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Teach Them to Work: Building a Positive Work Ethic in Our Children
Do your children exhaust you? Have you found yourself finishing their chores because it’s, well, easier than getting them to do them? If so, this book will give you new energy, and your household new harmony. This book will help your children develop a good work ethic.
Mary Beeke, healthcare professional, educator, and mother first helps you absorb parenting principles and then gives you practical principles to bring clarity to roles in your home. Mary breaks down the principles into manageable chunks so whether you want a reflective study to bring radical change in your life, or just need a shot in the arm, she has you covered.
Table of
How Work Began
PART 1: Parental Principles
1. Work Is Good for Kids
2. Foundations
3. It’s in the Atmosphere
4. Subdue Their Will to Set Them Free
5. Turn Over the Reins
6. Custom Training
7. Together Time
8. Don’t Spare for Their Crying
9. Praying and Thinking
10. Monitor Screen Time
PART 2: Practical Principles
11. Good No Matter What
12. Work Is What We Do
13. Let’s Go!
14. With All Your Might
15. Work Smart
16. Overcome Obstacles
17. Time Is a Treasure
18. Take Care of Your Stuff
19. Follow Your Talents
20. Natural Consequences
21. Enjoy the Good of Your Labor
22. Enjoy Your Labor
23. Rest and Perfect Work
Endorsements
“Mary Beeke has given Christian parents a book that offers biblical, wise, clear, and practical counsel. This book helps parents inculcate godly work habits that offer satisfaction in meaningful, God-pleasing labor. I recommend it as a unique aid for the discipleship of children.” — Daniel M. Doriani, professor of theology and vice president, Covenant Theological Seminary
“This book is written by a mother who has seen it all. I doubt you’ve ever read a book with such a gold mine of real-life situations and practical suggestions for teaching your children to work. Mary identifies the objectives and troubleshoots the problems of teaching your children to be faithful workers. You will find that she comes as a fellow struggler in the task, sharing her own mistakes and misconceptions. All her practical advice, however, rests on the firm foundation of the theology of work. She builds her advice from the treasury of the Word of God. Like a good Puritan, she delivers the doctrine and then explains the practices of training your children to work.” — Scott Brown and Deborah Brown, Church and Family Life
Mary Beeke, healthcare professional, educator, and mother first helps you absorb parenting principles and then gives you practical principles to bring clarity to roles in your home. Mary breaks down the principles into manageable chunks so whether you want a reflective study to bring radical change in your life, or just need a shot in the arm, she has you covered.
Table of
How Work Began
PART 1: Parental Principles
1. Work Is Good for Kids
2. Foundations
3. It’s in the Atmosphere
4. Subdue Their Will to Set Them Free
5. Turn Over the Reins
6. Custom Training
7. Together Time
8. Don’t Spare for Their Crying
9. Praying and Thinking
10. Monitor Screen Time
PART 2: Practical Principles
11. Good No Matter What
12. Work Is What We Do
13. Let’s Go!
14. With All Your Might
15. Work Smart
16. Overcome Obstacles
17. Time Is a Treasure
18. Take Care of Your Stuff
19. Follow Your Talents
20. Natural Consequences
21. Enjoy the Good of Your Labor
22. Enjoy Your Labor
23. Rest and Perfect Work
Endorsements
“Mary Beeke has given Christian parents a book that offers biblical, wise, clear, and practical counsel. This book helps parents inculcate godly work habits that offer satisfaction in meaningful, God-pleasing labor. I recommend it as a unique aid for the discipleship of children.” — Daniel M. Doriani, professor of theology and vice president, Covenant Theological Seminary
“This book is written by a mother who has seen it all. I doubt you’ve ever read a book with such a gold mine of real-life situations and practical suggestions for teaching your children to work. Mary identifies the objectives and troubleshoots the problems of teaching your children to be faithful workers. You will find that she comes as a fellow struggler in the task, sharing her own mistakes and misconceptions. All her practical advice, however, rests on the firm foundation of the theology of work. She builds her advice from the treasury of the Word of God. Like a good Puritan, she delivers the doctrine and then explains the practices of training your children to work.” — Scott Brown and Deborah Brown, Church and Family Life
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2021
139 people are currently reading
1269 people want to read
About the author
Mary Beeke
16 books11 followersMary Beeke is the wife of Dr. Joel Beeke and the mother of Calvin, Esther, and Lydia. She has served as a registered nurse and an elementary teacher, and has her M.A.T. in learning disabilities from Calvin College. Since 1989, she has been a homemaker and a pastor's wife.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
August 5, 2021
4.5 ⭐️ Lots of fantastic reminders! I'm very grateful to have read this book at this point in my parenting. The truths I knew and consistently practiced when my 19 year old was young I have slipped on with my little ones. With 9 children I have to admit it's often just easier to have the capable and eager-to-serve do all the tasks. But this is lazy. I immediately began to implement things Mary writes about and have seen fruitful results. If you've read other Christian parenting books over the last 2+ decades you will see bits of all of them in Teach Them to Work. It doesn't make this book repetitive or unnecessary, we need many, many reminders as we run the marathon of parenting.
Not a 5 ⭐️ because of the introduction. If you aren't covenental just be aware that there will be theology you will disagree with.
Not a 5 ⭐️ because of the introduction. If you aren't covenental just be aware that there will be theology you will disagree with.
March 29, 2022
In Teach Them to Work, Mary Beeke warmly exhorts parents to cultivate in their children a God-honoring work ethic, thus giving them "the inestimable privilege of serving others" (171). She begins with a theology of work, namely that we are made not just to work but to find meaning in our work and satisfaction in a job well done. She then devotes several chapters to helping parents with the practicalities of motivating kids to work in all kinds of different ways, from helping with household chores, to finding a vocation, to serving those less fortunate.
Sixteen years of teaching teenagers plus raising my own kids has helped me to appreciate all the barriers that kids in the West face in developing a healthy work ethic. The ubiquity of smart phones and gaming, the constant pressure kids feel to succeed academically at the expense of gaining real life experiences, the fact that the very air they breathe is suffused with attitudes of entitlement and materialism—none of this is much help in learning how put the old nose to the grindstone. I share Beeke's conviction that "integrity and diligence will carry a young person far in the world world...even further than intelligence" (89). At the end of the day, I care more about my kids' work ethic and attitude than their academic success, so I was primed for this book and eager to learn from Beeke.
There is so much to like here. First, I loved Beeke's authorial voice. A seasoned teacher and parent, Beeke writes with the authority of someone worth learning from, but not without gentleness and true humility. She seems like a nice person, in the best sense of the word.
Beeke also helped clarify for me whether to give kids money for their chores. In case anyone is curious, she advocates for a mixed approach: Some chores kids must do simply because they are contributing members of the household, while other special, and perhaps more advanced, jobs can be done for money. I was already leaning in this direction, so it was helpful to read how someone else works it out.
There are also loads of practical strategies throughout this book. One, for us, is worth its weight in gold and so deliciously simple:
My only criticism of the book has to do with organization. It's a bit too long and, at times, repetitive. The book is divided up into two sections, "Parental Principles" and "Practical Principles" but, in practice, these sections read very much in the same way: exhortations peppered with practical strategies. I struggled to see how the divisions were meaningful in any way.
Also, it may be helpful for some to know that Beeke subscribes to the King James Only view, so get ready for lots of thee's and thou's in the Scripture passages that she cites. I do not subscribe to this view and could have done with a different translation, but I found it an easy thing to get past.
Overall, a very helpful and encouraging book, and one that has had an immediate impact on our family.
Sixteen years of teaching teenagers plus raising my own kids has helped me to appreciate all the barriers that kids in the West face in developing a healthy work ethic. The ubiquity of smart phones and gaming, the constant pressure kids feel to succeed academically at the expense of gaining real life experiences, the fact that the very air they breathe is suffused with attitudes of entitlement and materialism—none of this is much help in learning how put the old nose to the grindstone. I share Beeke's conviction that "integrity and diligence will carry a young person far in the world world...even further than intelligence" (89). At the end of the day, I care more about my kids' work ethic and attitude than their academic success, so I was primed for this book and eager to learn from Beeke.
