Give them work
Work often sounds like a bad four-letter word which people try to avoid. When can I earn my millions and retire and not have to work ever again? It sounds like something we try to escape, an unnecessary evil plaguing our lives, causing stress and unhappiness. Just like malnutrition, there are parts of the world where people are longing for work - even if it's really only a way to make a living and support their families.
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| Amber and Shannon, ice-cream sellers. |
But I think work goes beyond just money-making - which is, of course, always going to be an essential part of our daily survival. Humans are creatures of physical activity, which is why we have hands, legs, muscles, and bounds of energy - or else we would probably look more like worms or just simple cellular organisms. We humans, have to be kept busy - our bodies and minds require it, demand it, need to be kept occupied.
Do you notice that kids (when they are younger especially) enjoy being sent on missions to do little things? They are always ready to get stuff done - like checking the postbox, sweeping the floor, cutting pieces of paper or looking through the supermarket aisles for an item. Whatever it is, they want to be assigned something to do - you can see it in their eyes. Unless of course, you've trained them to sit quietly and stare into a tablet screen, then maybe not.
But I do strongly believe that people like to get things done. Maybe it's the sense of accomplishment of getting another paragraph typed, an email replied, a workout accomplished. So if you kids are restless, get them busy - maybe type a blog, do some number crunching, or sell ice-cream. A busy person has no time to complain!
Do you notice that kids (when they are younger especially) enjoy being sent on missions to do little things? They are always ready to get stuff done - like checking the postbox, sweeping the floor, cutting pieces of paper or looking through the supermarket aisles for an item. Whatever it is, they want to be assigned something to do - you can see it in their eyes. Unless of course, you've trained them to sit quietly and stare into a tablet screen, then maybe not.
But I do strongly believe that people like to get things done. Maybe it's the sense of accomplishment of getting another paragraph typed, an email replied, a workout accomplished. So if you kids are restless, get them busy - maybe type a blog, do some number crunching, or sell ice-cream. A busy person has no time to complain!