work ethic – Taking Children Seriously

“Will a child not made to do chores ever develop a work ethic? And if not, how will they ever have a good life?”

Enslaving our children by forcing them to do household chores is highly likely to impair their happiness rather than promote it, and it does nothing to inspire them to work hard at things that matter to them.

“Surely children need discipline to teach them self-discipline?”

There is “discipline” in the sense of intrinsically motivated, wholeheartedly pursuing and working at something that you live for. Then there is “discipline” in the sense of coercive control. These are two totally different things.