There is so much to like here. First, I loved Beeke's authorial voice. A seasoned teacher and parent, Beeke writes with the authority of someone worth learning from, but not without gentleness and true humility. She seems like a nice person, in the best sense of the word.
Beeke also helped clarify for me whether to give kids money for their chores. In case anyone is curious, she advocates for a mixed approach: Some chores kids must do simply because they are contributing members of the household, while other special, and perhaps more advanced, jobs can be done for money. I was already leaning in this direction, so it was helpful to read how someone else works it out.
There are also loads of practical strategies throughout this book. One, for us, is worth its weight in gold and so deliciously simple:
My only criticism of the book has to do with organization. It's a bit too long and, at times, repetitive. The book is divided up into two sections, "Parental Principles" and "Practical Principles" but, in practice, these sections read very much in the same way: exhortations peppered with practical strategies. I struggled to see how the divisions were meaningful in any way.
Also, it may be helpful for some to know that Beeke subscribes to the King James Only view, so get ready for lots of thee's and thou's in the Scripture passages that she cites. I do not subscribe to this view and could have done with a different translation, but I found it an easy thing to get past.
Overall, a very helpful and encouraging book, and one that has had an immediate impact on our family.
February 3, 2023
An excellent, practical look at the theology of work. This book provides lots of tips and tricks for your family to grow diligent workers from the ground up. She's thought of every scenario and thus, took away all my excuses for why I haven't persevered in training my children to love their work.
October 2, 2022
Straightforward, convicting, practical & Biblical. A MUST READ for every parent!
December 24, 2024
Lovely, encouraging, and practical book. I love Mary Beeke’s words and tone of voice. She’s so motherly and teacherly in all the good ways. Having been a schoolteacher myself and now a mother, I related so much to her no-nonsense and plain way of addressing children’s propensities to sin by being lazy, disobedient, and defiant. But she’s so much more full of wisdom and grace… She inspires me to be more full of grace, patience, and gentleness toward my own children as I raise them to work and serve.
July 11, 2022
Wow so convicting. Every parent needs to read this book. We are buckling down on housework thanks to Mrs. Beeke!
June 26, 2023
“We can’t take our possessions with us to heaven but we can take our Children with us to heaven if by God’s Grace we have all been born again.” - Mary Beeke
I enjoyed this one.
I enjoyed this one.
December 22, 2023
Although I very much appreciate the Beeke’s and their contribution to modern puritan scholarship, I found this thoroughly unhelpful. I agree with many of her suggestions and ideas and I subscribe to her parenting style wholesale. But I think she doesn’t do a sufficient job of grounding a lifestyle of work in the Scriptures as it relates to the culture of a family. In my opinion, she gives a very unbalanced approach. It feels like one, anecdotal, and somewhat random story after another with some Proverbs mixed in.
I still appreciated some of her suggestions but it reads more like a collection of proverbial phrases from the 1950’s and less like a structured argument for building a positive family work ethic.
I still appreciated some of her suggestions but it reads more like a collection of proverbial phrases from the 1950’s and less like a structured argument for building a positive family work ethic.
August 21, 2025
Really, really helpful and encouraging read!
If you have little kids, teens or just married this book can help you see the importance of doing your work with joy and for God’s glory while passing that legacy onto your children. The last chapter was so sweet. We work hard and then we rest.
One day our labors on earth will cease and we will be in heaven with God for eternity if we know Jesus as our Savior.
“The redeemed will worship Him and sing, “Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints.” Rev. 15:3. We will have joyful fellowship with angels, saints, and best of all, with Jesus Christ Himself. It will be an eternity of praise-centered and rest and thorn-free work!” (Pg. 175)
If you have little kids, teens or just married this book can help you see the importance of doing your work with joy and for God’s glory while passing that legacy onto your children. The last chapter was so sweet. We work hard and then we rest.
