I remember doing “nintendo math”.
If I do all my chores for 3 months, and save that allowance up… I think I can buy the new Super Smash Brothers video game! (Samus… in case you were wondering…)
You with me on this one?
I remember the feeling of how long it took to buy something I really wanted as a kid!
Learning those lessons, HARD WORK = REWARDS (video games)
Most of us can probably remember saving allowance, and how it felt to earn something we were excited to get!
But… I think that allowance teaches us the wrong lesson.
Huh? Working hard earns rewards… isn’t that a good lesson? Yes… but…
We all want our kids to grow up to lead satisfying lives, doing what they love, something that is rewarding (hopefully beyond earning video games….).
Here is the sad truth. The amount of rewarding fulfilling jobs out there… could we say is… Limited?
Thats why I feel if you want a rewarding, fulfilling job, you need to make one!
Entrepreneurship is a way for all of us (including our children) to find a way to do what we love, and get paid for it!
If we want our kids to have a future doing what they love, we need to teach them how to create value, and turn that into a business.
They will not learn this from allowance. Allowance is essentially a job. Do this same task every week (usually one you hate, like Mowing the Lawn…), and no matter what you will receive the same amount of money each week.
If we want our kids to grow up to be able to do what they love, to be entrepreneurs, forget allowance .
ENTER THE CHICKENS.
As you probably know by now, (being a Homesteady Follower) egg laying chickens are a horrible way to try to earn money.
The margins are tight, the competition is hard…
But it is also one of the easiest farming enterprises for a farm to monetize. (why else are there so many farm fresh egg stands around?)
I talked with my son last winter about the idea of him raising and selling his own chicken eggs. I told him he could use his own money, buy the birds, care for them, and if everything worked out right,
He could sell his eggs and earn some LEGO MONEY!
He loved this idea. The last 5 months he has been caring for the birds, watching them grow, building them a coop, feeding and watering them each day, and last week… BAM! His first egg showed up!
And now… he is open for business! Check out his proud smiling face in this video from our Daily Video Show
and see how much he decided to charge for his eggs!
I really hope this little egg business teaches him the “right lessons”, about creating value, understanding the market, how to find and keep customers, even if its all at a very elementary level.
Because when he is older and realizes that he could make a business for himself, doing what he loves, he will have the life experience to look back on, and feel like he can do it again! Hopefully next time doing something more profitable than selling eggs!
If you have kids, I encourage you to do what we did! Abandon the allowance method of teaching kids about money, work, and life, and help them start a little business!
Who knows where it could lead!
By the way, speaking of starting a business, Monday at 8:30 eastern I am hosting a free webinar all about starting an online business.
JOIN ME for FREE by registering HERE, it will literally take you 30 seconds or less.
I hope you have a great weekend on your Homestead,
Aust
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