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Do you and your spouse share the same parenting principles? What about lifestyle choices or backgrounds?

Different lifestyles and backgrounds are what make people unique.

Even so, once you blend those lifestyles into one family, how do you compromise? Where do you draw the line on work ethic and play? And what do you teach your kids?

My husband firmly believes that his hard-working childhood on a farm is what contributed to the work ethic that he has today. While I wholeheartedly agree that his upbringing played a large role in it, it brings me back to the age-old question: nature versus nurture.

Is a good work ethic attributed to learned behavior or are kids born with their work ethic?

According to an article in Psychology Today, the jury is still out on the nature versus nurture debate regarding work ethic, but it seems to be a mixture of both. Some kids are natural “go-getters” while others may need some inspiration to complete their chores.

The good news is that you can use the following tips to raise kids with a good work ethic and inspire your children. Try different combinations of them. Let me know what works for your kids.

5 Ways to Raise Kids With a Good Work Ethic

1. Lead by example

There’s a fine line between being a workaholic and being lazy in your kids’ eyes. There should be a time for play but also a time for work.

As parents, we need to be able to model that for our children. We need to show them that hard work pays off (like having time to play a game of catch in the backyard after the dinner dishes are cleared).

We also need to show them that we can’t always drop everything and play. As much as we’d love to play all day, yard work still needs to get done.

I’ve read that even spending as little as ten minutes of undivided attention can benefit kids. Reading books together or snuggling in bed before turning out the lights can provide this opportunity. If you’re doing yard work, involve your kids. By spending quality time with our kids or fostering a team atmosphere, we’re showing them that they’re important, even though things like dishes and yard work still need to be done.

2. Bribery never hurt anyone

Mornings in our house are not fun. I’ve tried everything, including taking the Make Over Your Mornings course to get my mornings on track.

Even after streamlining my mornings, I still struggled to get my son ready. Bottom line: my son is a lollygagger.

I tried laying out a week’s worth of clothes so that he could choose what he wants to wear in the morning. This eliminated so many arguments, but our mornings were still difficult and I found myself giving him frequent reminders to get him to focus.

Nothing seemed to work and my reminding was turning into nagging.

So what made him speed up?

Cartoons.

Every morning, my son gets up at 6:40 and needs to leave to catch the bus at 7:20. Telling him that he could watch cartoons once he was completely ready inspired him to get ready faster. Some days he gets to watch 15 minutes while other days he only gets to watch two minutes.

Regardless, the nagging stopped and our mornings have been much smoother.

3. Track their progress

Chore charts and reward systems are amazing tools.

I get tired of reminding my son to make his bed every morning and to do his nightly chores. He loves collecting the garbage on Monday nights, but he forgets that Monday is garbage night.

Having a chore chart has minimized the amount of “reminders” I’ve had to give.

Get your printable chore chart here!

4. Lend a hand

Sometimes kids need some help.

For the most part, my kids are pretty good about picking up their toys at the end of the day, but it helps if they see me working alongside them. Younger kids especially need to “see how it’s done,” but even older kids like to feel like they’re working as part of a team.

It can be easier for parents, especially perfectionists like me, to just do it ourselves, but that doesn’t help our kids. Instead, teach your kids what needs to be done and then be willing to occasionally (it doesn’t have to be every time) roll up your sleeves and help.

5. Try something new

What interests your child?

My farmer-husband loved helping his dad on the farm. Planting pumpkins, building a stand, and selling them in the fall was a great way for him to learn about hard work and the value of money as a child.

As a child, I loved to write, so I started a newspaper. I bartered with a local grocery store (I placed an ad for the store in my paper in exchange for use of the copy machine at the store), and sold copies to my neighbors and family members.

Every child has different interests. The trick is to hone in on those interests and encourage your child to pursue his or her dreams (once the dishes are done, of course).

Regardless of whether your kids seem to have a natural work ethic or need a little “coaching,” these tips can help inspire your kids.

As you work to raise kids with a good work ethic, you also boost a feeling of community and togetherness as a family. In the end, that’s what matters most.

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