Opinion : Work? Me work?

There's an old joke that comes to mind:

"Laugh, laugh, thought I'd die.

Die? That means funeral.

Funeral? That means flowers.

Flowers? That means money.

Money? That means work.

Work? Me work?

Laugh, laugh..."

Now I'm not in the Newt Gingrich corner, but he said something that makes perfect sense to me.

In a speech he made, he talked about how kids that come from homes where no one holds a regular job need to find a job someplace, even if it's helping to keep the school clean or work in the office...basically he's saying get the kids in the habit of working...not in the habit of sitting.

Talk shows went on to say that he wanted to repeal child labor laws...but his quote was this:

“Really poor children, in really poor neighborhoods have no habits of working and have nobody around them who works so they have no habit of showing up on Monday,” Gingrich claimed.

“They have no habit of staying all day, they have no habit of I do this and you give me cash unless it is illegal,” he added.

As much as everyone hates to admit it, it's true.

He went on to ask how many there had babysat, mowed lawns or shovelled snow when they were kids.

Of course hands went up all over the room.

I think one of the most important things I've tried to teach my kids is the importance of working.

The first time they shovelled someone's sidewalk they were probably around 10 give or take.

We had 3 children pretty close together, so much so, that in Dean's first reporting job we proudly got to tell the whole world they were ages 3,2,1...so the kids at the first shovelling "job" were around that 8,9,10 or 9,10,11 age, you've got the idea.

The look on their faces when they were "hired" or some poor old guy felt sorry for them and "gave" them a job and handed them a few dollars, was, well, priceless. There was nothing like a few dollars in their little hands that motivated them more to get another job.

There were a few times that I encouraged them to help an older person shovel when we had over a foot of snow and the person said they couldn't pay them...then there's nothing like the look on THAT persons face at having the extra help!

I suppose most parents nowadays would insist that it's terrible to send the kids out in the cold to....work....but it would be okay if it were going out to sled or build a snowman? Go figure.

After a few years of developing the idea that work + doing a good job = $$$ well, there was no stopping them.

Our boys were never in need of something to do. In their spare time there was always someone calling to ask if the boys could come over and help them...and today those same boys are working their way through college.

Our daughter is the same way. She's raising two daughters of her own, going to college and started a business on the side.

They all have learned to lend a hand whether there is money at the other end of that hand or not.

They've learned to pitch in when they see a need.

They were quick to step in when Vinton flooded, and again when the windstorm did it's damage...they were quick to get on board with the idea to forgo a trip to stay in town to help clean up trees...not to make money, but just to help.

They've learned many lessons on the way. The importance of listening, the idea that you can do a job half baked then have to redo it, they've learned that even though you are told you'll be paid, sometimes adults will rip you off, they've learned that if they can help an older gentleman to clean his walk in 10 minutes that would have taken an hour for the gentlemen to do alone, just running over there, shovelling fast and splitting before they can catch you, is more entertaining than any prank you can dream up.

I've seen the scenario that Gingrich is talking about.

I'm related to some folks like that.

He's right.

Shovelling IS work. Is it breaking the law making the kids shovel the walk? Nope. Is it teaching them character and responsibility? You bet. Is it wrong to have your kids work when they won't be paid? Are you kidding? It's great training for adulthood. Is it wrong to have them apprentice at someone's side so they can learn new skills? Are you kidding? It's probably something they will use all throughout their lives.

Back when our nation knew how to work...farmers had kids working on their farms all hours of the day and night. Up to milk cows, late to bale hay. They weren't abusing their kids, it was understood if you wanted to eat, you all HAD to work.

Now we're all living in town, and sitting at our computers and TV. The idea of making the kids get off their duff, is for many of us, more work than an 8 hour day at the office.

My husband and I were both the oldest in our families, and learned early to work.

I remember my dad telling stories of his younger days, and as the oldest in his family, he'd tell of his jobs then his younger siblings talking of all the things he did for them.

He'd often tell about helping to bake bread, and remembers when he was so little he had to stand on a stool to reach the table to help knead the bread, probably around 5 he thought.

Did he grow up with a chip on his shoulder? No. He did grow up into the hardest working man I ever knew.

Were we rich? Nah. I thought we were, I didn't get the memo that we weren't but you know, it didn't matter. We were happy.

We were constantly able to help other folks out in small ways. I remember sacks of groceries being delivered to doorsteps, and the idea was instilled in us that if we can help, you just do.

On the flip side, we lived a block away from a family that felt the world owed them. They had people giving them all kinds of things. A pastor even held a grocery shower to help this "poor" family, and requested everyone to bring meat. The people did and the "poor family" decided they didn't want to run the freezer any longer and could MY dad come and haul that rotting meat away?

My dad was not a happy camper...some of the meat in the freezer my dad had donated.

So yes, Newt, you've got it right.

Working may not always make you rich, but it will keep your kids out of jail. your family happy, the sidewalks shovelled, the neighborhood happy, the elderly taken care of, the kids busy, and the parents happy.

So parents try it. This winter, make it understood that if school is cancelled it means the walk needs shovelled. It means the elderly couple next door or down the street needs a hand.

After that's done, THEN they can go play, it's not a bad way to be!