feeder and attracting the birds. Teach Saving money for something special.

Pointing out quality workmanship. Showing how with a bit more effort the job done can be twice as good. Post holes being deep enough, dug holes for planting trees deep and wide back filled with good dirt, a second coat of paint covers so much better.

A lesson taught to me when young, "the difference between an Amateur and a Professional, is a Professional fixes his/her mistakes".

Unfortunately, there has been such an erosion of appreciation of quality work from the trades. Cheep labor has allowed a whole generation to accept; sloppy tile work, bad drywall finishing, open joints on trim/or filled to crack later, terrible masonry jobs of brick and stone, roofing jobs done with out regards to a straight line.

 

[cdaigle430]

Today is all about Survivor style work. Those with good work ethics get **** on. Good work ethics is a thing of the past just like most good things form generations before. its all about progressing.....imo progressing into nothing. Teach your kids to compete survivor style not work ethics style.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I rarely see anybody walking anymore without them staring into their phone. Is it any wonder that people are becoming totally incapable of thinking for themselves.

For me, having time to think, ponder and plan is one of the joys of life.

 

[Doofy]

I rarely see anybody walking anymore without them staring into their phone. Is it any wonder that people are becoming totally incapable of thinking for themselves.

For me, having time to think, ponder and plan is one of the joys of life.

I had a thought once...then it escaped me.

 

[teejk]

I rarely see anybody walking anymore without them staring into their phone. Is it any wonder that people are becoming totally incapable of thinking for themselves.

For me, having time to think, ponder and plan is one of the joys of life.

I still maintain that it is a pendulum and that it will swing back. I was self-motivated (no choice really because "praise" from my father amounted to not hearing anything at all but I learned that's how he was). My sons on the other hand were (are) spoiled by their mother (I was a work-alcoholic and left that stuff to her). Oldest son now shares a home with a 4 year old (not his) and I watch...that kid is subjected to "rules" that my son never had to follow. Just the way things work I think.

 

[Sigarms]

Oldest son now shares a home with a 4 year old (not his) and I watch...that kid is subjected to "rules" that my son never had to follow. Just the way things work I think.

Although that 4 year old may not be a biological offspring of your son, if your son is setting rules and guidelines for that youngster to follow, for all intents and purposes, he (your son) is that boys father.

I do have to laugh on training methods for kids. My one boy would NEVER take no for an answer, and will always follow up to badger you a bit if he get's no. New rule on my end was if I had to say "no" more than one time for the same question that day, he gets a knuckle sandwich. Funny enough, he never asks me looking for a follow up "yes" after I give him a "no", but he has been known to follow up with my wife, and she asked me how come he nevers asks me the same question twice after I give him a "no":laughing: