As summer approaches, you and your kids may have different ideas about how they’ll spend their time. Many parents are eager to get their kids interested in working – that is learning to take responsibility, developing a work ethic, earning their own spending money, etc. Of course, many kids see summer as their chance to sleep in, play video games and hang out at the pool.
But for those kids who would like to work, the reality is that finding a real job (particularly not a seasonal position), is no longer a simple proposition. So it may be necessary to ignite the entrepreneur in your child – and together you can dream up a way for them to get that work experience even as they dream up their own job. Assuming they are mature enough to take on a job working for someone other than Mom and Dad, encourage them to look beyond the lemonade stand and instead turn their passions into profit. We’d suggest a conversation around the dinner table … dreaming up ideas such as:
Could you turn your tech
talents into cash?
• Convert CD collections to MP3 files and transfer to Ipod or phone
• Teach friends or family members to use Facebook, other social media sites
• Scan the neighbor’s family photos to create electronic files
• Transfer the contents of grandma’s handwritten address book from paper to electronic records or into her cell phone
• Post and monitor antiques or other items on Ebay for neighbors or relatives
Would someone pay for
your special skills?
• Teach guitar, piano or drums to younger kids or eager adults
• Tutor younger students in reading or math
• Provide lessons in chess, soccer, ice skating or other sports
• Plant a garden and sell the vegetables
• Help others plant, water or maintain a vegetable garden
Or do you prefer
conventional options?
• Babysitting
• Dog feeding or dog walking
• Cat feeding or playing, litter box cleanup
• Car washing, waxing or vacuuming
• Lawn mowing or other yard maintenance
• “Spring” cleaning – wash floors or walls
• Clean and/or organize the garage, attic
• Sell your stuff – clean out your closet, toy chest and turn it into money at a garage sale
There’s always volunteering
your time and talent
Although there won’t be a financial reward, there are dozens of ways to contribute time and talent as a volunteer. Consider tutoring a low-income elementary school student, helping at the Animal Protective League, working at Downtown Springfield, Inc. events. Or reach out to the Central Illinois Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity or virtually any nonprofit organization in town. Most are short on funds but long on needs. Volunteering will build your resume and give you some much needed experience for the summer jobs to come.
Former Illinois Times publisher Sharon Whalen recently became a grandmother.
This article appears in Capital City Parent April 2013.
