Kids’ only options for earning money in the past have been mowing the lawn or doing housework. Your kids can now perform a variety of tasks, including babysitting, dog walking, and taking online surveys. Making money as a child was much harder than it is now when I was younger. For my generation’s children, that wasn’t so great, but for my own children, it has made life much simpler.
My parents did a good job of instilling in my brothers and me the importance of being financially responsible. But as I got older, I realised that I had a lot of gaps in my financial knowledge. We as parents can only pass on what we have learned. I am therefore much more determined to learn what I don’t know about finances and money now.
I want my kids to have better financial sense than I did when I was their age. They have learnt how to earn extra money even as children as part of this education, which is a major component.
In-Person Ways To Make Money As A Kid
Making money can be slightly more challenging for younger children, i.e., children aged six and up. However, the majority of children have access to a fantastic social media network. Additionally, they have the support and assistance of their parents in finding opportunities for financial gain.
You should oversee anything your child decides to do in order to make money. After all, many of these odd jobs are out of the reach of kids without their parents’ permission or access to transportation.
Babysit: You, as the parent, can assist your child in finding babysitting jobs through your friends and neighbors if they are interested in the job even at the age of 10 to 12 years old. You will feel more at ease knowing your child will be left alone at that home. Sometimes a mother’s or father’s helper is required, so your child may not even need to be by themselves.
Construct a yard sale: One excellent way to assist your children in earning money is to assist them in sorting through their old clothing, shoes, and toys. Have them organise a yard sale, and let them keep any profits they make.
Have your kids work for your small business: If you work for yourself and have any tasks that your kids can assist you with, you can pay them to complete them. By age, the tasks can change. However, even young kids can assist with tasks like sorting and shredding mail.
Organise people’s stuff: Your 11- or 12-year-old child might be able to provide this service to others if they have a knack for organization. Naturally, you’ll need to assist them in finding people who will allow them to organise for them.
Walk dogs: Most children enjoy walking dogs, and most adults could use assistance with this task. Additionally, if you can complete it together, you will both benefit from the exercise and fresh air.
Wash cars: The neighbour’s cars can be washed if your child is younger. Some car washes might be willing to hire them once they are old enough and are able to legally work with a work permit.
Water plants: Find households with children who are on vacation, have busy schedules, or are elderly and could use a helping hand with their plants.
Yard work: Most of us frequently require assistance with yard work. It might be a fantastic opportunity for your kids to make money in your neighbourhood if you’re willing to let them borrow your yard equipment. In addition, it’s just simple, easy money.
Selling t-shirts: T-shirt design and sales have never been simpler than they are right now. A screen printer and a graphic designer are no longer required. There are many websites like Shopify, Zazzle, Teespring, and CafePress that are designed for designing, marketing, and selling your own t-shirts.
Become a product flipper to their peers: One of my stepchildren has been giving his school and neighbourhood friends candy and shoes. This could be a good way to make money for your kid if they have a keen eye for a deal.
Online Ways To Make Money As A Kid
If your child is technologically savvy, they might be more motivated to look for online businesses they can start. In either case, your child should seek your approval before starting any money-making endeavors. Since they are minors, they must have parental consent in order to participate in these activities.
Take online surveys: My kids and I both enjoy completing online surveys! My kids and I both enjoy completing online surveys! These can be a lot of fun, and considering how frequently kids use technology, they might as well be earning money at the same time.
Create illustrations: If your child enjoys drawing, they might be able to make some money using this talent. They will be successful if you provide them with a good drawing tablet and simple software (I recommend Clip Studio Paint Pro). Deviantart is a fantastic website on which to have them set up a portfolio.
Make crafts or jewellery to sell online: If they enjoy making crafts and jewellery, then selling them online may be a great way for them to make money as a kid. Etsy is currently the most popular website for items of this kind.
Make YouTube videos: Today’s youth are adept at using technology, right? If your child enjoys making videos, there is a place where they can do so on YouTube and make some respectable money. Children can test products and record their experiences in videos that are shared online. Even if your child only wants to create videos discussing specific topics (video games, how-to videos, etc.), they can start making money by including advertisements in their videos. However, as a parent, you need to watch this source of income very carefully.
