As a child growing up on a Northern Maine farm, money did not grow on trees...and from an early age, my three brothers and I all pitched in to the daily operation. We saw two parents working hard, and were brought along into the day to day work routine. Did not feel picked on, as everyone was working. Felt glad to be able to be able to help, to be needed, to have value and be an important part of the family. During three weeks of potato harvest, the 25 cents a barrel earned (whooooo hoooo had a high of 88 barrels one day with ideal conditions and very short lunch/breaks. (Translation = Did not run out of barrels, clean picking, super weather, tried to set personal record) On saturday night, life in Houlton Maine downtown was very active. Everyone came to town...and toured the businesses for that winter jacket and school clothes. Shrewd with the dollar at an early age...worked too hard to just squander it. The winter jacket we bought that was much needed as we waited at the end of the long farm house driveway waiting for the bus during cold mornings. Made sure this needed coat was cared for. Parents did not transport kids all over creations to this and that. Needed that coat to stay warm. It was not left somewhere, or thrown on the floor, or used roughly. It was something we carefully selected, needed and knew there was not more money out there to just purchase another one if it went out of style or was lost. Lose this one and it was recycle last year's coat time. Now less than 2 percent of the country's population are farmers when back in the 1800's 96 percent of the folks in your rural community were farm producers. In other parts of Maine, raking blue berries, picking apples, digging for clams, helping lobstering operations...similiar family work ethic learned to survive.
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I loved this. It just proves what is missing in so much of our daily lives now. The concept of hard work is still around but now I see young people quitting if they don't like the job or the boss. They know that they can get a different job or hang out at home until they find something different. Items of value are not appreciated like they should be and clothing is lost or left at friends homes all the time. I know I am as guilty as many parents in this day and age. We did always make sure our kids had chores and they had jobs when they were old enough to work, they bought their own clothes when they wanted the name brands, but somehow I still feel like they had it much too easy and they knew it was easy. We are not wealthy but we also are not poor and our kids never had to worry that we might lose the house or not have heat or food. There just wasn't much strife even though sometimes things were tight. I think there are many good things that come from a family life that requires the kids to get in there and work along side the parents and siblings. The values that come from this kind of childhood are embedded deeper. I'm not saying that our children have no values because they do and they are wonderful people but I also feel that they are not as committed to goals and jobs and thngs in general as they would be if they had had more struggle in their younger lives. I think this is more a reflection of myself and my husbnd (probably more me) than our kids.
Thanks for the compliment. Need to raise out kids well to prepare them for the hard life ahead! Work is a good ethic to instill! Andy
Great post. If you work hard to earn something it has immeasurable value as opposed to something handed to you. Our kid isn't quite 2 yet but helps with fire wood, laundry, the pets, and household tasks.
Start them early pitching in...teach them respect for property, others, themselves. Our harvest just ended and youngest pulled in and saved $1200 for his three week effort working on a potato harvester and in the spud house where they are stored.