Young Entrepreneurs

The boys and I were sitting on the couch finishing up some reading for school at about lunch time on Monday. Through the open windows we heard the local high school marching band rehearsing. The boys asked if they could take their musical instruments outside and have their own marching band. That sounded like a good idea to me.

So out they went. I began preparing lunch. Ray came in to look for a hat. I was impressed that they were really getting into this. Through the window I saw and heard them making music. How nice. After a few minutes I went outside to see if I could join their band. Somehow the marching band seemed quite stationary.

When I inquired about the band, I was told that they were not actually a marching band. They had decided to become street performers! The hat was laid on the sidewalk so that people could put money in it!

I laughed and played along, getting some change and dropping it in the hat.

 

 

I went back inside and within a few minutes Jon was standing in the kitchen with quite a funny look on his face. He had come home early for lunch only to find his children peddling for money on the street. We laughed so hard! He of course had to question my homeschool methods (in a joking way). He gave them some money.

 

They persisted. Really, they were engaged with this endeavor for quite awhile! There were no passersby in the middle of the day on our residential street. However, they went back out after lunch and then my mom pulled up for a visit! She gave them more money!

 

After dinner, Adam was back at it again! He knew that my friend Becky was coming to pick me up for a meeting. He waited there and played his music. Sure enough, he got some change from her as well.

It would have been funny.... if it had ended there. However, the next morning I was awakened at 7:00am with Adam asking if he could go outside and "street perform." :) He wanted to "get the kids walking to school and the people out exercising." I spared them and the neighbors! When I told him no, Ray suggested that they sell things. He said to Adam, "Let's go down and see how many apples we have. We could sell those!"

Although I love seeing a budding entreprenurial spirit, I've squelched the performing and selling of goods on our front lawn.... for now.

A few days before this incident, Adam initiated a chore chart system for our house. We drew up some chore charts and negotiated terms for their first allowances. So far, so good. I asked Adam why he's so interested in money all of a sudden. What is it he wants to buy? New Wii games. Sigh!!!