Kids Are Created to Work Too

Sean woke up to his little sister shouting, "NO!"

Through the doorway of his bedroom, Sean could see Riley stomping her foot in the hallway wearing only a diaper. Sean's stepfather was standing above her, holding out a pink dress. Riley was hugging a pair of fuzzy pajamas to her chest.

"NO!" Riley screamed. "I do it myself!"

"Sweetie, you can't wear fleece pajamas when it's eighty-five degrees outside."

"I do it myself!" Riley yelled back.

"Look, let me help you put on this dress. I have to go soon. I'm working today."

Riley screamed, "NO! I'm working today!"

The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it... So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. - Genesis 2:15,19

A toddler can be loud while she works out what her job is. When a kid slows down the work of the house, parents can get loud and frustrated, too. In all this noise, you might forget that work is a good thing. But everyone - toddlers, kids, and grownups - is made to work. Everyone wants meaningful work to do. God designed us this way.

When God made the first person, God gave him a job. Genesis 2:15 says that God put Adam in the garden "to tend and watch over it." God also gave Adam the job of naming all the animals. God created them, and Adam named them. They worked as partners.

A home is a place for partnership, too. Imagine your family is a team. Each one of you has different skills, likes, and dislikes. God put your family together for a reason.

This is an excerpt from Kids CAN! 28-Day Family Devotional, Upholding the Biblical Value of Work.