One day our labors on earth will cease and we will be in heaven with God for eternity if we know Jesus as our Savior.
“The redeemed will worship Him and sing, “Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints.” Rev. 15:3. We will have joyful fellowship with angels, saints, and best of all, with Jesus Christ Himself. It will be an eternity of praise-centered and rest and thorn-free work!” (Pg. 175)
January 18, 2023
4.5 💫 ! Practical, biblical, & utterly convicting! A tad long/a little repetitive in places but I would say it’s a Must read for anyone seeking to understand a practical theology of work and how to impart it to your kids! I especially loved that praying for God to work in and through our kids was at the center of it all. :)
January 22, 2024
There was a few points where I didn’t agree. But overall I enjoyed this book and found it very practically helpful. There’s a ton of practical ideas to implement for all ages. I also really appreciated her noting her own failings in her parenting and what should wish she would have done looking back. That transparency was encouraging and helpful.
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May 13, 2022A great primer to summer.
If you grew up working, this book will feel like a hug.
If you grew up without working a lot- this book will feel like a challenge but with MANY MANY practical helps.
If you grew up wanting to be a YouTube influencer, this book will feel like a foreign language 😆.
I enjoyed it - the end did start to feel repetitive. A lot of tips for those naturally inclined toward work and those less inclined.
If you grew up working, this book will feel like a hug.
If you grew up without working a lot- this book will feel like a challenge but with MANY MANY practical helps.
If you grew up wanting to be a YouTube influencer, this book will feel like a foreign language 😆.
I enjoyed it - the end did start to feel repetitive. A lot of tips for those naturally inclined toward work and those less inclined.
October 26, 2022
This book was both encouraging and convicting! Such great reminders that we were all created to work! We will definitely be implementing some of her practical tips and working even harder to teach our children how to work hard to the glory of God!
July 25, 2023
Very good - I want to buy this book and keep it as a reference. Lots of biblical foundation for raising kids to be hard workers, but also practical tips for helping kids who avoid work or have sour attitudes.
August 28, 2025
Great book giving both practical and spiritual advice on how to create a pro work environment in your home. Children don't naturally know how to work and it is the duty of the parent to instill in their little minds the blessings of hard work. Beeke gives sound advice on how to go about teaching your kids to work while maintaining a gospel centered approach that is God honoring. Great read for parents of little children.
April 6, 2025
This was an enjoyable parenting book. Both my husband and I were blessed to be raised in families that taught and expected us to work, so not groundbreaking information for us, but helpful to get an overview and different ideas on how to teach children to work well. Love all the reminders for prayer as well!
May 10, 2023
I had really high expectations for this book and was honestly disappointed…which I really hate to be by a Christian parenting book about a topic that is so needed in our homes today! This book felt like getting advice from your grandmother (which the author is) instead of advice from someone who really knows what it’s like to raise kids in today’s culture.
Pros:
- Lots of Biblical truth shared and Scripture used
- Small nuggets of helpful information (chores examples broken down by age chart, “10 min tidy time concept”, giving promotions for jobs at home to teach the concept, etc.)
Cons:
- Some things stated as Biblical truth that were not cited with verses and honestly could be debatable based on different interpretations of the verse
- Obvious truth statements: work is good, work earns money, teach them early so they don’t learn the hard way when they’re older, etc.
- Contradictory/unclear guidance: make them do chores, but not ones that are too hard! And make them do work around the house, but they also need to play! And make sure you are stern, but stay positive!!
- Vague examples of what to actually do: example in the chapter called “Taking Care of Your Stuff”, the author advises the reader to find scraps and encourage their kids to build stuff instead of paying for toys that will break. This sounds like parenting in the 80’s and also is just basic common sense parenting.
- Bible verses were in a translation that felt so antiquated! Scripture is always worth studying and is a key part of this book but sometimes the passages felt overly used as justification of already determined parenting methods instead of as the guiding force behind the creation of those parenting methods.
