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I recently read a blog article in which the author wrote about young adults and how they are having a hard time holding jobs due to the lack of “soft skills.”

The author listed soft skills as those such as time management, communication, work ethic, the ability to work as a team, etc.

“Essential” life skills were listed as those of math, English, science and history.

Time management, communication, and work ethic are essential skills we all need, not just today’s youth, and these skills are certainly not soft. They are indeed essential and, in many ways lacking in both adults and youth.

I, for one, have never used algebra outside of a high school math class, yet work ethic and time management are skills I use every day.

I have seen firsthand, several young adults not able to hold a job because they simply do not have a work ethic.

Work ethic alone will take someone far in life.

I am a firm believer that this taught skill begins at a very young age at home.

When a child is young, their job is going to school. If we as parents allow children to stay home each time they do not feel like going to school for each and every little ache and pain, we are teaching our children early on it is okay to be lacking in a job and responsibility.

Children also watch their parents.

As a parent, if you are lazy and not willing to work simply because you do not feel like it or you had a bad day the day before, you are showing your children it is fine to skip out on their responsibilities.

We have all heard the saying that success in life is 80% of just showing up. No one ever said that about math skills. Now granted some jobs do require math skills, but if you can’t show up and have a work ethic, those skills are no good to anyone.

So teach your children early on that work ethic is an essential skill, and one day you will be proud of the successful adults they become.

CRYSTAL VANDEGRIFT is a staff reporter for The Farmville Herald and Farmville Newsmedia LLC. Her email address is Crystal.Vandegrift@FarmvilleHerald.com.