I used to take my boys around the neighborhood to sell avocados from our tree when they were young. (younger than 12) We priced them in such a manner that they were a little cheaper than the store…so it was a good deal for everyone involved. The boys learned how sell their product and approach strangers. Virtually every neighbor commented on how much they enjoyed seeing the kids trying to earn some money. It is so rare these days.

I’ve recently noticed that individual kids group together to perform gardening tasks like this to improve their efficiency and therefore increase their earning potential. Got to respect that initiative.

Many of their peers get this stuff given to them. I respect kids who will earn their own money to pay for their own needs/hobbies. This DOESN’T mean that you need to hire the kid (it’s your money and your choice), but saying, “I know I use my money better than they use theirs” is unnecessarily self-righteous and demeaning.

Also… as a bike enthusiast myself… $600 is about the cost for a good entry-level mountain or road bike. If a 12-year-old knows he wants this, then I think it’s awesome! Double awesome if he’s earning money to do something outside by doing jobs outside… not enough kids get outside time these days!

But the flip side of that is that I love doing yardwork in the early spring and fall, when the weather is cooler and the bugs aren’t around. That work I continue doing myself because it’s a pleasure, and that outweights the economic considerations.

We hired a snow-removal service a couple years ago because my aging back was warning that it wouldn’t be up to the task forever. (The year the snowbanks were higher than my head also provided some convincing. *G*) I still enjoy shoveling, and because I work at home I could do it most days, but it was clear that couldn’t go on forever. More seriously, because we travel a few times during the winter (visiting relatives mostly) that we couldn’t afford to leave the driveway unplowed for several days. Our house- and cat-sitters aren’t up to the task, so a service was the only answer.

Having earned most of my income as a pre-teen and teen by mowing lawns and shoveling driveways, I’d happily hand the job to a local kid (i.e,. paying back), but there aren’t any who are interested.

I would definitely have hired the kid. He’s putting himself out there, getting off his butt (and away from his Wii) and actually trying to EARN some money. That’s the sort of entrepreneurial spirit we should be ENCOURAGING. Good for him for having the guts to knock on a stranger’s door and offer his labour.

I just hope this kid didn’t get discouraged, give up, and shift to a lazy, entitlement attitude that is all too prevalent already in society.

Heck, I can remember little 5 year-old twins living next door to me wanting to buy a video game back in the day and begging me for ANYTHING they could do. I could afford to give them $2 apiece to sweep my driveway and they were thrilled!

But it would be nice if you thought about any other jobs you might hire him for too.

If it was me, you could replace cutting the grass with washing the car. I’d happily pay someone to cut my grass for $15, but I wash my own car because I enjoy it, so I don’t pay the local school $3 to wash my car.

Trent LIKES cutting the grass. He doesn’t get any value out of paying someone else to do it.

Yes, it sucks to be the kid who got turned down, but that is also “life.” I have realized that there are just too many charities and good causes to support everybody who comes to my door – we pick a few good ones, donate to those, and say sorry to the rest.

Speaking to this specific instance, if Trent really wanted to help the kid out, he could have offered to pay him $15 to do some other yardwork that needed to be done or other general labor. We have done that with extended family members who need money – we pay them to come do services we are unable/unwilling to do. (Having small kids makes it very hard to get things done for a couple of years.)

I agree with those who suggested alternate job offers to the lawn mower, or maybe an intimation he would hire him for the time they’re traveling out of town on lawn day.

Sorry, I don’t buy it. Tman always discusses social capital. Working with your neighbors. Etc.

Then one swings by and gets dissed. You can analyze it all day and on paper you are probably right. Trent did an analysis and found rightly so that the kid would cost him money.

But it was still a poor thing to do in my opinion. I think you help young kids out. I think you give to those who need it, or who are trying. Giving to a charity is certainly difficult in trying times as well, and is surely not a beneficial comparative advantage.

But you still do it. because the right thing isn’t always about the money.

What if it were his kid and his neighbor.