The award for Best Mom of the Year–so far, let's hope there are many in 2013–goes to Yu Youzhen, a millionaire who has been teaching her kids the meaning of hard work by being employed as a sanitation worker. The Chinese woman started out as a vegetable farmer with her husband and came to own three 5-story buildings which were rented out. Eventually, the government took their land away to redevelop but compensated them with 21 apartments–allowing the wealth to come in.
But instead of spending money recklessly, Yu decided to set a good example for her children by working as a sanitation worker for the last 14 years. How amazing is that?!
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According to Chinasmack.com, Yu started working the street cleaning job after witnessing others who came into money and then misspending it or even falling into drug use. She wanted her daughter and son to learn that hard work is important."You just can't sit at home and eat away a whole fortune," she said.
The mom began working as a sanitation worker in the Wuchang district in 1998, work which requires her to arrive at work at 3 a.m. six days a week, and earns a salary of 1,4230 Yuan (about $230) a month. Naturally, some of her coworkers don't understand why she puts up with the strenuous position since she's a millionaire. But Yu knows she loves her job and knows she is doing it for a good reason.
Yu has even threatened her kids that she would donate the buildings to the country if they didn't work. And as it turns out, her strategy has worked for far: Her son works as a driver and her daughter is an office worker–both following in their mother's footsteps.
The one thing that's wrong with today's society is that so many kids feel entitled to things and as by products are spoiled. Yu, on the other hand, decided to do something positive with her wealth instead of giving her kids everything they wanted and decided to set an example for them.
It's remarkable that this woman, although wealthy, knows the meaning of going from rags to riches. Despite the money she's acquired, she still remains humble and true to her roots and she's doing an amazing job teaching her kids the right morals. We can all learn something from this! And hopefully her children will continue to share the same ideals with their own children.
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