Sell their old stuff online: There are numerous online marketplaces where your kids can sell their used items. eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Poshmark, and Amazon are a few of our favourites.
Start a blog: If your child enjoys writing, getting them started with a blog at a young age may help them reach the point of monetisation by the time they could really benefit from it. Blogging can be a lot of fun, but it can take some time before you start seeing revenue from your blog. Therefore, this might be more of a long-term objective that children can achieve as they age.
Start taking photographs: Utilising your child’s interest in photography can be a great idea. EyeEm, Foap, and Scoopshot are a few of the top websites that might be prepared to pay them for their photos.
Streaming: If your child enjoys watching live streams of events, it might be time for them to start making their own. A fantastic way to get them started is with live streaming on Twitch.
Selling digital goods: Creating an ebook or a course is a great way to begin selling digital goods with very little overhead.
Making music: If your child has a musical ear, then this may just be the money-making genre for them. One of the best places to get started is Spotify.
Create games: One of my children is hugely into video games and is always coming up with ways for the games to be better. If this sounds like your child, then it may be time to investigate creating their own game and monetising it (trust me, it’s a lot easier than it sounds).
App tester: Since most of our kids are very embedded in the digital world, it only makes sense for them to make some money by testing apps. There are quite a few places your child can begin doing this, but two of the best places to get started are TesterWork and UberTesters.
When Can You Start Teaching Your Kids About Money?
When kids are toddlers, they are extremely inquisitive and have a strong desire to learn. It is also during this timeframe that they begin to strongly mirror your behavior. So, it makes sense to begin introducing them to the idea of money when they are in this frame of mind.
Around this age, I began teaching my children about money in a few different ways :
- Taking them to the grocery store to look at the price tags.
- Having them tell me how many fingers something costs.
- Showing them the different ways you can pay for groceries (credit/debit card, cash, check, EBT card).
- Buying a play cash register and plastic food to have a pretend grocery shopping trip at home.
If you start with basic lessons and pretend play like this, then building on this financial foundation is much easier as your child ages. Benefits of teaching your kids about money The benefits of teaching your kids about money are almost endless, especially in today’s society where most of us have more debt than income. If you can begin teaching our kids about money when they are really young, then they will grow up knowing more than you did.
The value of a dollar One of the biggest and easiest lessons to teach your children about money is the value of a dollar. This lesson can begin with the grocery store example from above. A good way to do this, depending upon their age, is to tell them how much money you have budgeted for this particular grocery trip. Then, they can help you add up all of the items as you go. When kids do this, they get to see a physical example of how much groceries really cost. Once this concept is grasped, the next step is to give them a small amount of money to spend on their own. Start with $1 or $2 to show them how far that little bit of money doesn’t actually stretch.
How Do I Save For Long-Term Goals?
Opening up a savings account for your kids is a great way to help them begin to save money for long-term goals. When they are younger, they won’t have access to withdraw funds themselves, so you will be in charge of what they can take out. A good way to drive this point home is to have them choose something big that they would like to save for. Depending upon their age, that can vary widely. But some items to consider may be:
- Video games
- Gaming console
- Phone
- Furniture
- Trip
- Car
- College
- Skateboard
- Video games
- Gaming console
- Phone
- Furniture
- Trip
- Car
- College
Once you and your child have chosen their big item, then you can help them break down the total cost and how long it will take to save the money to get there. The deal is that they won’t be able to take the money out of the savings account until they have the full amount due for the item. This can really help keep them laser-focused on the big goal and hopefully get them interested in finding other ways to make money as a kid.
Conclusion
In conclusion, making money as a kid can be both fun and rewarding! Whether you’re doing simple chores, starting a small business, or exploring creative ways to earn, there’s always an opportunity to learn valuable skills while building your savings. Remember, it’s not just about the money; you’ll also gain experience in responsibility, time management, and creativity. So, pick an idea that excites you, get started, and watch your hard work pay off! The sooner you begin, the more you’ll grow as a young entrepreneur. Happy earning!