YORK, Pa. — A summer job is a rite of passage for many teens. It’s a chance to do something productive and earn a little money.
For parents, it could also be a chance to get some of those chores you’ve been putting off completed.
Certified financial planner and CEO of the app BusyKid Gregg Murset says hiring your kids to do jobs around the house can be beneficial for all parties involved.
“Summer is starting, and kids get out of a routine and they just start laying around.” said Murset. “Get them off the couch and outside, in your bathroom. I don't care, organizing a closet, doing something that’s going to actually be productive for them and then get some money in their pocket.”
Besides the obvious benefits of getting things done around the house, hiring your kids can also teach them important lessons.
It can even help spark an entrepreneurial spirit.
“Give them some ideas like 'hey, why don’t you ask the neighbor if you can wash her car, it just rained two days ago,'” said Murset. “Or you go and ask the neighbor if you can walk their dog.”
Once they get a little money, Murset says to make sure they don’t “earn it and burn it” by encouraging them to save a little, donate a little and spend a little.
“If you plant this stuff early, and let it kind of grow, it will, and next thing you know, they’re gonna have more money than you,” said Murset.
These are some simple steps that can add up to a productive summer.