Sting Says Telling Kids 'You Don't Have to Work' Is a Form of Abuse

Sting outlined his approach to inheritance for his children during a recent interview on CBS Sunday Morning.

The 74-year-old musician said he believes the worst thing a parent can do is tell a kid, "You don't have to work." "I think that's a form of abuse that I hope I'm never guilty of," he said.

"All of my kids have been blessed with this extraordinary work ethic, whether it's the DNA of it or whether I've said to them, 'Guys, you got to work. I'm spending our money. I'm paying for your education. You've got shoes on your feet. Go to work,'" Sting added. He views this stance not as cruelty but as kindness and trust that his children will make their own way.

Sting first rose to fame as frontman, bassist and songwriter for The Police, one of the top bands of the 1970s and 1980s. The group released five studio albums, won six Grammy Awards and entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.

He launched a solo career in 1985 with the jazz album The Dream of the Blue Turtles. As a solo artist, Sting collected 11 Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, a Kennedy Center Honor and four Academy Award nominations for best original song.

Sting repeated his view on work in the interview: "I think the worst thing you can do to a kid is to say, 'You don't have to work.' I think that's a form of abuse that I hope I'm never guilty of."

He stars in the play The Last Ship, set in the English shipbuilding city where he grew up. He called it an "analog of what my life could have been." Speaking to CBS Sunday Morning, Sting said he has enjoyed ample success and wants the play to shape his legacy.

"It's very personal to me. It's about where I come from and therefore who I am in the world," he said. "I don't think of myself as a celebrity. I don't like to. I like to think of myself as a working musician with a story to tell. And the story is largely my experience in life where I come from, how I've navigated life, various chapters of my life to end up here in a very privileged and fortunate position."

Sting tours with his STING 3.0 show, which started in September 2024 with dates across North America and Europe.

In January 2025, he postponed several concerts because of a temporary throat infection and shared the update on social media. Fans offered support, and Sting later posted thanks on Instagram.

"Thanks so much for all of the well wishes," he wrote. "I am steadily improving from a temporary throat infection which has prevented me from singing, though I’m looking forward to resuming my performances and rescheduled shows soon. Love, Sting."

He had canceled shows for health issues in 2019 and 2018 as well.