Introduction. The article is theoretical and empirical in nature. It raises issues relating to education through work in rural families. The theoretical part defines education through work; it analyzes stages of career development, as essential from the point of view of the research planned: pre-vocational, pro-vocational, vocational; it also characterizes active labour market participants. Furthermore, methodological assumptions are presented, as adopted, as well as the results of a research done in 2023 among active labour market representatives of the Baby Boomer, X, Y and Z generations. Purpose. The purpose of the research was to establish opinions of active labour market participants on self-care activities and household chores as performed by them during the pre-vocational, pro-vocational and vocational education periods, to identify differences occurring in this respect between the representatives of the various generations, as well as to define the influence of education through work on educational and vocational choices made. Methods. The research used the individual case method and the interview technique according to interview instructions. Results. From the information obtained, it arises that all of the research subjects has experienced education through work in his/her family home. The people responsible for preparing children and young people for performing, initially, self-care activities, and then various household chores, were both their parents and grandparents, as well as elder siblings. Due to diverse determinants of life regarding the passage of time, economic or technological/technical changes or transformations of the countryside, tasks entrusted to young people varied and were adjusted to the their needs; however, these did not affect their educational and vocational decisions directly (still having an effect on the development of their soft skills). Conclusion. Notice should be taken of the necessity to educate children’s parents/guardians (not only from rural areas) with respect to preparing them in an early and, whenever possible, systematic manner to perform self-care activities and household chores, as adjusted to their psychophysical abilities. It is representatives of educational institutions who may/should deal with such education (they also educate young people through and to work), whereas forms of supporting parents/guardians in this respect do not necessarily have to be formal meetings; these may also include talks during individual contacts, or information on the subject posted on the institutions’ websites.