Home Business: Getting Your Kids Involved
September 13, 2009 by Guest Blogging at Moms In A Blog
Filed under Moms in Business
When you work at home, you have the perfect opportunity to teach your children skills and options that they may not have learned otherwise.
Even at a very young age children notice our moods or emotions, and our work ethic. They see things like the way we handle responsibility and accountability, and as they grow up beside you in a home business they get a firsthand view of it all.
It doesn’t happen overnight. Like all other aspects of parenting, much of what we teach our children is a slow process of consistent training, and of the examples we set as their primary role models.
I have been working from home for almost 13 years now, since my children were 5 months and 5 years old. They are now 13 and almost 18, and I am finally beginning to see the fruits of my labor as a parent. As they become young adults, they are each displaying behaviors I once thought would never stick.
Our children hold a certain amount of skepticism about everything that we say, or attempt to teach them. They are dead set on learning things for themselves, knowing the reasons behind the rules, or seeing the proof. That old saying of “do as I say, not as I do” just doesn’t hold water.
The proof is in the pudding for kids. I’m feeling fortunate that I fed my two plenty of pudding over the years. 
For a long time, my childrens’ only real interest in my home business was when I would be done for the day, or how much expendable cash we had. Over the years I often wondered if they would ever take an interest in the actual business, or what they might choose to do when they came of age to consider jobs and careers themselves.
It was only a few years ago that they began asking more detailed questions. They understood that I worked from home, and that I had an online business, but the questions finally started: What is it you actually do?
It was a proud moment for sure, but it almost made me realize that I could have involved them much sooner. They both took a genuine interest in the concept, and of course went back to their own busy little lives. I took that first show of interest though, and gradually shared more and more of my workday with them as opportunities arose.
Timing played a big part in finally getting my children actively involved in my home business. They were reaching an age where they were considering jobs and an income of their own. And my business was reaching a point where I needed more help and more tax breaks.
I consulted with my CPA on all of the options, and discovered that I could pay each of my children up to $2,400 per year tax-free. We also discussed the forms I would need to employ them full-time, and the tax breaks and details associated with higher earnings. You’ll want to discuss this with your own CPA of course, but there are definitely very nice benefits to employing your children in your home business.
In addition to the financial benefits for you as the owner, you are also teaching your children solid lessons in money management. Not to mention valuable skills and experience that will come in handy to them in future jobs and opportunities.
What you employ your children to do in your business will depend on your unique business model, and the skill levels and ages of your children. Fortunately children today are very good with technology, and super fast learners.
You have nothing to lose by giving them this opportunity, and the whole family has much to gain. You might start small by teaching them a specific task in your business, and see how well they do. If they do a good job, or are willing to learn and improve, you can offer to pay them to do that task for you for one week while you work on getting something else done.
Put the emphasis on needing their help. Children love to feel needed, and they love to do things that get your positive approval. Teach them patiently, and reward them by letting them know how impressed you are with the results.
Start small so that you can both get a feel for how things will work out. It should be fun and rewarding for everyone, without pressure or frustration.
It’s a great way to bring your family even closer, while growing your business at the same time!
Lynn Terry is the dynamic force behind ClickNewz . Her blog is updated daily with internet marketing strategies, affiliate tips, search marketing tutorials, website traffic ideas and ways to build passive income. She’s also the founder of Self-Starters Weekly Tips where as she describes it – “SSWT” is my way of sharing what works, and what doesn’t, and helping others achieve the same success online that I have myself. It’s definitely a labor of love, but over the years I have created an incredible community of like-minded people here, and it has been well worth the time and energy invested.” Join Lynn in the Elite Forum of Self-Starters Weekly Tips, a wonderful mastermind & brainstorming group that will help you take your business to the next level.
Hi Lynn, I’m totally with you there. My six-year-old daughter has been curious for quite some time about this. She has her own blog (about Dora The Explorer) and gets so excited when she makes a sale or some google adsense money. Having her “earn” her own money, is so much more rewarding than just giving her a little allowance.
Now that she’s in first grade, it’ll be good practice for her writing skills as well. And boy are you right about them being good with technology. My daughter showed her grandma how to make a blog post the other day – that was fun to watch
Thanks for the tip about the tax break, I’ll definitely have to check into that.
This is an excellent share Lynn. My 8 year old son has already shown many signs of his entrepreneurial spirit and mindset. I love your advice about telling them that you need their help. You are soooo right about that.
In addition to running our online fitness business, my wife runs a daycare in our home. Shayne is a big help and on busy days Angie says that she could use his help and she’ll pay him $10. That excites the heck out of him.
You ROCK Lynn!
Scott Tousignant
Hi Lynn, I’m so glad you wrote about this. I’m a homeschooler and I also have an online business. My kids weren’t too excited about the whole “work at home” thing. It took some of my time away from them.
But now, they have joined in on the entrepreneurial wagon. I am giving my kids an entrepreneurial education and we love it! My 12yr. old has a cake decorating business (and he is good), and my 14yr. old is about to start an eBay business. It’s exciting to see what all of this has turned in to. I even outsource some of my work to them. It’s great! Yes, you can do this and grow your family closer together. It takes time to show them what to do, it’s sometimes easier to do it myself, but it’s so worth it when I have taken the time with them. They are learning great things and they feel like they are a part of my business instead of my business taking mom away from them.
Thanks again Lynn,
Olivia Montgomery
Excellent post. I don’t have any kids at home but when I was in direct sales, the owner of the company had 8 kids and all of them were involved in some form with the business. Pretty exciting to show them that they don’t have to go out and work a job unless they really want to and that it is possible to work at home.
Great post. Most of my early training on developing work ethics was from home. Involving kids in your home business will teach them the principle of work and personal responsibility. They’ll get to learn how money is made and not be wastefull.