I've read so many articles and posts about the necessity of teaching children how to work at a very young age.  This starts with letting them "help" you take clothes to the laundry room, let them help take junk mail to the trash can, etc.  Children LOVE TO HELP - even if it takes you twice as long to do something, LET them help.  This is the beginning of learning a work ethic, not to mention helping them feel good about themselves for accomplishing something.  Give them little "chores", adapting the chores to their particular ages, and they will grow up learning responsibility.  Our little 2 1/2 year old quadruplet grandbabies and their big brother (3 1/2) LOVE to help - and at home they help load the dishwasher, help clean off the table, help take laundry to the laundry room, and at our house they do pretty much the same, except here they get to also help get the trash can to the side of the road for the garbage truck to pick up.  Then we all stand and watch as the garbage truck comes by to pick up the garbage, wave to the garbage man (and he honks and waves back), then we all bring the trash can back to the house.  In addition, all the little ones LOVE to help Papaw trim the bushes and help take the little "branches" to the edge of the street to be picked up.  We have a picture of all the little ones standing beside the house with their hats on (Papaw's golf hats), and ready to help trim the bushes.  Please, let your little ones HELP you!!