- Generalized statements left so much ambiguity; in the “Monitor Screen Time” chapter, so many stats were cited that talked about how bad screens were, but then the advice was generic stuff like “control the screens”, “limit the time on screens”, and “be intentional”. Not super helpful IMO.
Overall, it wasn’t a life changing book but I did get a few helpful things to consider using in my family.
Pros:
- Lots of Biblical truth shared and Scripture used
- Small nuggets of helpful information (chores examples broken down by age chart, “10 min tidy time concept”, giving promotions for jobs at home to teach the concept, etc.)
Cons:
- Some things stated as Biblical truth that were not cited with verses and honestly could be debatable based on different interpretations of the verse
- Obvious truth statements: work is good, work earns money, teach them early so they don’t learn the hard way when they’re older, etc.
- Contradictory/unclear guidance: make them do chores, but not ones that are too hard! And make them do work around the house, but they also need to play! And make sure you are stern, but stay positive!!
- Vague examples of what to actually do: example in the chapter called “Taking Care of Your Stuff”, the author advises the reader to find scraps and encourage their kids to build stuff instead of paying for toys that will break. This sounds like parenting in the 80’s and also is just basic common sense parenting.
- Bible verses were in a translation that felt so antiquated! Scripture is always worth studying and is a key part of this book but sometimes the passages felt overly used as justification of already determined parenting methods instead of as the guiding force behind the creation of those parenting methods.
- Generalized statements left so much ambiguity; in the “Monitor Screen Time” chapter, so many stats were cited that talked about how bad screens were, but then the advice was generic stuff like “control the screens”, “limit the time on screens”, and “be intentional”. Not super helpful IMO.
Overall, it wasn’t a life changing book but I did get a few helpful things to consider using in my family.
June 21, 2022
I absolutely loved this book. It is full of practical ideas and biblical principles. I really liked that Mary presented various views on how to handle issues such as screen time, money allowance, house work, teens working outside the home and more. I am thankful that my own parents instilled a good work ethic in my sister and I as they homeschooled us; as an adult, I see how it cultivated the virtue of diligence in our lives. I am very excited to apply these many of these ideas in my own future children. Highly recommend this book if you are a parent or desire to be.
February 15, 2025
This book overall was helpful in giving a framework for how to think about biblical work AND very practical in how to teach it to your kids.
The first part of the book was pretty slow for me, I think hard work comes a bit more naturally for my personality type, but I found chapters 10 and beyond very practical and rich with verses, biblical examples, personal stories, and vignettes of peoples stories on the importance of stewarding hard work in your children.
While titled “teach them to work” this was a great parenting read, overall, since how you think about and handle instilling a work ethic into your children will impact how you discipline when they refuse to work, too.
Some practicals I appreciated were: how to meet whining / pushback from your kids, how to think about your time, teaching your kids how to handle money, allowances, practical chores for kids, teaching your children to have a servant mindset, integrating your children into your family life and instilling ownership in them
I’d probably reread this later too as my kids get older.
The first part of the book was pretty slow for me, I think hard work comes a bit more naturally for my personality type, but I found chapters 10 and beyond very practical and rich with verses, biblical examples, personal stories, and vignettes of peoples stories on the importance of stewarding hard work in your children.
While titled “teach them to work” this was a great parenting read, overall, since how you think about and handle instilling a work ethic into your children will impact how you discipline when they refuse to work, too.
Some practicals I appreciated were: how to meet whining / pushback from your kids, how to think about your time, teaching your kids how to handle money, allowances, practical chores for kids, teaching your children to have a servant mindset, integrating your children into your family life and instilling ownership in them
I’d probably reread this later too as my kids get older.
February 7, 2022
I just checked off a book from 2022 Gospel eBooks reading challenge. It was a themed challenge where I read "a book that will help you be a better spouse or parent".
