Have you ever seen a parent with their child at the grocery store and the child is so eager to help push the cart, grab items, or check out? Maybe you’ve seen a child excited to help vacuum with their mom or mow the lawn with their dad. It appears that children actually seem to enjoy helping out and feeling like they are contributing to the family as a whole, but at what point does this enthusiastic attitude change to where work no longer feels like play? In my opinion, parents and siblings have a large impact on this attitude change. It becomes more apparent to children that their other family members seem annoyed or frustrated when it comes to a job needing done.
However, when families are able to complete tasks together, or share the workload, it is much more likely to be looked at in a social aspect, rather than a replacement for a more exciting activity. Looking back, I can remember so many instances where working on housework or yard work with my siblings became a game and something I actually enjoyed doing. Whether playing hide and seek while washing mom’s minivan, making silly songs while weeding the flowerbeds, or racing to see who could wash more dishes or fold more laundry, some of my fondest memories have been made doing the things I once hated the most.
In addition to checking things off the to-do list, work really does strengthen relationships between family members. Interestingly enough, while we sometimes think that simply playing all the time would be the best way to spend time together laughing and getting to know each other, work can have a greater ability to unite families than just about anything.
Think about how many times you have played board or card games, sports, or tried to pick a movie with your family. Have you ever lost the game, or your temper? Has somebody’s feelings ever been hurt? Were grudges or fights ever formed, simply at the expense of something not going your way? While such results are not unavoidable when working rather than playing, it is interesting to see the difference it can make in being cooperative (mutual assistance in working toward a common goal) rather than competitive (having or displaying a strong desire to be more successful than others).
From the beginning of time, participating in work as a family has been a well known and accepted part of life. Before anything else, Adam and Eve were commanded to “dress and keep” the Garden of Eden throughout the duration of the time they lived there. Throughout the Bible and world history in general, we recognize phases through the development of humans where different forms of work are emphasized. Because the majority of these phases included agriculture, or farm work, it wasn’t uncommon for husbands and wives to rear their children in getting their hands dirty and working together to maintain the farm. Recently, industrial work has become more and more implemented, resulting in a more common family system of husbands leaving each day for work while wives remain at home with the children. Because of this, it is becoming ever more critical for families to find ways to participate together in hard work, as several life-long lessons and relationships can only be formed and strengthened in doing so.
As previously stated, we are asked, even by God, to continue working hard and teaching our children to do the same. In the document, The Family: A Proclamation to the World, we read, “Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.” (Hinkley, 1995) It is clear to see that God wants our marriages and families to be successful, and one of the means He has provided us in order to maintain the greatest success is work.
In sum, through working hard and playing hard, families are able to be successful and deepen their relationships with one another. I am grateful to have personally seen the impact that learning to work hard has on individuals and families, and I will never forget the fond memories I have of working with my family members.
Love, Lily
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