Over the last 6 years, my family has become the neighborhood house sitters. And that’s cool with me. I have no problem watering your plants, picking up your paper, collecting mail, feeding and walking dogs, shoveling snow, or mowing lawns. We always have keys to at least 2 of our neighbor’s houses hanging in our garage and have watched up to 4 houses at a time. I really don’t mind. In fact, I’m honored that they all trust us.
My husband and I want to start teaching our daughter about money, so we recently announced our retirement from the house sitting business. However, our six-(almost 7) year-old daughter is more than happy to take over the family business…for a small fee. She charges fifty cents a day (a dollar a day if you leave the dog at home).
Her first customers were out of town for 7 days. This lady has the most incredible wave petunias I have ever seen and they require watering twice a day when it’s hot. My daughter got up early every day so she could take in the newspaper and water the plants before school. After school, she watered again and carried in the mail. On trash day, she dragged TWO trash cans and TWO recycle bins to the curb, then toted them back later that afternoon. The child did an outstanding job and was rewarded with TEN dollars…more than twice her fee.
Thursday, B and J went out of town again. And they (B and J) had been watching J and J’s house. So now, my daughter needed to water B and J’s flowers AND J and J’s flowers. J and J would be home on Sunday.
This morning, J and J saw my daughter watering the flowers at B and J’s house and came over with a thank you card. When my daughter opened the thank you card, there was a $20 in it. I really wish I had known that was coming. I never would have allowed it.
I’m sure that B and J told J and J that my daughter would be taking over watering the plants for a couple days and that my daughter is earning money for Disney World. I’m sure that J and J thought that was cute and wanted to help my daughter earn money. Maybe $20 wasn’t that big of a deal to them. But it defeats the purpose of our money lesson.
How can my child learn the value of the dollar when she gets $20 for splashing water on a couple plants for a few days? Even the $10 that she got a few weeks ago is too much. They only owed her $3.50. Five dollars would have been acceptable, but $10 is too much.
I this is a great example of why “It takes a village to raise a child”. I need my “village” to help me teach my daughter about earning money. Money is not free—you have to work for it. And sometimes that work is hard, dirty, smelly (Mike Rowe), and sometimes we’d rather go play with our friends. But if you don’t work, you can’t have that cute little stuffed polar bear from Kohls.
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4 comments:
I think the $10- for twice a day visits to water plants is not too much. Your daughter is doing an incredible job and learning about $$ too.
What great neighbors we have! My kids watched the dog next door over a weekend and the guy tried to pay them $40! I told him absolutely not and he wouldn't let me leave without a $20 bill for the job.
I think it's great that M is earning money for your trip - great idea!
I got the answer for your dilema right here, just send the extra to me!ha ha. Hey- you left a comment on mine that you have a 20yr old son- really??? that blew me away. I need to get your email so I can send replys to you- and sell it...no-not really.
I hear you on this one. My son has discovered ice tea stands. And that if you're cute and earnest people will pay you double what you ask for. And sometimes just stop by and give a $1 because "you look like you're working hard".
Money will never come as easily to our kids again!
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