What can they do?
- Sales jobs: Your kids could run an ice cream or juice stand, host a garage sale, or make money selling all those old toys they no longer play with.
- Service Jobs – There are plenty of small jobs that your kids can easily get involved in. If they are a bit older, they can try tutoring or coaching other children (by teaching computers, math, reading, or sports) or help the elderly, for example, by reading the newspaper to them or buying groceries at the local store.
- Babysitting – A great idea for teens – it’s easy on both the pocket and the homework.
- Other Jobs: Kids can do anything: wrapping presents, washing cars, mowing the lawn, walking, caring for and taking care of pets, babysitting, delivering newspapers, cleaning windows. They are only really limited by their own initiative!
Starting
It may be a good idea to make up flyers or business cards. Go door to door and hand them out to neighbors and friends. Have fun and let your child be creative, but make sure your flyers include:
- the type of service offered
- the cost
- any promotion (offering promotional offers and discounts is a good way to start)
- contact details (this should be your home number – you probably want to talk to everyone they work for).
Whatever you do, you’ll probably need to buy some supplies, whether it’s oatmeal for making pancakes or a bike for a round of paper; For things like the car wash, you probably already have the right materials. Keep in mind that you will have to guide the little ones so that they attend to both what people want and what they are willing to pay for. If they’re setting up a stand, popsicles won’t sell in November, but they won’t sell on a hot summer day either if you charge too much. Here’s a guide to help you with pricing:
- Lemonade stand: between 50p and £1 per drink
- Car wash: £5 per car
- Lawn mowing – between £5 and £20 (depending on the size of the lawn)
- Grooming pets: £5-7
- Childcare: £5 per hour, with overtime pay after midnight
- Newspaper delivery: £5 per day to £20 per week.
Baby sister
Childcare is probably the most popular way for teens, especially girls, to earn money. It’s a great way for them to earn and learn as long as they are mature enough for the responsibility – the NSPCC recommends that children be 16 and over. To check if it’s right for your child, try leaving him/her in the care of siblings or younger relatives. Here are some tips for anyone caring for young children:
- Always get the parent’s contact number while they are away. Have all emergency numbers handy.
- Set hourly rates before work begins, and remember that double pay is expected after midnight.
- People need to trust you with their children, so always be courteous. Don’t invite friends over, don’t smoke or eat leftover food from the refrigerator, and try to remove toys after children have used them.
- Find out about children’s bedtime routines (bath times, story time, etc.) and be aware of any house rules about snacking or watching TV.
- Always keep all doors locked while you are inside and never open the door when you are home alone at night with the children.
Be clear about what time you expect parents to be home. If they are running very late, remember to charge extra for the overtime.
Safety
As a parent, it’s always difficult to strike the balance between allowing your child to be more independent and protecting him from danger. Here are some tips to make sure your children are safe.
You will need to use your own judgment to assess what level of responsibility your children will be able to handle and how capable you will be of dealing with the consequences if something goes wrong. For example, mowing the lawn can be a great investment for children, but sharp blades are very dangerous. The cleaning job is good, but detergents often contain nasty chemicals.
If your children are doing any type of work, you will need to decide where you will allow them to do it. Generally, particularly for younger children, it’s a good idea for them to work as close to home as possible. Similarly, if your kids want to wash cars or groom pets, you’ll want to think about whether they’d be more comfortable doing it at your home or at your clients’ homes.
Make sure you know and have the contact details of anyone your children work for. It’s also often a good idea to take them there and pick them up yourself, especially if they’re babysitting for the night.
Finally, be careful with advertising on the Internet: it can be very difficult to control who communicates with your child.
