Fully employ your children with activities appropriate for their age and you will teach them true responsibility.

Labor Day is the holiday honoring all working people. Families enjoy this last weekend of summer-fun before getting enmeshed in fall responsibilities. Had I been a little more attentive to employing my own children, we would have celebrated Labor Day as the family employment agency that we were.

I would have started when my children were toddlers, asking for their assistance in everyday tasks. Watering the flowerbed, bringing a diaper, and wiping off a table are tasks easily understood and accomplished. Affirmations of "what a good job" upon completion of a task help children associate the word "job" with an action and positive reinforcement. By starting early, children become accustomed to the concept of manual labor.

As they grew, so would the complexity of their tasks. By purchasing child-size versions, I could help them master those intricate appliances like a broom and dustpan. The children would be included as a partner with a parent in many tasks, thus learning from the masters. By working together and providing appropriate tools, children are able to learn and perform more effectively.

As my children developed their skills, we would begin to provide structure for their tasks. We would talk about how to involve everyone in our household responsibilities by listing chores appropriate for each member of the family. We actually did have a job chart which was a piece of craft wood with each of their names at the top. Underneath each name were five tiny nails. We had colored discs with specific tasks written on each one, making it easy to change weekly and insuring no child got all the difficult or dirty jobs. By having a job chart, children are reminded of their individual responsibilities and are assured of task equality.

As my children grew matured, we would discuss how kids can work and talk about some of the jobs that they could do. We would talk about the responsibilities of employment both outside and inside the home. We would discuss how sharing the family workload would give us more time as a family to do fun things. We would discuss compensation for jobs completed in our home and consequences for non-completion. As children begin to understand the link between work and pay, they begin to mange their own money issues.

On Labor Day, we would all celebrate the work we all do together and that which we do separately. We would enjoy Labor Day weekend with the traditional picnic, Labor Day activities, and relevant books. We would talk about all our varied "jobs" and even about our dream jobs. By being laborers together, we could understand the importance of doing our jobs and doing them well and enjoy this day as a fun family day off.

About the Author:

Luanne Davidson is the proud mother of three adult children and wonders what might have been if she had done a thing or two differently. She writes her "Coulda, Woudla, Shoulda" column each Thursday.

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