Hi Mike
My name is Jeremiah Wilson, and I wanted to share with you the impact your values are having on me and my family. As with most parents, I have concerns about what my two boys are being taught in school and through social interactions with other kids. I read the stories and see the videos of how kids are being groomed into thinking that they are owed everything and responsible for nothing.
I have always loved your Sweat Pledge, and recently, I went online and showed it to my oldest son, Liam. We discussed each of the 12 tenets, and talked about what they mean and why they are important. Liam agreed that before he graduates High School, he will have all 12 committed to memory.
We started that night, and within a few days of me asking him “what the first rule of the Sweat Pledge is,” he had it memorized and was able to explain what it means to him. Seeing him take it seriously, I went to mikeroweWORKS and bought two copies of the Pledge; one for him and one for his younger brother. He was thrilled to have it and we decided to demonstrate its message by putting hard work into play. Instead of buying a frame, we chose to build one ourselves. I am an amateur woodworker, so this was a great opportunity to have my son work with me in my shop while learning how to build something himself.
We used a small piece of Black Walnut. I insisted that he perform each step of the process to make the frame. In the end, he planed it smooth, ripped it into four pieces, cut it to size with the proper 45-degree angles, and assembled it himself. Glass can be expensive, so we purchased a cheap discarded picture from a second-hand store. We removed the glass and cut it to size. It was a great way to show my son how to repurpose unused items and manage costs. He was very pleased with his accomplishment. Your Pledge and his picture frame now hang proudly on his bedroom wall where he can see it daily and be inspired by it.
My sons are like all kids these days who want to always play with their electronics and skip doing their chores. But I feel they will have a greater appreciation for hard work because it is being instilled into them at a young age and your Sweat pledge is a great tool to help me with it. Who knows, perhaps one day they will be applying for a Work Ethic Scholarship because they have been inspired to be a tradesman thanks to all the great opportunities they trades provide. Thanks.
A Proud Dad
Hi Jeremiah
I can’t tell you how encouraging it is to read letters like yours. Please tell your son that the Pledge hanging on his wall is now the foundation of a work ethic curriculum in more than thirty schools across the country. My hope is to see it in thirty thousand, but honestly, I’d consider it an even greater victory if more parents used it precisely as you have – as a conversation starter at home. As a way to discuss the importance of work ethic, personal responsibility, delayed gratification, a positive attitude, and a host of other virtues that have sadly fallen out of favor.
If he’s up for it, ask Liam to make another frame. Same size as the one he just completed. If he does, I promise to fill it with something worth framing. Something else to hang on his wall alongside the SWEAT Pledge, and talk about with his own kids, a few years down the road.
Thanks again for writing, and give Liam my regards.
Mike
PS. As for the rest of you, we sell SWEAT Pledges for $12 a piece. All the money goes to our work ethic scholarship program. Get one here, and start a conversation with your kids worth having. https://mikeroweworks.org/shop/