My ten year old son doesn’t want to take an afternoon nap because he’s afraid he might be late for work. Yes, you read it correctly. My boy has a summer job and he takes it very seriously. Twice a week I bring him to NBA Café at the SM Aura Skypark where he proudly works as a junior attendant.
WORKING HARD FOR THE MONEY
He greets customers and ushers them to their seats . Mid-meal, M approaches the tables, introduces himself and gives the patrons feedback forms. When the people ask for their bill, he returns to collect the answered sheets. He tallies the ticks/comments and makes a chart. What a good way to make use of his math skills!
This s not the first time that M has had a summer job. Back when he was five years old, he worked in a fastfood chain. His Dad was the president of the company then and he thought it would be good to teach our firstborn ( and then only child) the value of hardwork . M would carry a Halo-Halo placard and would ring a bell to attract passersby. At the end of that particular summer, I brought him to the bank and we deposited his earnings.
EARNING INSTEAD OF ASKING
My boy has NEVER asked me for money for his personal use. When he needs money for school, he would show me the letter first and ask me to staple the bills to his notebook. I’m proud that he ‘s like that. When we are in the mall, he would just follow me around and patiently wait until I’m done shopping or doing the grocery. It would be on my initiative that we visit the toy store or the bookstore. He would look at things that interest him and then put the things back in the shelves. It’s as if he is embarrassed to ask or he is simply waiting for us to give him. I was hoping that my three year old daughter would grow up to be like Kuya , but no such luck there . 🙂
M has also been given the chance to appear in several advertisements. All his paychecks go straight to the bank.
TRAINING STARTS AT HOME
The husband and I come from middle class families and it is by sheer hardwork, ambition and determination that we have changed both our fates. We don’t want our children to go thorough the hardships we went through but if it comes to that we want them to be ready. Spoiled children are not allowed in the house.
M washes the dishes and takes care of his sister. He is not allowed to hold any gadget until he pactices the piano, swims laps in the pool and reads his Mommy –issued summer books.
NO TO IDLENESS, YES TO HAPPY PRODUCTIVITY
It is good to expose children to the real world . In my experience, encouraging a child to use his talents (while earning on the side) gives him a feeling of accomplishment. We can only raise responsible children if we trust them with some amount of responsibility. There is so much more that M has to learn but we are happy that (it seems) we have set him on the right path.
26 comments
A must read for parents, soon to be parents and growing up kids. Thank you Miss BQP.
Thank you Ms Emi!
Good job Kuya M!
Thank you, Zetti!
Excellent read, I read it twice! We’ve been doing the same thing with our own boy with rewards given upon doing some work ( spelling, reading, mathwork, cleaning up his playroom, picking up his toys). External motivations for doing his work to name a few are : swimming, playing a game on the computer, watching a movie etc. I’ve been thinking of taking my own boy to an exposure trip, maybe the soup kitchen or the homeless shelter, and tell him about these folks and what he as a 6/yo can do. I would like to teach him a little bit more about life outside his comfort zones. As for HARD WORK, there really are no short cuts~ it’s a combination of brains and a high tolerance for hard work. I hope your little one R will follow Kuya M’s lead when it comes to shopping.:)
Thank you very much for the “excellent” review. I totally agree with you. There is no shortcut to success except through hard work. Do tell me how your planned trip to the soup kitchen goes. That’s next on my list- taking part in charity work.
i LOVE this post, Paulyne! at a time when the current culture gives a sense of entitlement (misplaced or otherwise) to people born into more blessed circumstances, it is such a refreshing and enlightening (inspiring, too!) read, a breath of fresh air to say the least, that we get to hear of parents like you and A who are determined to pass on the right values and work ethics to their children. bravo! and please hug the young man for me. inigo truly embodies hope for his generation! xx
Thank you very much for your wonderful comment HARMONY! The husband and I want to raise responsible children. We’re all learning as we go.
That’s cool! Exposing children in a working environment is a great training ground for them to be good responsible citizens. They will learn the importance & be a good steward of their hard earned money.
Good job Busy Queen Paulyne!
Thank you BONG.
Nice one 🙂 natawa ako about the “hoping your three year old will be like kuya”… Good luck!!! hahaha 🙂
We went to the toy store while waiting for Kuya to finish his shift tonight. My gosh, she kept on getting dolls and toys and I kept on putting them back in the shelves!
Very encouraging! Now i miss having a super young kid :))))) want to have a son like M! He’s a keeper! Haha hidden interest! Congrats BQP! You’re instrumental in all these 🙂
Trying my best to mold him the best way I can. I fetched him tonight and he said a family asked him to join in their photo 🙂 Mabenta talaga tong anak ko:)
Excellent parenting values and style! Go go M and R in Dad/Mom school of life! 🙂
Thank you very much. 🙂
I believe that the best inheritance we can leave our children is for them to be able to survive on their own. Kudos on raising your children on solid values of hard work and prudent use of money!
That’s what we’re trying to prepare them for — to be responsible, hardworking individuals in the future. Thank you for your comment GE.
M is such a champ! R is so lucky to have a great role model present in her life 24/7. He’s got a top spot in my Best Big Bros list!
They have their moments… but they love each other deeply. Thank you for your wonderful comment KATE Q. 🙂
Super interesting entry 🙂 #inspired to work!!
Truly inspiring & encouraging!
Thanks Paulyne!
I know each kid is different & so are we as parents coz of personalities, priorities, directions, likes, wants, what have you BUT this blog shows that there are some things that stay constant & true no matter what, when, where, how & WHO! Ü It also opened up possibilities for me… now I think & wonder what can we do with our little one for I definitely agree with everything you wrote! Ü
Please continue writing about your experiences as a parent – I have been getting very good tips! All the best & More power! Ü
All parents want to do right by their children. It’s a daily learning process. I fail probably more than I succeed. This just challenges me to be do better so I will be a better parent —so I can raise good children. Good luck in your journey as a parent to your little boy. 🙂
He’s so sweet to take care of his little sister! 🙂
Good job, M! Thanks for sharing BQP. So cool that you have been exposing M to these summer jobs that teach him the value of hardwork and earning money. This is a must-read for parents. M is really excellent in so many ways.
Thank you Clari! As parents, we just have to find the right balance both for ourselves and the children. Thank you also for all the support. 🙂