Labor Day offers families and educators a chance to talk about work as service, responsibility, contribution, and purpose.
Work is more than a paycheck
Labor Day can be an opportunity to talk with children about the many ways work supports communities. Income is an important part of work, but work can also involve service, responsibility, contribution, problem-solving, skill development, teamwork, creativity, and purpose.
Notice the people who help a community function
Teachers help children learn. Firefighters respond to emergencies. Carpenters build and repair. Librarians connect people with information and stories. Police officers, bakers, welders, flight attendants, and many other professionals each contribute in different ways. These examples can help children see that communities depend on many kinds of knowledge and effort.
Use everyday moments
Families can talk about the people they meet during a normal week: the person who delivers mail, repairs a road, prepares food, cares for patients, or keeps a public space welcoming. Ask children what they notice about the work and how it helps others.
Begin a career conversation
Some of these professions appear in the I Want To Be… children’s career-exploration series from Ivory Publishing®. Use Labor Day as a chance to talk about the value of work and the many kinds of work that keep communities functioning.