Work Hard, Play Hard

I have a sign above my computer that says "Work Hard, Play Hard" (Play is in larger letters).
I hadn't given it much thought until I saw a tv show last night about the teacher, Ron Clark. He is the author of an interesting book called "The Essential 55".
In the show, Ron goes to teach in Harlem. He has a tough bunch of kids to teach so he ends up using all of his creative abilities to reach them. While this method seemed to work great for Ron and his class, I wondered why the things we do have to always be entertaining. I've found that as a teacher myself, the art of drill and practice is falling by the wayside. Students don't want to do anything that seems like "work".
Look at the examples from our adult lives. We hire house-cleaners, lawn services, and even someone to buy our groceries. We don't do simple chores around the house or repair things--we just buy something new. (and yes, I'm guilty of this too!)
Then this morning as I was digging up sod from around my flowerbeds I thought of that "work" idea again. I really didn't want to be working up a sweat pushing my wheelbarrow around. I would much rather have been watching "The View" or some other show on tv. Or maybe even surfing the internet or shopping. But I kept on working until I finished the task.
Now that I'm finished, my flower beds look great. They are neatly trimmed and my flowers are not getting lost in with the grass. I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment (along with my achy back). I knew that I had started a project and seen it through to the end.
Where has our sense of pride in a job well-done gone? Where is that "stick-to-itness" that sees us through? As adults if we don't let our kids see us "working" where will they learn this skill? Do we let our little ones help us if they can?
When my own children were little they got a new job on their birthday. It started with my son putting silverware on the table when he was five. As he got older he learned to clear the table, make his bed, prepare a simple casserole and do some laundry. All of our children became self-sufficient and learned a sense of accomplishment at the same time. We made them feel proud that they were getting old enough to take on a new chore. Yes, sometimes there was grumbling but we all had chores because we were all members of the family.
So I'll try to keep a better perspective when it comes to work but I'll also remember what my sign says. Work hard, play hard. Now it's time to go play!!
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