29 Aug Honouring the dignity of Labor
Honouring the Dignity of Labor
Does your child know that Labor Day is celebrated to honour the American labour movement and the contributions that workers have made to the development, growth, endurance, strength, security, prosperity, productivity, sustainability, and well-being of the country?
As parents we are part of a society which no longer assigns privilege and social position based on affluence or a family name. Today children and adults alike are encouraged to earn that entitlement on the basis of merit, particularly through hard work.
On the occasion of Labor Day, NFK is suggesting you teach your child the dignity of hard work.
The 3 step process to nudge your child through:
-the right words
-everyday chores
-real life stories
(we can share one tip a day)
1. Saying the right words nudges them to make hard work a way of life.
-Don’t just say ‘well done,’ or ‘well tried,’ if your child is taking the effort to help your aged neighbor or volunteering at the weekly soup kitchen.
-Say ‘I love how you helped Mrs. B or made it to your volunteering night even though you had such a tiring week.’ or ‘you may be young but your level of commitment can teach us grownups a thing or two. Well done!’
Remember, the right words truly can go a long way in making your child realize that it takes every small contribution to make a big difference to the world.
2. Handling chores the right way nudges them to understand contribution and responsibility
Play the cleaning Olympics with your child once a week as this is a great way to get them to clean their room, minus any nagging. You can start by navigating a course of tasks to be done one after the other and provide clear instructions for each task. For e.g. First basketball the dirty clothes into a laundry bag, then vacuum your way to the finish line (draw out a marker) and so on and so forth.
Don’t offer your child rewards or incentives for doing their bit. Instead buy gold, silver and bronze medals to award them each month. Tell him/her that they will get a medal based on their cleanliness performance through the month. This award nudges them to work hard and also keep performing better consistently, to eventually get to the coveted gold medal for their work.
3. Identifying hardworking heroes in their daily life nudges your child to understand that efforts are rewarded in different ways.
Talk to your child about real people and stories of their hard work. It could be the story of the cleaning lady who comes home every week or their grandparents who worked hard to make ends meet. Give your child real life heroes who are accessible and relatable so they understand how labor and perseverance exists outside of history and books, even in their everyday lives.
Followed these NFK tips? Share your results with us and let’s keep the labor movement going.