parenting

Teaching Children to Work, Part 2

Benjamin Quinn | September 30, 2026
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Editor's Note

Equipping articles aim to equip ministry leaders to advance the way of Christ in all of culture by (1) clarifying a particular cultural issue, (2) identifying the challenge it presents to Christians and the Church, and (3) offering a way forward for Christians and ministry leaders. These are typically short-form and not comprehensive in nature.

This article is part of our theme, The Way of Christ in Work and Rest.

This is Part 2 of Dr. Quinn’s article, “Teaching Children to Work.”  You can find Part 1 here, which was posted last week.

(4) Model consistency and expect consistency.

We have heard it said that some things are taught and some things are caught. I would argue that consistency and reliability at work are caught more than taught.

I recently heard someone say, “It’s easy to follow someone who models consistency in their work.” Parents do well to model this consistency of work for their kids. This is true both for our paid work (places of employment) and for our non-paid work, like household chores. It is important for our kids to see us model a consistent work-life as a way of providing for the family, but it is also important for them to observe parents (dads especially!) who do not simply come home from work and check out on the couch until bedtime.

Work is more than just what we get paid to do. Work is part of the meaning of life in God’s world. Our faculties of production and contribution to a family, workplace, community, and church are how God designed us to operate economically, and such contributions are unsurprisingly among the most satisfying dimensions of human existence. Consistency is integral to a stable economy, and our part in that economy, whether in the home or the broader community, depends on individuals doing their part.

Such consistency can certainly be talked about in a classroom, but it is far more likely to be caught by our kids through our example and that of others. I am not suggesting any sort of workaholism. I am speaking of a manner of life that is intentional with time at work, home, church, and in community, leveraging our abilities and assets to serve those around us. This should be carried out in faithful balance with rest and Sabbath, avoiding the ditches of laziness and workaholism on either side.

And with our kids, we not only model consistency but also expect consistency. If their job at home is taking out the trash, making their bed, or feeding the dog, have thoughtful and appropriate accountability measures to help ingrain these virtuous habits.

Work is more than just what we get paid to do. Work is part of the meaning of life in God’s world.

(5) Let them feel the weight of others depending on them.

A colleague who runs a farm with her husband recently shared about why their chickens suddenly stopped producing the normal number of eggs. Multiple community members buy eggs from this farm and thus rely on a steady and predictable egg production. The colleague shared that her second child, who is responsible for feeding the chickens, decided to feed them only half of their normal food allotment because it was easier to carry one bucket of feed rather than two. This went on for the better part of three weeks before the low egg production exposed the issue. While my colleague and her husband had disappointed customers for a few days, their child learned an unforgettable lesson. When we are given a job, others depend on us. And, when we are not dependable, it hurts other people.

Building upon consistency, it is important for kids to feel the weight of others relying on them. This is especially important in families with multiple kids, where older siblings can help younger ones. But if not with other siblings, the same lessons can be learned with pets or farm animals. It is good for kids to learn that others depend on their reliability to fill the food bowl, refresh the water, or change the diaper.

(6) Remember that part of a child’s vocation is to play—and it is our responsibility to give them that opportunity.

Work and play are both designed by God as good. And as parents, we must be sure that we invite our kids to learn both how to work and how to play. In fact, as a wise woman told me years ago, “Benjamin, don’t forget—it is the vocation of a child to play.”

I teared up when she said that since my kids were very young at the time. It occurred to me as she spoke that if part of a child’s vocation is to play, then it must be part of parental responsibility to create the spaces and opportunities for play. This is where imagination is shaped, character is formed, teamwork develops, strategy is schemed, and a million other dimensions of human development happen. These develop in work environments as well, but play is especially given to that early part of life.

Work and play are both designed by God as good. And as parents, we must be sure that we invite our kids to learn both how to work and how to play.

Sadly, adults too quickly forget how to play, even how to have fun. We tend to make everything about work and money, and it is easy to justify such attitudes when financial pressures abound. Yet, the chief end of man is to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” As such, the joy we find in playing as kids must not be forgotten in adulthood. As we build playgrounds in the backyard and forts in the living room, we model for our kids that every moment of the day need not be dedicated to “work,” for God invites us to enjoy Him as well as serve Him!

Of course, Sabbath is a day dedicated to enjoying God’s presence without the pressure to produce. But bedtime routines, ball games, dance recitals, and camping trips are just a few ordinary ways we can enjoy God and each other through fun and play.

Even as we teach our kids to work and model it for them, let us not fail to create space for them to play. Let us celebrate their play without grumbling about it “not putting food on the table.” And let us join in with them in play at times as a reminder to us and to them of our invitation to enjoy our good God, the One we ultimately rely on for daily bread.

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Photo retrieved from Unsplash.

  • parenting
  • work & rest
Benjamin Quinn

Director of the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture

Dr. Quinn is an Associate Professor of Theology at SEBTS and serves as the Director of the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture. He is the author of Christ, the Way: Augustine's Theology of Wisdom (2022), Walking in God's Wisdom (2021), and the co-author of Every Waking Hour (2016). He has been married to his wife, Ashley, since 2004, and they have four children.

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