Help me out here. This was a small discussion in the comments section so I want to expand it a bit here. Can you think of small jobs you can have neighborhood kids to do? So far on my list are:
1. Rake leaves
2. Pick up trash
3. Water plants
4. Sweeping up the sidewalk or alley
When I was living in Logan Circle I also paid kids to get stuff from the Giant. That requires you giving them money and demanding a receipt. Also you have to know if they are allowed to go that far (or to cross certain streets) by their mom, or else you could get into trouble.
I have heard of other people paying kids to wash their car. Not any major detailing work, just soap and water and circular motions.
Part of a hesitancy with assigning some jobs depends on how well I know the kids’ parents and the kids. Another part is the risk factor of a job not done well. Will the kids step on the wrong plants? Will the task mess up what they are wearing and get his/her mother angry with me? Is the kid allowed to cross this street or go this far from the house?
So any suggestions you have to add? Pointers?
We had some of the kids on our street help plant seeds. Basically, I was out planting and they, being the curious scamps they are, wanted to know what the heck I was doing. 10 minutes later they’re wrist deep in potting soil. I felt a bit like Tom Sawyer since they were fighting over who got to play with dirt next, but I gave ’em a couple of bucks for the effort.
I’m thinking maybe a job where I have young boys picking out nightcrawlers from my compost. I swear I have enough worms to open a bait shop.