This book is divided into two sections. The first (chapters 1-10) lays the foundation, explaining the Scriptural basis for the goodness of work, parental authority, and general concepts related to the family and raising kids. It is section two (chapters 11-23) where it gets practical, teaching parents how to raise good workers (preparing them for adult life). Beeke covers a wide variety of topics such as time usage, identifying talents, taking care of their possessions, rewards and consequences, working hard, attitudes, and more.
It's been many years since I read a parenting book, and this one ranks among the top. It took a niche topic, and covered it exhaustively with a perfect blend of scriptural fidelity, wisdom, and grace. Highly recommended.
This book is divided into two sections. The first (chapters 1-10) lays the foundation, explaining the Scriptural basis for the goodness of work, parental authority, and general concepts related to the family and raising kids. It is section two (chapters 11-23) where it gets practical, teaching parents how to raise good workers (preparing them for adult life). Beeke covers a wide variety of topics such as time usage, identifying talents, taking care of their possessions, rewards and consequences, working hard, attitudes, and more.
It's been many years since I read a parenting book, and this one ranks among the top. It took a niche topic, and covered it exhaustively with a perfect blend of scriptural fidelity, wisdom, and grace. Highly recommended.
July 23, 2024
"Teach them to work" lays out excellent reasons for why we should include our kids in the work of the household. If you have never spent time considering a theology of work this is a great place to start.
Unfortunately, being already convinced that I want to involve my kids more in work, I bought this book hoping for more practical insights into how to build habits, roles and a positive work ethic.
Perhaps this was intentional on the author's part (teaching general principles rather than specific application) but I was left feeling disappointed to miss out on an older woman's practical wisdom.
Unfortunately, being already convinced that I want to involve my kids more in work, I bought this book hoping for more practical insights into how to build habits, roles and a positive work ethic.
Perhaps this was intentional on the author's part (teaching general principles rather than specific application) but I was left feeling disappointed to miss out on an older woman's practical wisdom.
February 13, 2023
I could not finish reading this book. It's my own fault, I didn't do any research beforehand and so didn't know what I was getting into. It is a Bible-based approach to the principle of work, and the importance of teaching your children to be honest and hardworking. This I agree with. But I really did not like this book. It opens with a depressing and frankly hateful interpretation of Adam and Eve, and then mixes in plenty of Biblical principles mingled with Boomer philosophy. By the time she started complaining that her family friends who owned a flower shop struggled to find any workers who weren't obsessed with the worldly concerns of decent wages and health benefits, I was done. Maybe there was some truly helpful advice later in the book, but I'll never know. I give it an extra star because I love Jesus, but this was not a book I enjoyed.
November 25, 2024
If you can handle the "parenting guilt and anxiety" that usually follow when you read any kind of parenting books, this book will help. A great wealth of biblical wisdom and practical advice is found in this book, though much of it overlaps with other good Christian parenting books. But one thing we probably don't hear often in our day is chapter 4: Subdue their will to set them free. This "old (puritan?)" wisdom in raising children, I believe, is much needed in our time.
July 20, 2022
I enjoyed the book! Practical and encouraging. I thought the listing of many examples was helpful and loved the sections speaking about how to parent children with different interests, gifts, learning styles/preferences, and the relation of how to teach children budgeting.
March 2, 2023
Ehh. I appreciate the reminders but I felt like this was very repetitive and although I really appreciated some of the ideas, I just felt like it could be truncated to more of a pamphlet than a book.
October 22, 2024
4.5. A must read for parents who want practical, biblical wisdom on helping children be responsible and intentional with their time and resources. Don't be deceived by the title... this book is a parenting gem and goes beyond work ethic.
July 28, 2022
Not groundbreaking, but an encouraging read on a familiar topic as I’m reminded that work is good. Teaching our children to persevere and serve others as unto the Lord.
September 19, 2022
Listened to the audiobook. Would go back and read the actual book later on!
January 1, 2023
Best parenting book I’ve read in a long time.
June 10, 2023
The book is too long and was a little redundant. There were some gold nuggets for sure.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews