My first job that I can remember was babysitting. I earned very little money, but at 12 years of age it seemed like a great deal to me; play with some kids, put them to bed, get some cash! Now my son is only 7.5 years old, but this weekend he has his first “job” so to speak. What kind of job is appropriate for a child who is only 7? Read more to find out!
My 7yo was asked yesterday by our lovely neighbors to take care of their kitties for them while they go camping for a few days. Obviously, my husband or I will be helping out, as will our 4yo (loves those kitties!), but the responsibility to remember to go feed them is being left to 7yo to try and remember. It’s a good lesson for him and he’s been promised $20 at the end of the trip as compensation – not bad money for a kid his age! We have discussed that he can spend some of it, share a little with his brother for helping out, and put some in his savings. Hopefully it’s a good lesson in not blowing money that you worked hard for. As hard as feeding a kitty is anyway!
My first “real” job, aside from babysitting, only netted me $4.00 per hour, and I slaved over the drive-thru counter and the hamburger grill at McDonalds for that princely wage. I knew it was a low wage, but I was only 15 and wanted contact lenses so badly I would have worked any shift they gave me just to save up more quickly for the coveted lenses.
I learned many valuable lessons about hard work and money working at McDonalds. I ended up keeping the job all through high school and college. It was so flexible time-wise, it was a good job for me. I sometimes wish I’d gotten a little more variety of experiences, but overall I don’t regret any of the time I spent working for the company. In fact, I’m pretty darn grateful, as not only did I learn the value of a dollar, but I met my husband, a fellow employee, when I switched from one location to another during my college years.
Did you ever get paid for work when you were a kid? What was your first “real” job? I think our early employment experiences can really shape us and I’m very curious to know what you all think!
Laurie is a mom of 3 boys, who hopefully will all work part-time during high school to earn their own spending money – best way to learn to value it is to really have to earn it!
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