Things have changed so much since I was a child. There are travel sports, year round arts and music programs, and full time everything and anything. With all of this going on, how can our children find the hours to work? These busy schedules don't help but there are ways for our kids to make money and still participate in their summer fun. Depending on your child's interest and/or skill-set, there are many creative opportunities out there to earn a dollar. I like to separate these types of revenue generating activities into three categories. The first segment is the traditional job, which may have an age requirement, consists of order-taking, cashiering or bagging at a local market, caddying at the golf course, life guarding or camp counseling at a local park or club, and hostessing or waitressing at a nearby restaurant. These may not be as flexible as some of the other categories that I will mention below but can be a good experience and learning tool for your youth. You can even have him/her ask about flexibility in scheduling. The next category is the self starter, which can be done at any age based on maturity. This consists of babysitting, mowing lawns, selling artwork, private lessons, boat washing and more. Business cards, websites and social media can be handy in getting the word out to the community about the available opportunity. These can be fun and easily fit into a busy schedule. You and your child just need to decide what days and times are best and stick to those. They can even be listed on the media tool used in the outreach. The last category is the "helpful home jobs". Again, these can be started at almost any age and the reward can include anything the child would consider a "payout". These are like chores but should not be something that your child is required to do. This type of work could include cleaning out the garage, organizing the pantry, cleaning the windows, and/or painting the fence. This "job" might be something you would normally hire someone else to do or just something you want done but don't have the time to commit at the moment. Also, depending on the age, may be something very simple to challenging. Just remember, whatever it is, the responsibility of a job and the reward at the end will start your child on a journey to learn time-management, structure, social skills, customer service and so much more.
Tip #1 Use Your Connections - We all know that our friends and family are most likely to know and trust those who we refer for hire. Well, the same goes for our kids. Use your circle of influence to see who is hiring and how to get in front of them. This is really a win win since they can hire someone who they know to be responsible and you know just what they are getting into.
Tip #2 Start Looking Early - If your youth goes to job hunt the day school gets out, they won't likely be able to find anything. They need to start in the winter and probably just after the New Year. People and businesses want to know that they are covered during the summer months and need to have their hires set before the season begins.
Tip #3 Be Careful What You Ask For - Make sure that the job for which your child is applying can fit his/her schedule and can be completed within the expectations set. Sometimes summer schedules can change or include vacations so make sure that the employer knows this and is okay with adjustments. Also, if a certain expertise is expected, make sure that the child can be consistent with their work-product.
