Job for 11 yr old? Help

[JobsForKid]

Posting for traffic :)

My 11 year old has wanted a proper job since he was 8 or 9 and this is getting intolerable now. He gets pocket money from me for odd jobs, but he wants "consistent work" apparantly! And wants a "proper job".

I tried registering myself for a paper round/delivering leaflets (he's too young, but I thought he could come with me and I'd give him the pay), but was told I was too qualified and they give this work to either unemployed or teens not someone who already has a full time professional job (fair enough)

I've suggested selling his old stuff at a car boot etc.. which he is going to do, but apparantly that's not 'consistent work' or a "proper job" and he wants something more long term.

He's becoming intolerable and talks about it every day. He now wants to do paid surveys online, but I've said no as I don't think this sounds like a good idea and is not safe (plus there is the small matter that you have to be 13).

Any ideas??? What can he do? (We don't know anyone he could dog sit or babysit for and I wouldn't allow him to do this for a stranger. Also don't think he's old enough to babysit. He wants to do something like deliver papers, stuff envelopes, or something manual and for an employer not friends I can muster up to humour him)??

Could he start his own business? Doing what???

If he's good enough at it, he could make money by taking people's things that they want to sell on eBay but never get round to it, and splitting the money with them. I've always got stuff that I mean to sell instead of donating to charity, as it's worth a bit, but can't get the energy to bother doing it, and I'd split the profits with a teen who could take good photos of it, market it well, deal with the postage side etc. You'd probably have to have the actual account, though.

I know another teen/pre-teen who had a job at the local market, helping to get the stock out of the storage and set it up in the mornings, before he went to school - there might be something similar on a weekend that he could do. I think in this case it was books and CDs that mostly needed carrying and laying out, and he was paid a small amount.

Can he skateboard or anything similar? He could give informal lessons to younger children for a small amount perhaps. Or even just playing games, reading, supervising etc younger children or toddlers when their parents are home but needing to finish off some work or whatever.

If you have space and he enjoys gardening I would grow flowers,he could sow seeds or bulbs,tubers which stay in the ground.Cut flowers sell well from the gate.He would need a budget for compost,pots ,seeds etc but he could ask on Facebook if anyone has any going spare.What about an allotment?he will need help but once up and running he could help himself and also make him self sufficient for the future.Good luck to him I say.

I second/third the car washing idea - he could make leaflets, then deliver them to a few local streets and get a schedule lined up for a walk round and wash. I'd gladly give this kind of work to a local kid.

Well done to him, he sounds lovely.

My brother and I had a steady rota of jobs on the street.

• wash cars
• sweep driveways and patios
• pick up dog poop for an elderly couple!
• wash dogs
• mow gardens

We would charge £2 per job so could make about £5-£6 a house! Every weekend about 4 houses and more in summer. We were making about £18 a weekend it was brilliant. Although that got you a lot more than nowadays would

If he is creative - could he make or design something? To sell on Etsy? I had an assistant who used to make themed glass jars for weddings, not sure it was a massive money spinner, but they definitely made some cash.

What about some passive income streams via Amazon? Lots of ideas on socials about how to sell notebooks or prints or similar using amazon publishing. No initial outlay. No idea if it actually makes any money but it will keep him busy designing

Thanks all for your suggestions. I'm making a list and I think we can try a few if these ideas :) thank you

Car washing? If he's near me I'd have him around any pm this week, seagulls and cars don't mix!

😀😀

I was going to suggest car boots/eBay too. He could research what kind of things/brands sell well and look out for them

Taking out and returning wheelie and food waste bins every week in local area?

If he was to set up a little “business” cleaning cars for example , do leaflets for neighbours, post in local shops/fb pages etc he could find that it could be a consistent wage.. if 5 people each had a car washed every week. He’s also learning about gaining new customers and repeat business by doing a good job/good customer service skills. It’s lovely he wants to work.

We have an egg round in our area which was set up originally for much the same reason and over the years has been passed on through several teenagers and is now onto the third family. Basically parents place a weekly order to bulk buy organic free range eggs. Child boxes eggs and goes round households that have registered to see how many boxes they want that week. We've watched the current incumbent grow up from a shy eleven year old whose father used to walk round with him to a cheerful fourteen year old who is now training his younger sister so that she can take over when he's old enough for something different. It's great for us too - good quality eggs at a good price delivered to the doorstep.

My 12 yo is just like this too! Also wants to join cadets etc. He sells secondhand books outside our house and at nearby shopping parades and has earned quite a lot! (and has experimented with selling lollies in a cool box on an hot day, and nice used toys).

He’s like a budding Alan Sugar or something - he has his own sales strategies and loves pricing things and selling to passers by.

None of this came from us as parents, btw! And has nothing to do with our jobs - he didn’t learn sales / business from us. It’s entirely his own interest and he does it all himself. I think it’s brilliant when young people have such drive. Good luck to your son.

Maybe “the majority” statistically, not sure, but my sister is works for a company that has a research team that does a hell of a lot of research with children and young people and also parents (if anyone is looking to make some money themselves…) and definitely does plenty of fieldwork with primary age children, recruited through specialist recruiters. Both child and parent/chaperone get a cash “incentive” (often £50+ for a video interview or focus group from the comfort of your sofa!)

Aww that's lovely!

👍👍

The exact words he's using worry me a little bit - there's a lot of that sort of thing, often with a side order of Andrew Tate lite, on YouTube and TikTok that he might have somehow seen?

Huh?!? Why would you want to discourage a child who WANTS to work?!? 🤨

By the way I would also pay for car washing (and inside hoovering 😣) any day of the week

If he is being intolerable about this, he needs to grow up and understand why the law states he can’t work. There are rules like this for a reason.

I'd have happily paid someone a generous percentage to put stuff online and sell it for me. I'm sure I'm not alone. Don't know how you'd go about it as a business exactly but do you parents, neighbors, family have things they want to sell?

It’s great he wants to work but I find it a bit concerning too. I’d really want to get to the bottom of why he’s so insistent to get a job, earn money and where he’s getting that language from. That sounds like adult influence and either from someone in real life, or he’s been watching / reading things on the internet. To be obsessed with earning consistent money to this level at such a young age is concerning.

You do need to be firm or what other age limits is he going to ignore, thinking they don’t apply to him as he thinks he’s far more mature.

My DS’s have always liked to try and make some money, but it’s been for specific things, this sounds different.

My DS earned a very good amount while at college by buying clothes and selling them on. Easily as much as his friends in minimum wage jobs. It's a proper side industry for him.

Dog walking, gardening, lawn mowing car washing.
he could set himself up to wash the outside of cars on Sat mornings, £5 a pop.
Let neighbours know, leaflet them. Once’s he’s ‘established’ he’ll have people asking.

my kids were out washing our car ( 10 and 12) and several neighbours came out and asked if they’d do theirs for ££