FSB Author Article
How to Recession Proof Your Family and Develop Kids Strengths
by Jenifer Fox,
Author of Your Child's Strengths: A Guide for Parents and Teachers
Remember the movie Karate Kid? Wax on, wax off? The zen master prepares
the boy for Karate championship by having him repeat endless chores
that seem meaningless like rubbing the wax on a car and rubbing it off.
Later in life this motion is used as an expert Karate move. When I was
a girl, my father had us cleaning plate glass windows with a squee gee.
Surprisingly, later in life, this simple activity has helped me save
all kinds of money. Because of it, I clean my own windows, wash my car
myself, love doing bathrooms. My friends pay people to do these things.
I pay people to do other things, but I know what I like to do myself.
So what does this have to do with the recession? Two things. First, you
can save money right now by engaging your kid's strengths in simple
household chores that you would otherwise pay people for. This will not
only save you money now, it will help keep your child recession proof
throughout his or her life. This recession will pass most children by
unawares even though it may hammering your family. But kids need
recession endurance for the long haul. Secondly, some of the ideas here
may earn you money.
Parents can begin by making a list of their children's strengths, do
they like to cook, clean, listen to music? Are they interested in art,
animals, acting, writing? Do they like photos? Any of these strengths
can easily be turned into jobs that can save parents money or make them
money. Remember, it is very important to let children choose among a
variety of activities because they will like doing them and be more
likely to keep doing them if they had a role in the decision-making.
Here are some services children can do for others to earn money:
How much money do people spend on greeting cards? Your 3-5 year old may
be a budding artist. You can take her drawings and make a variety of
kinds of cards out of them. You can save money yourself on cards, or
have your older child sell these.
Too many CDs taking up space and not enough time transfer them to an
iPod? If your child can work an iPod, he can offer this service to
others. I'd pay someone between $25-30 to put all my CDs on my iPod.
Everyone I know has boxes of photos. How about having the child who
likes to organize offer to put all your photos in albums for a small
fee.
Babysitting is sometimes too risky for younger kids, but pet sitting is
not. If you will take my pet into your home, I'd be happy to pay you.
If you care to stay at my home, I'd pay more.
Come in and completely organize my closets? Yes. I'll pay you.
Forget the lemonade, on Sunday morning sell Starbucks on the corner for
half the price of the store down the street. A child with business
strength will take to this. Get the kid with the strength in math to
crunch the numbers and find the cheapest way to do it. Add an herbal
tea selection, and you're in business. If you live in an apartment
building, offer to deliver the ready made coffee to the door in the
morning.
What about the windows? I would pay someone to wash them if it didn't cost too much.
Some high school kids are real whizzes at film editing on iMac. Have
them advertise they will edit family videos into a show. Better yet,
advertise that you will take photos and make a wedding video for a
rehearsal dinner. Most teens can scan and create this.
Is your child drawn to plants? Care for plants while you are away or
prepare your garden in spring these are services we need but many
people need to cut back on.
High school kids who are especially good at art can sell their services as graphic designers of invitations and posters.
Good places to advertise services Craig's List, schools teacher's
lounge, school parking lot, grocery store bulletin board, church
bulletin, and the good old fashioned sandwich board.
People have come to pay for all kinds of luxury services that they are
going to have cut to back on unless your child can think of a creative,
and less expensive way for them to afford it. Have a child who likes to
fix things? Why pay someone else, how trying to tackle it at home and
get your child to help. Go out and get a repair book with your child
and show her how to help.
These simple things may earn a little extra cash in the short term, but
long term they may really tap into children's strengths and steer them
toward a career. There is a website called Youthgive where children of
all ages have begun their own non profits.
Dinner out cost too much? The number one growing profession for boys is
a Chef. Watch a chef show and then have your children pretend you are
at a restaurant and make you dinner. Middle school kids love to combine
imagination with real world work.
Going to the theater suddenly off the list? How about getting a play
and acting it out with the family? Hold auditions, the whole act.
Sewing used to be a boring home economics class. But now kids are drawn
to sewing and the fashion industry. Encourage your daughter to get into
sewing, make some of her own clothes, save money.
The key to all this is getting kids involved in the decision-making and
making it hip, cool and relevant for kids. Kids want to know what's in
it for them. If you can show how a simple chore like shopping and
making dinner can be turned into practicing to be a world class chef,
then you are likely to get their attention.
If you want to save money on a housekeeper by having your children
pitch in, write all the jobs down and have them choose which one they
like. Have them explain why they like it. Hidden in that conversation
is a strength that will lead them to the future.
Copyright © 2009 Jenifer Fox, author of Your Child's Strengths: A Guide for Parents and Teachers
Author Bio
Jenifer Fox, author of Your Child's Strengths: A Guide for Parents and Teachers,
is an educator and public speaker who has worked in public and
independent schools as a teacher and administrator for twenty-five
years. She is currently the international leader of the Strengths
Movement in K-12 schools. She holds a B.S. in communication from the
University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.A. in English from Middlebury
College's Bread Loaf School of English, and an M.Ed. in school
administration from Harvard University.
For more information, please visit www.strengthsmovement.com