We live in an era when modem technology has relieved us of almost ever task our grandparents once performed--- from chopping wood to caring water. Technology is not the only reason for this, however: attitudes to children and work have changed dramatically in the last hundred years, and to many children physical work is a wholly foreign idea. In many homes, parents simply do not expect their children to work, even to make their own beds, wash the dishes, or mow the lawn. A friend recently wrote to me: I’m not sure my generation ever really grew up. We don’t know what it is to make sacrifices, to give unselfishly in ways that won’t ever be recognized. Many of us are still seeking the perfect partner, the perfect car or some other kind of elusive (难以捉摸时) happiness. While no one in his right mind could desire a return to the days of child labor, sometimes it seems that the pendulum (钟摆) has swung too far the other way, that we have forgotten the value of work as an important tool of education. Physical work will not harm children; in fact, it usually does wonders for them. When you give a child a chore to do, you develop his or her ability to follow instructions. In helping to see it through to completion, you help the child build initiative and perseverance. Afterwards, you can praise him or her and instill (灌输) pride in a job well done. Where I grew up, hard physical work was part of daily life. I used to complain about the never-ending work, but my parents had no pity: “Good, hard work makes a man,” they always said. On looking back, I am grateful for every chore I did. I see now how work taught me self-discipline and concentration and prepared me for the responsibilities of fatherhood. Learning to work hard means far more than learning to sweat: it means building character. Our children need to grow up loving work, not avoiding it Let us teach them to find inspiration in the face of challenges and difficulties, not frustration. And let us instill in them the desire to carry out everything they do with joy.