Kids jobs

randomshenans · 27 Jul 2015 at 14:50

Recently while on summer holidays my 10yr old has read the kidpreneur book I bought him and was subsequently full of ideas on what he wanted to do.

He's currently learning java by doing a Digital Youth course around building your own minecraft server and loves it. Wants to learn how to build apps next and I just love he wants to learn more.

So, having read the book he was keen to do something... he picked something nice and simple; dog walking. I think it's great, we have a dog and I'm sure many in the area do too. Nothing ventured nothing gained etc.
He's spent today making a little flyer and emailed it to me so I can print it off at work.

He's said he wants to build a website for it and eventually wants to build an app for it, which I love.

When I was a kid I was out car washing all summer, or cutting grass or basically anything anyone would pay me for!

Yet when talking to my wife's friends and that, they don't get it. They don't understand why he would want to do it. Why would he want to work and then directed at us, why do we make him?! We should buy him stuff he wants... :confused:

It seems bizarre as an attitude, I don't get it?!

Would you encourage your kids in this sort of thing? I can't be the only one?!

He tried to do something before selling rice crispy cakes after school and as such was handing out flyers at school and the headmaster binned them all and said he wasn't allowed. :rolleyes:

Tuppy_Glossop · 27 Jul 2015 at 14:58

Don't worry about the naysayers. The child is hungry to learn and then to use that to make money. Perfect practise for life and a great attitude from the young un. Go get 'em, tiger :cool:

MookJong · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:00

Summer holidays should be spent doing what you want, if that is making a bit of money then go for it.

Terminal_Boy · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:03

Encourage and support that boy as much as humanly possible as he's one in a million with that self-starter attitude.

The sooner he's a millionaire, the sooner you can retire!

peterwalkley · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:04

randomshenans said:
Yet when talking to my wife's friends and that, they don't get it. They don't understand why he would want to do it. Why would he want to work and then directed at us, why do we make him?! We should buy him stuff he wants...

It seems bizarre as an attitude, I do

You are clearly doing it wrong. You need to bring your child up to be a spoilt brat dependent on handouts from a rich parent or the state. Trustafarians if you're upper class or Benefit Street if you're chav class. ***

I think your wife needs different friends.

*** This is irony in case someone doesn't get it.

jsmoke · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:07

I think I can see both sides of the story here. In one regard why do as it's menial for menial reward, even though he is young, and may condition your kid into a mindset of non ambition and poverty awareness. On the other hand it's traditional in some senses, I mean some kids in the world have to go to rubbish dumps and sift through the waste at the risk of disease and failure. It can be their only option.

I guess your friends are ultimately thinking about social status in society. He may be young but what if this conditions him into a peon type of mindset.

Maybe it's snobbery, who knows.

Rroff · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:09

randomshenans said:
He tried to do something before selling rice crispy cakes after school and as such was handing out flyers at school and the headmaster binned them all and said he wasn't allowed.

To be fair stuff like that is a health and safety nightmare for the school - way too much red tape and potential for backlash if stuff goes wrong for them to simply allow it.

Cosimo · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:14

Ignore what they’re saying as you’re doing it right. A young enquiring mind needs a supply of nice food for thought. Continue with encouragement and support as he’ll be buying you a retirement home before he’s got to thirty.

randomshenans · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:16

Rroff said:
To be fair stuff like that is a health and safety nightmare for the school - way too much red tape and potential for backlash if stuff goes wrong for them to simply allow it.

Valid point to be fair. I hadn't thought about it from that point, but I'm sure whatever it would have been it would have been discouraged.

I don't even mind if it fails for him, as at least he'll have learnt something from it. Especially things like making his website etc.

If he can learn to make apps as well, the world is his oyster for his ideas. I just think if you can encourage them in any direction they choose and help them find their path why wouldn't you?

OhEsEcks · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:18

Rroff said:
To be fair stuff like that is a health and safety nightmare

There goes my chimney sweep idea.

OhEsEcks · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:19

randomshenans said:
If he can learn to make apps as well, the world is his oyster for his ideas. I just think if you can encourage them in any direction they choose and help them find their path why wouldn't you?

Thought about taking him to a hacker / maker space? They usually run all sorts of workshops, which includes how to solder, electronics and also programming.

Malevolence · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:21

I used to make a mint selling nicked fags at school.

randomshenans · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:22

Haha

And yes, I was looking at the camps they have but often they're in London for the summer (or big cities) and around here there seems to be nothing as we're in a weird proximity to countries.

I'd love to get him in to one next summer for a couple of weeks of summer though. Going to look for one where he can stay away from home and do it. I think it would be great for him surrounded by others wanting to learn and make.

OhEsEcks · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:24

Check out the hacker spaces website map. Might be one closer than you think. Some of them are strict though regarding being supervised by an adult when they're under certain ages. Belfast's Farset lab's rule book is HUGE.

https://wiki.hackerspaces.org/List_of_Hacker_Spaces

Maccapacca · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:26

I washed cars from 13. Me and a mate used to make a relative fortune. We used to buy one bottle of zip wax then refill it with our mum's washing up liquid.

Did that till I was old enough to work in a restaurant as a KP till I was 17.

randomshenans · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:27

I bet it's a nightmare for rules in this day and age around all that. Thanks though for that, I'll have a look. Great resource.

randomshenans · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:28

maccapacca said:
I washed cars from 13. Me and a mate used to make a relative fortune. We used to buy one bottle of zip wax then refill it with our mum's washing up liquid.

Did that till I was old enough to work in a restaurant as a KP till I was 17.

Pretty much what I did as well. Was in a hotel kitchen at 16 pot wash then veg peeling guru.
I remember as a kid in primary school rocking up to the fete with 50quid I'd earned car washing like Johnny Big Balls.

fornowagain · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:37

I'd encourage my kid yeah, but one thing is he'll need public liability insurance and cover for loss and injury to pets.

Hades · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:37

As above continue with the encouragement. I wish my parents had. They always encouraged me to do the best I could and get a good job etc. I thank them for that but now I'm much older I realise they were wrong. You should go out and bend the world to suit you, not bend yourself to suit the world. The world is out there for the taking and it doesn't mean working for someone else at a desk, or whatever, every day. I really wish they had had the forethought to encourage me to be enterprising when I was younger rather than just discovering it later in life.

Sudden · 27 Jul 2015 at 15:43

I would kind of agree with them if it was something you were forcing him to do. If however he wants to do it, and you're simply providing the encouragement and means to allow him to do what he wants, then that makes perfect sense to do. Don't see the point in stopping him from that.

Disclaimer: Have no kids of my own.

Kids jobs

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