Personally I see extremes today that maybe I just didn't notice many years ago. I see kids who are perhaps more eager to work at whatever they've chosen. Of course I also see many of the other end of the spectrum. I see parents as the source of both.

My first job was working at a theater in 1964 when I was in 4th grade. I swept up and helped clean after the movies finished, which was every night. On weekends there were double features in the afternoon and again that night. I made $3 per week.

 

When I was in 6th grade I began working in the concessions. I earned $5 per week for that job. When I got to middle school I got a raise to $8 per week.

 

Not much money but in those days I could buy a pop for 15 cents, a candy bar for a dime, and a comic book for a dime (sure wish I still had some of those DC and Archie comics. Would be worth some coins in today's world).

 

I also bought myself a bicycle with my money. Took me a while to save it but I did it. Bought my first baseball glove too.

 

I also mowed lawns around my little town, usually 50 cents per job. I carried in coal for several elderly people and fired the stoker for one.

I also helped my dad in tobacco and garden work during those seasons....and the pay for that was a 3 square meals a day and roof over my head, lol.

 

Times sure have changed. When I hear kids nowadays complaining over their parents not buying them something they've asked for it makes me think back to the days when I was saving those $3 weekly paychecks as a child to purchase that first baseball glove. They don't know how lucky they have it.

Pitching hay bales and hoeing tobacco at age 12.

Milking cows with my 2 younger brothers on our own, at 12 as well.

I was thankful when my dad sold the cows when I was 14.

Hay and tobacco continued for 45 more years.

At 13 it is.

 

Now that, I'll agree with.

Now that, I'll agree with.

 

I think he ends up being a vet lol but I want him to know what manual labor is and appreciate it. He's got an uncle who's a dentist and a cousin who is as well and another cousin who is in med school at UL. My wife's side of the family is far more intelligent than mine :lol2:. Loves all animals so I'd love to see him be a vet if that's his passion.

No, you are correct...but I'd argue in many ways it can be more valuable and give more "life lessons". Don't get me wrong, we need "brain power" too, which I know is what you are referring to. But give me 100 people, one with brain power and 99 with the muscle, they can build a palace. Reverse that number...well, you can have lots of ideas, but I'm not sure what might get built.

 

There has been a stigma put on manual labor over the years that just shouldn't be there. Without hard physical work, this country never exists...not in the way we know it anyway.

 

There also seems to be a stigma that if you don't do manual labor, or don't work with your hands that you don't work very hard or are soft. Which one you believe in seems to depend on which side of the fence you are in.

I don't really think that it's the job, so much as the personal responsibility. That CAN be displayed through a job or through true commitment to sports team or school, church or community activity. I know of a college student who works, but doesn't pay for her tuition (lost her scholarship her first semester, so her parents foot the bill), her apartment, her car, her car insurance, her gas money or her food. She also has a credit card that her parents pay for. But, she works and will be the first to tell you how "adult" that she is.

 

I have a niece that also lost some scholarships, took a semester off and then lost her financial aid. She's on the hook for last semester's tuition and housing. Her parents and grandparents, who've previously pretty much spoiled her, aren't going to pay the bill for her. They've wished up (or perhaps can't afford it) and she is going to have to take a year off to work to pay off those debts. My heart kind of hurts for her, but at the same time, I know that she finally needs to learn responsibility.

 

I've also seen kids that never worked, as they were very involved in school and sports, become excellent adults, some directly into the work force and others as successful college students prior to their career.

I don't really think that it's the job, so much as the personal responsibility. That CAN be displayed through a job or through true commitment to sports team or school, church or community activity. I know of a college student who works, but doesn't pay for her tuition (lost her scholarship her first semester, so her parents foot the bill), her apartment, her car, her car insurance, her gas money or her food. She also has a credit card that her parents pay for. But, she works and will be the first to tell you how "adult" that she is.

 

I have a niece that also lost some scholarships, took a semester off and then lost her financial aid. She's on the hook for last semester's tuition and housing. Her parents and grandparents, who've previously pretty much spoiled her, aren't going to pay the bill for her. They've wished up (or perhaps can't afford it) and she is going to have to take a year off to work to pay off those debts. My heart kind of hurts for her, but at the same time, I know that she finally needs to learn responsibility.

 

I've also seen kids that never worked, as they were very involved in school and sports, become excellent adults, some directly into the work force and others as successful college students prior to their career.

 

I don't care what job kids do. I don't think it needs to hard, physical labor in order for kids to learn a lesson in responsibility. As long as you work hard (not necessarily physically) at something, you'll learn valuable lessons that set you up for life.