My son who is turning 13 next month has asked to work. I'm a little hesitant about the idea, but respect that he would like to earn his own money to save. I look at it...as a lesson learned and an experience.
Any ideas?
Thank you!
MCL, I have a friend here in Castro Valley that is looking for someone to help with her dogs and some yard work . If you are interested then contact me.
worm picking, building birdhouses, cleaning/odd jobs around your house- then move on to the neighbors houses, painting, making dinner at your house, laundry for you. These are things you can 'hire' him for, that will also make him a great catch of a husband someday! ;)
Cudos to your son for having the mind set and responsibility to start seeing how important it is to start being more indepentdent and earning his own cash.
Perhaps he could go around to neighbors homes and ask if there are small jobs or chores he could help do on a weekly basis then negociate a price-- light yard work, helping walking or taking care of pets, during the upcoming Thanksgiving break--moms helper--help take of the kids while mom is in the home. Moms who work from home usually like to have someone come in and watch the kids while she works on her business or just needs to go out and to personal errands.
Just a thought.
I don't know about currently... but here were the jobs my friends and I worked at that age:
- Paper boy (my best friend from the time he was 10, don't even know if paperboys exist any more)
- Babysitter
- Dogwalker
- Lawn care
- Working student (horses)
- Acting
- Writing (as in writing fiction for publication)
-
Some of my daughter's friends have gotten good jobs tutoring younger children and giving music lessons.
In the summer he might want to check out volunteer activites with kids camps -- they might progress to paying jobs as he gets older. I've heard of some older boys (and even a girl who worked in the kitchen) who have had summer jobs at boy scout camps.
Sometimes businesses such as barber shops will let kids this age sweep up & pay them. I also knew a kids this age who helped clean up in exchange for dance lessons.
There are a few things a 13 year old can do. he can mow lawns, walk dogs, mother's helper, run short, simple errands for elderly neighbors. It's great that he wants to earn some money!
All of my kids have become soccer referees and they make an amazing amount of money. You have to be at least 12 to referee and,depending on what kind of games they referee, they can make between $10 and $25 per game! Where else can a 12 year old make that kind of money?
If they referee a bunch of games in a weekend (or even better, refereeing at a tournament) it ends up being quite a bit of money, and it's flexible - just sign up when you're available.
If they take the Grade 8 class they can referee competitive soccer games (for travelling teams), and a Grade 9 class will allow them to referee recreational teams. When they referee younger kids (under 10 or so) it's a pretty easy job (unless parents yell at them).
I believe there are similar opportunities for umpires in Little League as well.
Good luck!
I think there is a minimum age to be employed - it looks as if it varies from state to state but the lowest age is 14. But I'm sure lot's of people would like to hire your son. Perhaps think about what your son is good at: tutoring, babysitting, yard work, etc. My daughter, who is 12, completed a babysitting course and printed up a flier to distribute to our neighbors. It offers her services as a babysitter while the parents are away or while they are there. If your son really loves animals maybe walking dog or pet sitting for neighbors might be great. Another thought is contacting a senior center and seeing if they could use your son. In our neighborhood the local senior center offers a service where teens teach seniors how to use the computer or cell phones. Kids are fantastic with technology! Another thought might be to start out with volunteer work and see if it could work into paid.
Kids that age can usually do odd jobs for neighbors - walk dogs, mow the lawn, run local errands, fold laundry, etc.
He could also babysit or work as a mother's helper (babysitting while the mom is home just to keep the kids entertained). Neighbors with young boys might love to have a male babysitter/mother's helper to play with their sons.
K.
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My son who is 14 has been refeering soccer games. He earns between $ 10 and $15 per game, which is pretty good. Of course it demands that he takes a refereeing class... Good luck, A.
I wish we had young teenagers looking for ways tom make money around here. I would love to hire a teenager to mow my lawn for me on a biweekly basis. Do you have a lawnmower that your son could use and start doing that in your neighborhood?
When I was a kid there was a little boy up the street who mowed the neighbors' lawns. By the time that he was in his late teens he had his own lawn care business and is now quite well off.
Hi Momma-
You could get him into some neighborhood help jobs that don't require a work permit. =) He could put out cards on his neighbors doors for leaf raking, lawn mowing, gardening, taking out trash once a week, picking up doggy doody, etc. If you think he is responsible enough for child care (of older little ones, like 5 years and up), you could also add that. He can go door to door and let the neighbors know what he is doing and that he is trying to save up money for his own savings account. Make little business cards on your computer and let him hand them over. Hopefully, that will produce some business. He could also sell hot apple cider or hot chocolate on the corner during the holidays (with supervision, of course). Encourage him to come up with some ideas and then really work on selling their value and their need.
Good luck momma!
-E. M
