The press abounds in articles about people not wanting to go back to work. Various circumstances come in play, from those abandoning jobs in search of something more fulfilling to some folks who apparently do not want to work at all.
Hard work is woven into our American fiber. Those, like me, with forefathers who worked their fingers to the bone, tend to cherish the American work ethic. It is an honorable heritage. Yet, that fiber has frayed. Wide swaths of young people are entering adulthood without a model for dedicated work burning in their breasts. And it’s easy to see the evidence, especially for anyone who runs a business.
But there is more to the story. One group being castigated for not “returning to work” involves wives and mothers who got off the treadmill due to the virus shutdown and now are trading jobs outside the house for the calling of working full-time for their families (sans monetary compensation). The benefits of these individual decisions cannot be measured yet, but they will be powerful.
Along that same line, I saw a study of school-aged children who, during the shutdown, evidenced a reduction in obesity (a terrifying health crisis). Why? In part, they ate regular, home-cooked meals rather than fast-food and processed snacks. Well, if mom is at home, the kitchen will be going. Those same kids likely consumed far fewer packages of the candy, cookies, and sugary “treats” that permeate the halls of brick-and-mortar schools (and offices).
Then we have the dads who, while “stuck” at home, discovered regular meals and increased daily interaction with the kids. Yes, many of those families experienced (and still are experiencing) tragic financial stress, particularly the ones who lost their family businesses. Anyone who doubts this happened has only to look at the “closed” signs and empty shop windows that abound not only in certain states, but around the world (something that crystalized for me during my recent work in Prague). Nonetheless, the rediscovery of the precious element of time for family, as well as for learning and contemplation, is causing a great rethinking as to what the next steps will be.
Meanwhile, those who have returned to their jobs (or never left them) find themselves working harder than ever. Cashiers, stockers, and delivery personnel are drastically understaffed. Waiters and waitresses must cover 20 tables, rather than the 10 assigned to them before the shutdown. People working in the trades and in factories have never been busier, nor has the wait for their services been longer. Doctors, nurses, therapists, and lab technicians have probably never been busier either, since the not-heeded predictions of dire consequences for those putting off medical care have come home to roost.
Workers in the travel industry (many of whom are young) are striving doubly hard to restore its vitality. If you’ve never observed the stamina necessary to work on cruise ship and river boats, or as guides, travel directors, or staff in hotels, I hope you will have that opportunity. It has been humbling, over the past 11 years in my work for Smithsonian Journeys, to witness what goes on behind the scenes. I admire these people enormously.
My thoughts also turn to my immediate colleagues and the talented staff working in their companies. Their workload never slackened during the shutdown, but ramped up (ours did too). Why? The explosion of homeschooling and alternative forms of education (Classical academies, for example) meant an increased need for materials and tutoring at all grade levels. The fruit of this development is still budding forth. Everywhere you turn, a palpable hunger for a better way to educate children is rising up. Hard work is needed to fill those plates.
Real and looming food shortages have many people realizing just how much work it takes to fill those grocery shelves. This awakening our ancestors would not have needed. And while many a child is still coddled, kids in our neck of the woods (including our grandchildren) are being taught hard work. If you ever doubted the necessity of learning to work hard at a young age, stop doubting. If nothing else, read virtually any piece of classic children’s literature where hard work determines everyone’s possibility of surviving. Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder will do find as a starter, and hundreds of other fine titles stand right behind it.
Few things make a child prouder than a job well done. Okay, maybe not-so-well done, but at least sincerely attempted and somewhat concluded. The problem with this happy picture is obvious: it takes time and enormous effort to make this happen with kids, especially with young children. How many times do we find ourselves thinking (or shouting): “It’s easier to do it myself!” Yes, it is easier. But what is lost to the child is incalculable.
I’m preaching to the choir, I know. But if you are on the fence about this issue, get the kids working. Put them in charge of everything you can, from cleaning out the litter box (expect a mess the first few times) to working in the garden. It’s not too late to plant, even if in containers or pots. Traditional work like mowing lawns (boys and girls, thank you), offering services to clean neighbors’ garage, walk their dogs, or weed their flower beds is invaluable too. Have them clean under each other’s beds . . . oh that’s a fun one! Recriminations will fly.
Meanwhile, another positive development is looming. Actual formal apprenticeships are coming back on board—something long overdue. I smile every time I read that an announcement that another major company will be hiring workers straight out of high school. The foolishly enshrined idea of “you have to go to college” is crumbling.
And while you cannot send your ten-year old off to the Merchant Marines (even though that sounds attractive), you may be able to find an adult to teach him or her specific skills related to “the trades.” From time immemorial, youths have learned grown-up skills, be it carpentry (wasn’t there a rather famous carpenter in the Bible?) to saddle-making to weaving to baking to repairing bicycles. There are a lot of “seniors” out there who might be more willing than you think to share their vast experience and skills with your kids.
Most importantly, we can teach respect for hard work. My brother and I were lucky in this way. Our Depression-Era parents taught us that, should our lot in life be cleaning baseboards with a toothbrush, then we had better do it well and with honor. In fact, one of the strongest images I have of both parents involves them on their hands and knees, cleaning every crevice at home and in their business place. That image is matched by them using any time they had to read, my mom on the sofa, and my dad in his chair.
That’s the mix, isn’t it? Learning, working. Working, learning. The relationship between them is so close, they could be mirror images. And while such words are simple to write, it still takes concerted thought, conscious role-modeling, infinite patience, and a long-term vision to plant these values solidly in our children’s hearts, not to mention reinforcing them in our own lives.
