Learning the value of work at an early age.
I have always possessed a spirit of independence and a longing to be self-sufficient. Maybe it’s the same spirit that brought my Scots-Irish, English and German ancestors first to Appalachia, and ultimately down off the mountain for better opportunities. One way that this spirit manifested itself in my youth was the desire to generate my own income. Looking back on it, the experience of working very early in life taught me many valuable lessons.
In our household, daily chores were an expectation as a contributing member of the family, and you received no payment for that work (I will discuss the great “allowance debate” in another article). My brother, sister and I were responsible for taking out the trash, bringing the trash cans to the road on Monday mornings, washing and drying the dishes after meals (I really appreciate automatic dishwashers now!), raking and bagging leaves in the fall, cutting the grass and doing other lawn maintenance, scrubbing the tub and shower curtain, setting and clearing the table, and a litany of other household tasks. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t like doing those things, but it taught me the need to be a contributing member of the household and to do my part.
As A Young Child:I did a number of activities to generate income outside of my required household chores. I tried the traditional lemonade stand a few times, but the traffic was never really good on our street so that quickly fizzled out. In winter, as soon as the snow stopped falling, my brother and I would hit the street and clean sidewalks and cars for $5 a house. Of course, as good Boy Scouts, we cleaned our older neighbors’ sidewalks for free (potential baked goods). In summertime, we loaded up our red wagon with mom’s R2D2-looking Rainbow vacuum cleaner and car washing supplies. We went door to door selling our “mobile car washing” service to neighbors. I think we charged $10 a car for wash, vacuum, window cleaning and air freshener. I would save the majority of my earnings, but I would also hit the local arcade with my brother to celebrate our success!
As I got older (Middle School age), I developed a small lawn business in our neighborhood. I went door to door marketing myself and my services to folks that I didn’t know. I also put flyers in a few mailboxes with my service offering and pricing. I ended up getting 3-4 houses that I would cut grass for each week (in addition to my own house). I charged $15 a house for front and back lawn cutting and weed eater/trimmer services. I took great pride in the lawns that I cut because everyone knew that I was the one doing the work. My reputation in the neighborhood was a critical factor in getting this business. If I was seen as a troublemaker, who would have wanted to trust me on their property? However, I did let my entrepreneurial spirit get me into trouble a few times at school by selling candy. I peddled Air Heads and Now-N-Laters, but my specialty was Blow Pops. I would buy a bag of 30 Blue Raspberry Blow Pops for less than $5, and then sell each for 50 cents a pop. I think the local dentists have me to thank for a portion of their cavity filling business.
When I was 14 years old I heard from a friend at school that Aunt Sarah’s Pancake House was one of the only places in our area that would hire someone my age. This was my chance to have a real job and make some real money! I convinced my parents to sign off on a work permit for me and quickly interviewed for a job as a bus boy clearing tables filled with sticky syrup-laden dishes. To my delight, I was hired on the spot at the then current minimum wage ($4.25/hour). I worked for Aunt Sarah’s Pancake House all through High School. I worked in every role in the restaurant. First a bus boy, then a dishwasher, host, server, and ultimately a line cook (my favorite). I can still crack a hundred eggs with one hand today without getting any shells in the bowl! Working also allowed me the opportunity to afford a car (a 1988 Jeep Cherokee Pioneer) and car insurance. Being independent with a vehicle allowed me to take on more hours (3-4 shifts a week). I received numerous raises by demonstrating a good work ethic, responsibility and accountability. At one point, I was even tasked with opening the restaurant by myself on early weekend mornings.
Teenage Years:As a teenager I certainly managed to goof off and have fun on the job as well. I made a lot of good friends and had many unique experiences. However, getting a paycheck every week was a real joy for me. Because I was earning my own money, I bought all of my own gifts for family member birthdays and holidays. Mom and Dad knew that I was making my own money so lobbying them for funds for things that I wanted was out of the question. My mother still tells a story about me buying her gold earrings as a teenager for Mother’s Day and pulling out a wad of cash to pay for them - much to the cashier’s astonishment.
I share these stories as an example of my own personal experiences. As I mentioned previously, working at an early age taught me many valuable lessons. Looking back, here is a summary of what I learned:
- There is no free lunch.
- You get out of this life what you put in it. You are responsible for creating your own destiny. The bills don’t pay for themselves and unfortunately, money doesn’t grow on trees.
- Hard work builds character.
- The sense of accomplishment and ownership that quality work engenders is very rewarding. In a society filled with instant gratification, delayed gratification through hard work builds an internal drive and fosters good character.
- Honesty, integrity and dependability are traits that get rewarded.
- Having a good reputation will get you in the door. Being honest and dependable will keep you there. If you demonstrate good qualities, you will most likely be rewarded with additional responsibilities and money.
- The ability to sell yourself and talk about your abilities.
- I had to sell my abilities and convince people to take a chance and hire me. I practiced what I would say and did my own mock interviews. It was my first self-assessment exercise.
- Awareness and understanding of taxes.
- I had a rude awakening when I got my first paycheck from Aunt Sarah’s Pancake House. I was calculating my gross wages leading up to that first check and I was severely disappointed to see that “someone” had taken money out of my check for various reasons. I went and complained to my manager and quickly learned that this was something I could look forward to for the rest of my life.
- The ability to work well with other people.
- I was forced to work for and with other people who were very different from me. This was a great life-learning experience for me.
- A way to figure out what you DON’T want to do for a living.
- I knew pretty early that I didn’t want to be a bus boy for the rest of my life after working that job. I decided then and there that I needed to improve my lot and pursue a course of action that would lead me down another career path.
As parents, I encourage you to expose your children to different occupations. Drive them around and point out different jobs and explain what that work might entail (pros and cons). Talk to your children about what you do for a living and let them talk with your friends who are in different occupations. I am a strong proponent of putting more emphasis on the “end game” of employment after school, earlier on in life. Enlist your children in household chores and promote a sense of household teamwork where everyone does their fair share for the “team.”
As summer approaches, think about encouraging your children to pursue meaningful work (mowing lawns, washing cars, house sitting, pet sitting, babysitting, etc.). Please share your own ideas for summer jobs in the comment section below. The entrepreneurial culture that is blossoming now amongst many of our young people is very encouraging. There is even a trend in kid-oriented startup camps to promote creative thinking and business planning. One of my favorite resources for kids to learn about business and entrepreneurship is the public television series BizKids (bizkids.com). Although currently not broadcasting in our area, the online videos are very entertaining and educational. I acknowledge that there is tremendous competition now from so many other interests (camps, sports, academics, etc.) for your child’s time. You have to evaluate the cost-benefit of each one of these activities. I simply suggest adding work and/or entrepreneurship to that list of potential activities.
Now, get to work!
This column is only for the purpose of giving general information and is not intended to offer personal financial advice. Every situation is unique. Nothing in this column shall be construed as offering or disseminating specific financial, retirement, estate, tax, or legal advice. If you require any type of specific advice, please consult an attorney, qualified tax professional or Certified Financial Planner (CFP®).
