Putting My Children To Work

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The idea for this post came from my own two children, who desperately want a Nintendo DS lite. Much to their disgust, I tend not to buy them anything they want. I told them they needed to earn their own money so they can buy it themselves.

My children’s pocket money still has to come out of the family budget, so I’d still be indirectly paying for their gadgets. I suggested to them that they earn the money by writing. Sneaky, aren’t I? I know most homeschooling mums will say that their children don’t like writing, and mine are no different. However, with the thought of a sparkling new DS in front of them, they approached it with gusto, particularly my 9 year old. So, what did they write?

It’s not appropriate for 9 year olds to write custom content for people, in most cases they just don’t have the skill set to do a good enough job. We decided to create packages of plr – private label rights articles that can be sold for a lot less money, but sold many times over. I chose a topic that they were passionate about – dogs. We brainstormed some possible titles, made notes on each topic, then they wrote a rough article. I edited it for grammar and spelling with their help, then rewrote little parts to make it read better. They wrote about 7 articles, and I added a few to make it an even dozen, and they were good articles. To add value to the package, we included a lovely wordpress theme created by the very talented Michelle Adams , a list of dog keywords that are often searched for online, and a list of dog product affiliate programs that people could promote and make a commission on sales. We priced the package very low – $4.95 for the lot, and put it up for sale in a few internet marketing forums I read.

I’d love to say it was a financial success. They sold maybe half a dozen packages. We did put the money towards their DS, but they don’t yet have enough to buy it.

However, let’s look at what they did achieve. They have learned how to research, they’ve practiced their language skills, they’ve watched how to zip files and upload them to a server, and they’ve seen me write sales copy. Most importantly, they’ve learned that they can generate a bit of income without having to rely on a job or pocket money. That’s the most useful lesson of all, I think. So, I’m calling this a successful outcome.

I have another project in mind for them to try, and it will also earn a little cash for them, and improve their skill set.

There’s no reason why our children can’t develop an entrepreneurial mindset. I’d love to hear your ideas for helping your children earn their own money.

Related posts:

1. Work From Home Options While You Home School Your Children
2. Selling Websites For Profit – Does It Work?
3. Autoblogging – Can It Work?
4. Home Office Ideas for Work at Home Moms

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