Life requires that you have to work hard - at something

It's Labor Day. So I decided to start my parenting advice. Actually it's more of "What I Want to Teach Children".

There are two axioms that somehow don't seem to go together. "If it wasn't hard it wouldn't be called WORK." and "If you have a job you love you won't work a day in your life." In some ways I think they are both true. But I have a third to add - "You have to work hard sometime in your life, it's up to you when that occurs."

I absolutely think being successful requires hard work. But there are too many people, kids especially, that think there must be an easy way. Oh, sure, there probably is for an incredibly few who are born into wealth or win the lottery. But even for today's superstars, they've had to put in a lot of work to get to where they are at. And that's the message that I want to teach to children.

I think it's important for kids to think of what they would like to be when they grow up. But I think it's more important to let them know what they have to do to get there. Sports stars, music stars and actors have to practice, practice, practice. But if they really want to keep their money after they make it, they really need to know about business and investments.

Fire fighters and police have to have some college if not a four year degree. Teachers and nurses of course need degrees. And doctors and lawyers need additional schooling.

Even if the job sounds ideal or easy, chances are it's going to take a lot of work to get there and kids should know that. In other words, make sure they know that they need to start working hard now in school so that learning won't be as hard later.

Let them know WHY they need to learn how to read. Even if it's so they can read their own multi-million dollar contract later. And math and science are used in everything. If something is on sale, what percent off is it really? And the internet is an incredible tool for find out "How do they do that?"

And most of all, let them know that working hard is not a bad thing. It's a necessary thing. It's much better to work hard and do something you love, rather than having to do hard work at something you hate for a long, long time.