How Summer Jobs Build Up a Good Work Ethic

My oldest son has three jobs lines up for the spring and summer already!  He's a very hard worker and we've always encouraged him to work hard, take pride in his work, and do the best job he can.




He goes to work most weekends with my husband and father- in - law already but is now planning on going more regularly.  There's even talk of him working a few afternoons during the week, but we'll see.  For today, he went with his great grandfather to his house to help with raking and yard work.

My husband's grandparents have a large yard with lots of trees, flowers, and plants so he's going to help rake, weed, etc.  He was so excited to go too.

My son loves being outdoors and really enjoys activities like raking, shoveling, and digging; especially when he's going to get paid.

He's lined up a job mowing the lawn of his great great aunt that will start a bit later in the spring.

He'll go with my husband to mow and rake while my husband does the weed whacking and other jobs around her house and yard.  Ian can't wait.

I am so proud of him and his work ethic.  We're using these summer jobs to teach him responsibility.  Working for family allows him to test out his skills and learn what it means to work hard.

He can be lazy about his chores and helping out around the house but when I see him really working I know he has a wonderful ethic.  Normally, he has to turn over half of the money he earns to me to put in his savings bank since it seems to burn a hole in his pocket.

He has more money than most other kids his age but he spends it rather stupidly; paying his brothers $2.00 to play with him or even worse the time he paid them $20 to play with some play dough they were using!

As a family we've decided, for now,  to let that rule slide for a bit as he really wants to save up for his own brand- new four wheeler.  We searched on- line to get an idea of pricing and warned him it will take a long time to save up that much even with three jobs.

I hope he'll learn that it's better to save his money for something he really wants instead of wasting it.  I hope he'll see that it takes time and hard work to get the things we want in life.

The more he spends needlessly, the longer he'll have to wait for his four wheeler.

 It should be the best life lesson of all.   
  
He seems so young to me to be working so hard and I have a hard time letting him go and allowing him to do all of this.  I keep thinking he's too young to mow lawns and be out working, yet I couldn't hold him back.

He's extremely motivated and truly enjoys work.

I blame it on genetics; I married into a family, that I affectionately have dubbed, as "workaholics" and Ian definitely shares in that DNA.

Even at play they work; whether it be mowing lawns on an almost nightly basis, washing cars a few times a week, organizing tools, etc., they are incapable of sitting and relaxing (unless it's time to sleep!).

I just worry that he'll work so much and forget to play and have fun too.   But then I remember that when he plays he's digging holes, shoveling and raking so perhaps his jobs are just an extension of his play?  I don't know.

What I do know is that he's just a kid and childhood only comes along once.  I don't want him to have any regrets and I want him to have lots of fun.  He wants to do this so I guess I have to let him go.

Yet, I can't help thinking "where did my baby go?"  He's growing up so fast, I know one day I'll swear it went by in the blink of an eye.      

Linking Up With:



Oh My Heartsie Girls WW 650 x 635

Comments

  1. They do grow up way to fast, but it is so great for them to have a good work ethic and to learn how to do things. #mg

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Share Our Lives: 5 Items I Can't Live Without

Prime Purchases in February 2023

Let's Look At... Our Grocery haul