Entitled...

For the first time in their lives, I just asked my kids to help pitch in for our family's financial needs. For the most part, our children have always paid their own way. We provide for their needs, they provide for their wants. It is a great honor system we have set in place, following generations of teaching kids the value of hard work. I explained to them that for centuries, families have worked together to sustain their needs. It seems to be only in this last generation that kids have developed a sense of entitlement and think everything should be handed to them. This, I believe, is not a healthy attitude. As we brainstorm ideas on what we can do as a family to earn money together, the sense of entitlement seems to dissipate. 

When I was a kid, we lived in the most humble of circumstances. (We were city dwellers, so I do not have any farm stories.) My dad worked as a brick mason, and had a furniture business (restoring and repairing) as well as a landscaping business on the side. My mother always took in sewing and provided simple but elegant wedding services to people who could not afford glamorous events. As a family, we collected cans and newspapers and recycled them, earning money for that. (I do not think there are still newspaper recycling services that pay money, but scrap metal is a big business.) We also stuffed envelopes, cleaned office buildings, and had kool-aid stands. It was an honor to help provide for our needs and we gained the experience of work. We did not always do it with a good attitude, but for some of us, if it was important to our parents, it was important to us. We were not handed everything, simply because we could not afford it. If we wanted a new bike, we got a pepr route to earn the money. If we wanted money for the concession stand at the pool or baseball field, we mowed lawns or babysat, or did extra chores for our mom. Money was tight, yet we found a way. 

Thankfully, my children area understanding that if they want something of value, they need to work for it. Recently, my 16 year old decided he wanted to purchase a laptop. Through his school program, he was given an allowance to buy one, but that one was losing life after a few years of continual use. Being the computer geek he is, a new laptop would be wonderful. He spent weeks researching his options and finally decided on one that would cost about $500. He sought out employment and landed a job that would allow him to earn enough money so in a matter of three months he could make his purchase. When he was less than $100 from his goal, he found out he did not have to work for the next two weeks. Disappointment only stuck for a moment, as he said aloud, "I am close to my goal. I am going to put it out there that I am looking for babysitting jobs so I can earn the rest of my money and make my purchase." Two hours later, he had a few babysitting jobs lined up for that week- paying enough to meet his goal. He loves his new treasure and takes great care of the object he worked so hard to earn. 

from lds.org

What if we want a new (to us) item and cannot afford it? Sometimes, we learn the hard way and borrow money to make the purchase. As often as I can, I encourage my children to not go this route. Borrowing often gets people into financial trouble. Work for it! Save for it! Or.... do without it! You will be happier and have a better peace of mind if you are focusing your efforts on meeting your goals rather than keeping up with what the next-door neighbors are doing. 

We work hard to teach our kids that are entitled- as long as they do the work and earn the money. How grateful I am for the heritage I am a part of, one that has taught me the value of hard work! How grateful I am to have the honor to righteously teach my children to work hard to meet their goals. Working as a family entitles us peace and joy that the world does not have to offer. 

Working hard-

Mama Dragon