Both of my kids, count 'em, two out of two, have summer jobs! Woohoo actually started hers Wednesday - a part time job that she'll do after school and on weekends, then this summer, and hopefully on into next school year. It's right up her alley and she got the job 100% on her own accord! Not enough can be made of this. Money - a powerful motivator! Turns out that no, the $16/month I give her isn't quite doing it!
Today I took Rojo to visit a preschool in our neighborhood. The woman runs it out of her home, just blocks from ours. And get this: she is a retired special ed teacher. You know why, right? Because there are no accidents. That's why. She and I had been talking about this possibility for almost a year, and today he "auditioned," so to speak, and got the "job." It's still a job when the mom pays the employer to pay the kid, right?
Rojo is high as a kite - has his calculator out and is figuring out how many total hours he'll work this summer, if he works approximately 20 hours (ALLELUIA!!!) a week. "Mom, I will read to the kids, and I will play with them, and I will make sure they stay safe, and I'll help them with their snacks, and I will teach them expressions."
"Don't teach them sassy expressions, okay?"
"Mom, of course I am not going to teach them sassy expressions. They are three, four and five. That is my best area. Those are the ages I'm really good with. Of course I will not teach them to be sassy. I will just have this job for five years until I move to Anaheim and have my five kids. This job will really help me get ready for having my five kids."
He's already looking through the house deciding what might be fun to donate to the preschool: his old Little Tykes basketball hoop he hasn't played with for years, but I'm too attached to to give away, books, puzzles, etc. For this cause I'm happy to bring the stuff by the truckload!
For the first time in years I am not dreading summer. It's going to be fine. It's going to be, actually, really great.
* Photo from http://topnews.net.nz
