Kids give away lemonade thereby horrifying conservative columnist
I would love to know what the objective was of the three girls who were handing out free lemonade from their lemonade stand in "an upscale suburb".
If it was their parents' idea of a way to teach them to "give back to the community" or to instill altruism, I think that their time could have been used more effectively by directing their efforts towards a different task that would have actually benefitted someone who is less fortunte than their "upscale" suburban neighbors.
when i was a kid i would get bored. sometimes i would come up with money making schemes. sometimes i would just go across the street and give away pears to be nice. i'm pretty sure a lot of kids don't think of ideas like 'giving back to the community' or 'altruism'. sometimes kids, with the resources they have, use their imagination (their most important resource) to alleviate boredom (be they in an upscale neighbourhood or a working class community). sometimes to get rid of that boredom they decide to 'just be nice'.
i think that a lot of people have given up on those memories of their childhood - just being nice because it seemed like a thing to do - and have decided to rewrite that part of their history, break it down and analyze it. i can't think of something that is more tragic than a person willingly letting go of memories of kindness.
You may not have encountered the political establishment watering holes down the hill around Wellington, Sparks and Elgin, where its routinely demonstrated that living large can make for thirsty work as well. Those thoughtful kids may indeed be giving back to their community. Bless their precious little souls.
Whatever their reasons, I wish my kids would stop thinking of lemonade stands as some sort of fantastic capitalist dream come true...my kids both have an amazing social conscience, but they are obsessed with money! I was too at that age...it's like ravens and shiny things, it's not even necessarily wanting to BUY something with the money, just having it...
I keep trying to reinforce how unhealthy that attitude is. Eventually it's going to sink in, but it's depressing sometimes, seeing their little eyes light up when they find a penny on the ground...
Whatever their reasons, I wish my kids would stop thinking of lemonade stands as some sort of fantastic capitalist dream come true...my kids both have an amazing social conscience, but they are obsessed with money! I was too at that age...it's like ravens and shiny things, it's not even necessarily wanting to BUY something with the money, just having it...
I keep trying to reinforce how unhealthy that attitude is. Eventually it's going to sink in, but it's depressing sometimes, seeing their little eyes light up when they find a penny on the ground...
If kids just work to consume for the moment (and not to also save), then there is an "unhealthy" element to kids working. But, having cash not only permits a person to have "nice things" but also (if you save) to have some personal autonomy and to not have to depend on others (whether it's your family, your friends, your neighbors, your community, or the government).
I started earning money when I was in fifth grade (and my weekly allowance came to an abrupt and permanent end). I worked as a newspaper carrier, painted buildings, worked in a sunflower field, worked as a school janitor, mowed lawns, etc. That experience taught me that the only way to get nice things is to work for them. The "nice things" that my work afforded me was not only the stuff school kids like to buy but also, by the time I graduated from high school, savings of over $5,000 (that's the equivalent of about $14,000 in today's dollars) - which allowed be a significant degree of independence when I quickly (and permanently) left home at age 18.
Those work experiences were good lessons to develop at an early age - and I have continued to benefit from them to this day.
So, it depends on the focus of work, Yiwah. If a kid works solely to earn dough to buy "stuff" today, then they won't learn much. But, if the kid also learns to save a significant portion of the money she earns, then that's something that will benefit her for life.
Besides, working for money and engaging in altruistic efforts are not necessarily mutually exclusive endeavors.
If kids just work to consume for the moment (and not to also save), then there is an "unhealthy" element to kids working. But, having cash not only permits a person to have "nice things" but also (if you save) to have some personal autonomy and to not have to depend on others (whether it's your family, your friends, your neighbors, your community, or the government).
I started earning money when I was in fifth grade (and my weekly allowance came to an abrupt and permanent end). I worked as a newspaper carrier, painted buildings, worked in a sunflower field, worked as a school janitor, mowed lawns, etc. That experience taught me that the only way to get nice things is to work for them. The "nice things" that my work afforded me was not only the stuff school kids like to buy but also, by the time I graduated from high school, savings of over $5,000 (that's the equivalent of about $14,000 in today's dollars) - which allowed be a significant degree of independence when I quickly (and permanently) left home at age 18.
Those work experiences were good lessons to develop at an early age - and I have continued to benefit from them to this day.
So, it depends on the focus of work, Yiwah. If a kid works solely to earn dough to buy "stuff" today, then they won't learn much. But, if the kid also learns to save a significant portion of the money she earns, then that's something that will benefit her for life.
Besides, working for money and engaging in altruistic efforts are not necessarily mutually exclusive endeavors.
Sven,
In my experience, alot of the people who were able to save money during the ages of 16-25 had serious advantages, for example their parents covered their tuition, their housing, their food costs, they got an inheritance, etc. Parents also often helped kids get jobs, for example who gets the lucrative summer lifeguard jobs? The people whose parents put them through swimming lessons for several summers. Who gets to work as camp counselors? Disproprtionately the people whose parents sent them to camp.
In your case, you were apparently living in a jurisdiction where it was legal for 11 year olds to work. In Quebec, I think the minimum age is 16, in hindsight I should have started working at 16 (started a few months shy of 18).
You can work younger than 16 if its a family business (and you're part of the family) or its your own business (like a lemonade stand)
When i was a kid, finding money was exciting only because it was the only way i could get it. Too young to work, parents didn't have much so if i found 25 cents i could buy some candy or something without having to ask my parents, which mede me feel more responsible for myself...plus i had no idea what responsibility was.
Don't worry Yiwah, i'm sure when they realize what money is really all about they'll dislike it too.
random acts of kindness is a growing movement
on the otherside of the coin: i am amazed how people will lineup for free samples.
i see this every weekk in my grocey store when food samples are given out....wealthy people can't resist and at art openings, they devour free food as tho they hadn't had a meal for somrtime.
Gotta love subversive kids.
I think age 13 is allowed for babysitting.
And as for lusting after money, I do understand your point, I'm way more worried about video games, candy or a whole bunch of other things, Money is an exciting thing, but frankly I think being ignorant of it, or thinking it is dirty can be just as bad if not worse that greed (and I don't think elementary school kids really get greedy for money anyway).
I think a many of the problems in the world (certainly within MY extended family) come from money and not knowing how to deal with it properly. Learning the value of a dollar for a dollar's work is not a bad thing to figure out at a young age.
But we found the perfect job for our kids not too long ago. Any pennies they find and roll into 50s are theirs to keep. THey made a checkerboard template to get the count right and everything. CLeaned up all the stray pennies in the house and it only cost $5 (money we probably would have had to give them anyway).